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.
Ah, the traditional pre-America's Cup skippers press conference. It's a time for all the skippers to come together and sit awkwardly along the top table and partake in the ceremonial first shots being fired between the competitors.
Oracle Team USA, the regatta overlords, pulled a swifty from the outset by renaming it the "helmsman press conference", which meant Team NZ's wise-cracking skipper Glenn Ashby was left out of the fun. Sorry Glenn, they don't like your gags.
Instead America's Cup newbie Peter Burling was put forth into the firing line, where his renowned resilience was put to the test by Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill, who wasted little time in warming into his favourite task - Kiwi baiting.
Spithill doesn't do subtle digs. In a series of pre-prepared salvos, he managed to turn virtually every question into an opportunity to take a swipe at Team NZ. We were watching the master at work.
