By JULIE ASH and REBECCA WALSH
It is almost a case of mate against mate when Alinghi line up against OneWorld today in the America's Cup challenger series.
Thirteen of the 32 crew on the two yachts will be New Zealanders. Ten are from Team New Zealand's winning boat NZL60 from
the last cup.
Already, after just one day of racing, Alinghi and OneWorld's boats are being talked about as potentially the fastest of the nine challengers.
They should have squared off yesterday, but strong winds on the Hauraki Gulf meant the second day of racing for the Louis Vuitton Cup was postponed. Race organisers have predicted similar conditions today.
On Alinghi's boat, former Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts is joined by former team-mates Brad Butterworth, Simon Daubney, Warwick Fleury and Dean Phipps, with another New Zealand-born sailor, Richard Bouzaid, also in the crew.
Lining up for OneWorld are Craig Monk, Matthew Mason, Jeremy Scantlebury, Richard Dodson, and Andrew Taylor, who all helped to defend the America's Cup in 2000, and two other New Zealanders, Alan Smith and Don Cowie. OneWorld also employs one of NZL60's designers, Laurie Davidson.
Swiss syndicate Alinghi thrashed the French Challenge Le Defi Areva by 4m 48s on the first day of racing. OneWorld of Seattle beat the Italian syndicate Mascalzone Latino by more than five minutes.
Money is no object, with Alinghi's budget around $120 million and OneWorld's about $160 million.
Alinghi strategist Murray Jones, who also left Team New Zealand after the last America's Cup, said OneWorld appeared to be a good allround team with "pretty good middle-of-the-road boats".
Television viewers will not see the clash live, though, or the other major race of the day between Team Dennis Conner and Prada of Italy.
Instead, the Challenger of Record Management has decided the race between Victory Challenge of Sweden and Le Defi Areva of France will be featured on One Sport.
Lack of television coverage of the main race of the first day, Prada against Oracle BMW Racing, along with the crashing of the online 3-D graphics service Virtual Spectator, angered international media and syndicate supporters.
Public annoyance was evident on sailing websites. OneWorld sponsor Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who gave $US10 million ($21 million) for the campaign, even had to telephone syndicate staff in New Zealand looking for an update.
The team founder, telecommunications tycoon Craig McCaw, called three times from Seattle after Virtual Spectator crashed.
Virtual Spectator says there should be no problems today after a team of 20 worked through the night.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
By JULIE ASH and REBECCA WALSH
It is almost a case of mate against mate when Alinghi line up against OneWorld today in the America's Cup challenger series.
Thirteen of the 32 crew on the two yachts will be New Zealanders. Ten are from Team New Zealand's winning boat NZL60 from
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