KEY POINTS:
It was just two days before the first race of the challenger series final in Valencia.
On one racecourse, the two grey hulls of the Luna Rossa boats slice through the Mediterranean engaged in a fierce battle.
Alongside them, Team New Zealand lock horns with defenders Alinghi. Again.
Team NZ have shown little respect for tradition that frowns on challengers racing the defender.
They have now squared off against Alinghi at least three times this year and it is believed another encounter is planned before the final.
In typical America's Cup fashion, neither team would discuss the racing.
It's understood Team NZ lined up in NZL84 for two races against an unmarked Alinghi (either SUI91 or SUI100). American Ed Baird was believed to be helming the Swiss.
On a shortened racecourse, the rumours put it one-apiece - the first going comfortably Alinghi's way, the second Team NZ's.
Team NZ were criticised by some of the challengers for racing Alinghi early on but now, with only two challengers left, the latest encounter has almost gone under the radar.
After their last hit-out against Alinghi just before the challenger series started, Team NZ operations manager Kevin Shoebridge said racing the Swiss syndicate was in their best interests.
"The reason behind that is they are the form team, they have set the benchmark, they have done so since 2004 and we thought it wise to check in," Shoebridge said last month.
"We think we are doing what is right for this team."'
After six races, it is believed the score is 4-2 in Team NZ's favour.
But the hit-out against Alinghi was not the only point of difference between Team NZ and Luna Rossa's build-up to the final.
Since their 5-1 win over Oracle, the Luna Rossa base has been a hive of activity. While the syndicate have not yet disclosed which boat they will race, the Italians have changed just about everything possible on one boat - keel, rudder, fin - and have been experimenting with a new mast.
The Italians will be trying to predict what conditions they will face, how they can best match the New Zealand boat and where they can improve their own performance.
The Team NZ base has been rather more serene. Managing director Grant Dalton said his team had not made any major changes to their boat, NZL92.
If true, it indicates the Kiwis are happy with the way the black boat is going. Whether or not that will be good enough, we will know in a few hours' time. The final is a best-of-nine race series. Race one starts at 1am tomorrow.
