America's Cup Niggle-o-meter: Best behaviour in Bermuda

Jimmy Spithill was back to his engaging best when fronting the media. Photo / photosport.nz

The America's Cup has become known as much for the off-water antics as it has for the on-water action. The event's history is one rich with diplomatic squabbling, jealously guarded secrets, deceit, mind games and out-and-out feuds between sailors. The 35th America's Cup has thus far been no different. To assess the level of unrest in Bermuda, the Herald have come up with a highly scientific measurement - behold the niggle-o-meter

With regatta overlord Russell Coutts watching on intently from the front row of the press conference today, the assembled skippers were all on their best behaviour.

So much so, the niggle-o-meter barely registered a reading.

Jimmy Spithill was back to his engaging best, enthusing about the quality of racing and how tight the competition is.

Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge, who was robbed of certain victory over Team New Zealand yesterday, graciously didn't mention the controversy and took today's loss as a "fair cop".

Team France skipper Franck Cammas politely provided answers in both French and English.

Peter Burling mostly watched on with a look of detached amusement.

Even Ben Ainslie was in a good mood after his team put a horror couple of days behind them to pull off an unexpected win over Artemis.

Re-invigorated about this high-octane style of racing again, Ainslie shamelessly sucked up to Coutts, his old boss, managing to put in a plug for the new framework agreement, which five of the six (no prizes for guessing who are the holdouts) have signed on to for the next two cycles of the America's Cup.

"I think changing to this class of boat is proving to be a very good move. They are really closely matched and each team in different conditions can be competitive. That's certainly what we need for the America's Cup and looking to the future I think it's got huge potential if we're able to stick with this format and these type of boats."