KEY POINTS:
Well some of us have just had a couple of days off. Some being the key word. Peter did, I didn't. Best we clear that up now.
So here is a brief run down of his time away from the America's Cup Port.
He started off with the Louis Vuitton Ball on Wednesday night. Okay I might have allowed myself a couple of hours off as well. After all only 2000 people were invited, it would be rude to turn the invite down.
The Louis Vuitton balls are always spectacular. This one was no different. It was held in a derelict old Monastery 20 minutes out of town. It was stunning.
That is where my time off ended so over to Peter?
The day after the ball I went to an orange grove 120km south of Valencia.
It was delightful. I went out to the coast where the water was clean, the air was fresh. A far cry from the pollution in Valencia.
On Sunday I went up in a chopper with the camera operators who were having a run through before the start of the semifinals.
It was interesting to see how streaky the wind looked on the water from above. Therefore, does this mean the weather teams are going to be the winning and losing of this regatta?
It was amazing to see how the camera operators work. The pilots can see the shots as they fly so they know exactly what they are filming. The camera is attached to the outside of the helicopter and controlled inside. It is all very interesting. Like the America's Cup the operation is very multi-national. The two pilots are Italian and an Aussie and a Kiwi are the camera operators.
Out training were all the semifinalists. It is as interesting to see the boat from up high. How the rigs work, their mast twists and their general set up.
The semifinals are going to be great. I was talking to one of my old Spanish mates the other day and rarking him up that Team NZ were going to beat the Spanish 5-0.
He said laughing; he thought the Spanish could win three races. He said Team New Zealand haven't broken anything yet .. they must break something soon. That's one win. Spain's helmsman Karol Jablonski hasn't really nailed a start yet - so that must come. That's two wins. Luck has got to go our way in one of the races. That's three wins.
I pointed out they needed to win five. Oh yeah, he said, "We are stuffed!"
