KEY POINTS:
New Zealand skipper Chris Dickson's America's Cup sailing career looks to be in tatters after he was replaced for this morning's key clash against Luna Rossa.
Oracle went into the showdown with one life left, down 4-1 in a best-of-nine series, and replaced Dickson on the helm by champion Danish match racer Sten Mohr.
It is understood tension has been simmering in the afterguard of the Oracle boat, television microphones picking up discontent from its New Zealand tactician Gavin Brady.
Brady was promoted to skipper/tactician for this morning's race.
However, it made no difference as Luna Rossa went on to win by 33 seconds and knock the Americans out of the regatta.
Mohr was driving Oracle's USA98 in the shock loss to China Team in round robin two. A win would have left Oracle at the top of the challenger standings and able to choose their semifinal opponent. Instead Team New Zealand won that right.
Dickson has been overwhelmingly outwitted by his Luna Rossa counterpart James Spithill.
The Australian has been in dynamic form in the semifinal series, dominating pre-start manoeuvres, forcing penalties and getting his boat to the top mark first in every race, most tellingly early on Sunday.
Spithill forced Dickson beyond the pin end in the pre-start.
In a desperate attempt to free himself, Dickson gybed down but was pinged by the umpires for not keeping clear.
Almost instantly, he felt the umpires' wrath again when he swung his boat around and ploughed into Luna Rossa with his transom. It was hard to believe what you were seeing.
"The first penalty was a port-starboard incident as we tried to wriggle off the hook. It was a calculated risk," said Oracle navigator Peter Isler.
"We thought we could get across in front of them but we couldn't quite get there.
"You never like to put yourself in the hands of the umpires but we figured if we could have got across, we would have neutralised the situation but it didn't pay off for us."
Even syndicate owner Larry Ellison did his bit for the team yesterday, choosing to sub himself off because he felt they needed someone with more grinding ability.
But the team voted he return to the boat for this morning's race.
Meanwhile, Team New Zealand strategist Ray Davies says they are ready for Spithill in the likely event the two sides meet in the challenger series final.
His supremacy has some beginning to wonder how Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker will fare against him.
When it comes to pre-starts - a crucial part of the match in the tricky Valencia conditions - the pair are one-all in the challenger series.
Barker copped a penalty in the pre-start in round one but then had the better of Spithill in round two.
When asked how he feels his team's starts were going, Davies said Barker had always achieved what they had asked of him.
"It is always a trade-off to get the plan or get your best start possible. We have always been happy with a little bit of a compromise to get the starting plan we wanted.
"The positive thing about all our starts is Dean has always put us in the position we have asked him to be in. From a weather team that is all we can ask of him."
But is he ready for Spithill, who will come barrelling at him, no holds barred?
Davies said: "We can only go off the races we have had against Luna Rossa in the past and they have been 50-50. I think it is a close battle between James and Dean in the prestart.
