Winds should suit Team NZ

By HELEN TUNNAH and JEREMY REES

After more than a hundred races and months of speculation, the defining moment of the America's Cup may come very early.

All the boat unveilings, new keel designs and hulas have left one great unknown - which boat will be quicker?

That question may be answered as early as a few minutes into the first beat of the first race.

The teams have been drilled as close to perfection as they can get, tactics have been worked and reworked, but which of Alinghi or Team New Zealand is faster remains anyone's guess.

The first inklings of that will come quickly as the two 25-tonne America's Cup yachts cross the line and power away upwind.

At the wheel of Alinghi will be Russell Coutts.

He likes a strong upwind boat because he knows how crucial it is to get to the first mark first. Being ahead and defending a lead is better than trying to come from behind.

Against the other challengers he stayed out of trouble in the pre-starts, sometimes crossing the line behind or with his rivals getting the favoured wind.

But again and again, SUI64 was able to sit with its rivals when it should have been forced to tack away, sometimes even edging ahead on the 3.25 nautical mile first leg from a disadvantaged line.

Coutts showed the Swiss strength against Oracle in winning the Louis Vuitton Cup. SUI64 could sit in disturbed airs and stay with the San Francisco team. The American boat was not powerful enough to sit with Alinghi.

How the black NZL82 will fare today is unknown to the public - but probably not to its designers and sailors.

Today's winds, 15 knot southerlies gusting to 21 knots, should be ideal for it. Next week's predicted light airs may not be.

Team New Zealand syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg yesterday warned of the difficulties of predicting boat speed early.

He was hoping, but not certain, that his team would have a small speed edge over Alinghi.

At a pre-contest press conference he said it was too early to say whether the defender's boat NZL82 would be faster in the best-of-nine series.

"We think we understand the design game. If we understand it as well as we think we do, we should have a little edge," he said.

Three years ago, Team New Zealand's crew spoke of the nervous wait as they surged up the first beat against Prada.

Eventually, 20 minutes into the beat, one sailor could wait no longer.

"How are we going," he asked.

"Higher and faster," came the perfect reply from tactician Brad Butterworth.

The New Zealanders knew they had the edge.

* Live television cover of the racing starts from 1.15pm on TV One.


nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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