KEY POINTS:
Despite SUI100's scintillating speed downwind Team New Zealand say they are happy with the performance of NZL92 following their first-up loss to Alinghi in the America's Cup match.
Team New Zealand were comfortably beaten by the Swiss by 35 seconds in race one in Valencia.
While Alinghi nailed
the first shift which allowed them to get a controlling position up the first beat, it was their speed downwind which caught most by surprise in the much-awaited first encounter.
The Swiss gained 7s on the first run and a telling 21s on the second. Upwind the boats looked relatively even.
After their first hitout against Alinghi's hyped-up SUI100, Team NZ skipper Dean Barker said they were not surprised by what they saw.
"They are fast, they sail well, certainly nothing that we didn't expect. We are pleased with the way the [NZ] boat is going. We certainly can't blame it on our speed today."
Barker said it was too early to say whether the Swiss had the wood on them downwind.
"More good pressure and a couple of good waves and it makes a big difference."
Throughout the challenger series the Kiwis looked potent downwind. They have changed the bulb on their boat to a slightly longer one for the Cup match which they felt would improve their performance over a range of conditions and align them better with the Swiss.
The question is now did they compromise speed downwind to do so?
"While we didn't feel we sailed badly today it wasn't good enough to win," Barker said. "I think if things were a little bit different then we could win. It is early days but the nice thing is we feel competitive and that is the best thing we can ask for if we are not going to win the race."
Alinghi skipper and tactician Brad Butterworth said getting the left-hand side of the course was the key to his team's win. Alinghi's weather call before the start was the left was favoured up the first beat.
"I think the boats are pretty much the same speed. We caught some nice waves down wind, but they [Team NZ] are pretty much the same," Butterworth said. "The key to winning is simply toughing it out. I think getting the left-hand side of the course was key today."
Going into the match it was suggested that the design of the Swiss boats indicated they were optimised for moderate winds which eventuated in race one where the wind speed was around 13 knots and a Mistral breeze helped create a stroppy sea state.
Former America's Cup sailor Paul Cayard said his impression was that Alinghi were a fraction faster upwind but "very, very fast downwind".
"This is very telling to me," Cayard said. "It means that SUI100 is more all around than most people thought. Less dominant upwind, less dominant in strong wind but not as weak in light wind.
"So rather than a crossover ... a condition in which we could find Team New Zealand being faster, we may see the Swiss boat just a touch faster in all conditions."
Despite the loss Team New Zealand pitman Barry McKay said the mood remained upbeat in the Kiwi camp.
"The team has got enough depth to take a loss on the chin now and then," McKay said.
"We have been through the Louis Vuitton and lost the odd race. The character of a team is about whether it bounces back. Nobody likes to lose but tomorrow is another day.
"There has been a lot of mystique around it [SUI100]. It is a good boat, we always knew it would be, but it is not out of this world. It is game on," McKay said of Alinghi.
