Friendly foes sail through the night

Rivalry - even of the friendly kind - was quietly sidestepped at the America's Cup ball.

The stars of Team New Zealand were out for the ball but the leaders of Prada stayed away.

Skipper Francesco De Angelis and tactician Torben Grael were nowhere to be seen, although Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth were there for the defenders.

A spokeswoman for Prada said it was no snub. The Italians had taken five tables and divided up tickets among those who wanted them.

"They are very, very busy. Perhaps they [De Angelis and Grael] were busy, or too tired."

More than 1000 people turned out for the ball on Saturday in a special French-made "glasshouse" in front of the Auckland Museum. The huge structure, made of a super-strong material with the clarity of glass, will also be used for Thursday's New Zealand Sports Champion of the Century dinner.

Partygoers at the ball were able to dance through the night and end with a special breakfast at 4.30 am.

Luckily for Team New Zealand and Prada, Sunday was a rest day.