Black Magic v The Red Moon

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Team New Zealand finally confront their destiny today - dressed to kill in black with the silver fern as they defend the America's Cup from the unwelcome attentions of Italy.

The fern, symbol of Kiwi sporting prowess, will be worn for the first time by the Cup defender on the home waters of the Hauraki Gulf in this best-of-nine series.

After five years' wait, a nervous Team New Zealand crew will at last race to defend the ornate silver ewer they wrested from the Americans.

Their Italian opponents, Prada, were quietly confident yesterday, but making no predictions. Said Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis: "We are racing a team we respect a lot, but we don't know much about them."

The experts' consensus is that if the wind is light, Luna Rossa will win. If it blows good and strong, Black Magic will excel. Last night, the forecast was for low winds of just 8 knots, but this is by no means a safe bet on the uncertain gulf.

It is the first time in New Zealand's 14-year America's Cup history that the sailors have worn black - a revolutionary sailing shirt from the syndicate's own yacht design team.

"It's high-technology clothing, and we're pretty happy with it," tactician Brad Butterworth said. "The clothes we've worn in the past have been like streetwear. These have been specially designed for Cup racing.

"The guys are looking forward to wearing the silver fern for the first time. It's a big deal for us."

Some of the crew, including skipper Russell Coutts, tried out the new shirts in a brief, final trial on the gulf yesterday. The body-hugging black shirts were tested by the Kiwi design experts looking for a material with low wind-resistance.

The team are admittedly tense about sailing against the battle-hardened Italians.

Butterworth also knows they will face pressure from their adoring public today - as the new Black Magic, NZL60, is the centre of attention for the first time.

"Because we weren't part of the Louis Vuitton Cup, we've felt a little bit uneasy with the crowd cheering for us every day when we hadn't done anything," he said. "This is our chance now to do our stuff."

A waka will lead the New Zealand flotilla out through the Waitemata Harbour at 10 am, with the Ngati Whatua tribe performing a haka on the wharf.

Yesterday, about 500 vessels took to the water in a red-sock salute organised by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The vessels hoisted red-sock flags high to wish Team NZ good luck.

This morning the 16 sailors will wake at 6, go to the base and eat their cornflakes together, as they do every day. If the winds are kind, racing will start at 1.15 pm.

"It's not going to be a lot different from any other day, except we'll be racing Prada instead of ourselves," Butterworth said.

Sir Peter Blake, head of the Team NZ campaign, was a proud man on the eve of the defence - his last hurrah in the America's Cup.

"I think it has more than fulfilled my dream," he said. "I will leave it pretty happy ... as long as one thing happens."