Toyota Dockside in Bermuda: Sailors not technology to decide America's Cup

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in action during the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series. Photo / Hamish Hooper

Traditionally the America's Cup has always been a technology race but after today's final practice session it's beginning to look the 35th edition could actually be about who has the best sailors rather than who has the fastest boat.

The general consensus seems to be that all the boats are fast and mostly pretty even, depending on the mode in which they're being sailed - that is the mixture of foils and rudders chosen to match the weather forecast.

Today Emirates Team New Zealand largely dominated their practice races against the French and the British while Oracle, Artemis and the Kiwi-led Japanese all had rather tighter encounters which augurs well for plenty of close racing when the regatta begins on Saturday NZ time.

And after watching the action closely from the Kiwi support boat Chase One, chief operations officer Kevin Shoebridge reckons out-and-out pace is not necessarily the deciding factor.

"It's very close and I also think races are being won and lost not through speed differences but through how well they are getting round the course," Shoebridge told me.

"All the stuff that should count in a yacht race - taking shifts, sailing well, and not making mistakes - and these differences are far bigger than the speed differences you are seeing between the boats."

For the Kiwis the day provided some invaluable starting practice with Peter Burling pushed hard - particularly by Britain's Sir Ben Ainslie - and responding well.

And from a technological point of view lessons continue to be learned.

"We've got new equipment that's gone on over the last couple of weeks and a lot of it now is trying to find out how to use it,' said Shoebridge.

"There's big gains still to be had just by using the equipment properly."

The next time the boat lines up to race it will be for the real deal and Shoebridge reckons they're in good shape.

"Today felt really good. We are definitely not peaking too early. But we are ready. We are ready to start."