Off course

A blast from Swiss horns will reverberate at Viaduct Harbour tomorrow when the America's Cup challengers Alinghi head off for the first race of the long awaited finals. Syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli is a big fan of the horn players, who are meant to deliver a bit of luck.

There will be no horns for Dean Barker's Team New Zealand. Expect NZL 82 to head off to the roar of the crowd.

Keen celebrity watchers should keep their eyes peeled for actor Tom Cruise and models Cindy Crawford and Kylie Bax. All should be there at some point.

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Fans who want to watch the America's Cup racing but can't get out on the water will be able to see live action on the big screen at the Viaduct Harbour.

Seating for 3000 has been set up in front of the stage at Te Wero Island, and Television New Zealand's race cover will screen from midday until the end of each race.

Anyone visiting the Viaduct is urged to use public transport to get into the city, as roads are predicted to be congested from early morning. The two teams are due to leave their bases each morning between 9.30am and 10am.

Auckland's harbourmaster also asks boat owners to be careful on the water and to listen to channel 18 for safety information. Boat speed near the race course is limited to five knots, and the maximum speed going to and from the course is 10 knots.

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Shipping News: Named for Phileas Fogg's faithful servant in Around the World in Eighty Days, Passe Partout is a 42m ocean-cruising sloop. She is the third and longest Jongert-designed vessel, built to the specifications of French owner Vincent Fourt. One of the central features of the spacious 14-year-old yacht is an elegant spiral staircase which descends from the flying bridge through the deckhouse, to the main saloon and on down to the galley. The yacht is used for exclusive charter voyages around the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

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And the Cup goes to: Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said: "Dear Alinghi friends, the hardest part still lies ahead. You could win the America's Cup and bring it back to Europe for the first time in 152 years. You have the overwhelming support of the Swiss Government and the Swiss people in your endeavour. Countless Alinghi fans in Switzerland will spend sleepless nights in front of their television screens cheering you along. In spite of the great distance between Switzerland and New Zealand, the whole country's enthusiasm is huge."


Superyacht watcher's guide

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

Racing schedule and results