KEY POINTS:
So who will drive Alinghi?
They have rotated Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg since Russell Coutts left the syndicate in 2004. The feeling is that if Alinghi believe they have a speed edge, Baird will steer, if they think they are in for a battle, then Holmberg will.
While the syndicate haven't announced who has the job, the noise around Valencia is Baird has been given the nod. With winning the start and first cross so vital, Julie Ash and Peter Lester take a look at the styles of both men.
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Off the water Peter Holmberg is one of the nice guys of the America's Cup. On the water he can be a pitbull terrier.
Holmberg has a similar style to Chris Dickson. He throws the boat round a lot more. He is pretty aggressive and pretty punchy. If there is an opportunity, he is not afraid of taking it.
He is more aggressive than Baird in the prestart but may not be as accurate in getting the boat around the whole course.
Lester: "Peter tends to be more aggressive, more harsh on the boat when manoeuvring. He is not as smooth as Ed."
Holmberg is a bit more intuitive. You wouldn't expect him to get bogged down with a game plan.
If there is an opportunity to nail his opponent - box them out, push them over the start line, or force a penalty on them - Holmberg lives by the America's Cup philosophy "there is no second".
Lester: "In some ways a person like that is more dangerous. There is a higher risk of someone like that getting in foul trouble. But at the same time there is a higher opportunity for that style to win a start or a rough race."
Holmberg's last America's Cup was with the turbulent Oracle where he started off steering then was shuffled to starting helmsman when Chris Dickson returned.
Many can recall an instance in the last regatta when in a prestart Holmberg sliced his boat around and somehow managing to defy gravity and momentum and miss his opponent.
It was a masterly display of timing and boat handling.
Another Holmberg story is how he prepared for the 1988 Olympics, where he competed in the Finn class.
Holmberg joined up with a Polish sailor and trained every day on a strip of water between two of the islands in the Caribbean - which had a strong tide running through them like the Olympic venue did in South Korea. Holmberg had two Finns. He would sail the older boat and the Polish sailor the newer one.
Holmberg went on to win a silver medal.
In terms of personality Holmberg is probably one of the most popular guys in the Cup. He is bubbly and friendly and certainly likeable.
Lester: "Maybe Holmberg's personality, not technically, fits a little easier into that afterguard."
Barker would be a bit weary of Holmberg especially in the pre-start. One mistake and Barker is going to pay. Battling Luna Rossa's aggressive James Spithill in the Louis Vuitton Cup final should be to Barker's advantage going forward.
Lester: "Barker and Spithill appear to be good mates. It would be great for Barker to have someone like Spithill to train with leading up to the match."
Peter Holmberg
Born: October 10, 1960, American/US Virgin Islands
America's Cup
2003 Oracle BMW Racing
2000 Team Dennis Conner
Full coverage of the America's Cup from nzherald.co.nz/americascup and desktoptv.co.nz
