KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand tactician Terry Hutchinson can't see Alinghi's decision
to rotate helmsmen over the last three years being an advantage come the America's Cup match this week.
Following the sacking of Russell Coutts in 2004, Alinghi have alternated Americans Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg and German Jochen Schuemann at the helm.
Schuemann then decided to take himself out of the race late last year, leaving Baird and Holmberg to battle it out.
With the chemistry among afterguard members so crucial, Alinghi's rotation policy has some wondering whether the Swiss afterguard are as rock-solid as Team New Zealand's.
The strong relationship between Coutts and his tactician Brad Butterworth is regarded as one of the key reasons Team New Zealand and Alinghi were successful in the past.
Hutchinson said he can't see Alinghi's rotation policy being a strength.
"Both Peter and Ed are great helmsmen. Ed is a very naturally gifted sailor, he knows how to drive a boat very, very fast but is probably not as aggressive as Peter.
"Peter is probably more of the aggressor but probably not as fast in a straight line.
"We know each one and how they sail. We know from the match racing circuit their styles. They are different but each has their strengths."
While Alinghi aren't announcing their crew or which boat they will race until 24 hours before race one, the smart money is on Baird driving SUI100.
Hutchinson said Team New Zealand will be ready for either.
"We have talked about preparing for the same sort of style as [Luna Rossa helmsman] James Spithill. If you made a mistake, Spithill would capitalise on it so don't give him an opportunity. If you see an opportunity to pounce on him, make sure you do the same thing."
Team New Zealand also started this campaign with a new look afterguard but took a different approach to the defenders.
They worked solidly on strengthening the relationships within it leading up to the America's Cup regatta.
Not only have helmsman Dean Barker and Hutchinson sailed together in nearly every cup pre-regatta, they also sailed together on Warpath on the TP52 circuit and in numerous match-racing events.
"I think in my relationship with Dean, we have enough respect for each other that when he says something, I listen and when I say something, he listens," Hutchinson said.
"If we disagree with each other, we can talk about it openly as friends. When times are tough, you have to have hard conversations
about things.
"We have had a couple here [during the challenger series]. More sitting in each other's kitchens, talking about what I can do better, what he can do better."
Tactically Team New Zealand and Alinghi are of a similar style. Both prefer to keep their opponent close.
"If you go out there and have two boats that are very even in speed, you might see guys go buggering off in the opposite corner because nobody wants to sail the other guy's shift," Hutchinson said when asked what that could
mean in the match.
"At the same time, if a guy gets his nose just half a length ahead, you'll see him capitalise quickly on the lead he's got."
Hutchinson said he has learned a lot from watching Butterworth in the past two years.
"He is very good at living very much in the moment and saying 'okay we are here; how are we going to make the best of it?'. Watching his style that is something to pick up on and get better at."
