KEY POINTS:
Defenders Alinghi will race their newest yacht, SUI100, when they defend the America's Cup against Team New Zealand.
SUI100 was launched in March, but has not been used in official competition, having been held back from the final pre-cup regatta in April, which the Swiss syndicate won.
Design team co-ordinator Grant Simmer said Alinghi were happy with the speed the boat had shown.
"It embodies all the work that we've done in this class since 2000 and we've chosen it because we're very confident with the performance of this boat," he said.
The best-of-nine cup match begins on Sunday and Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth is due to name his crew today.
Of most interest will be the choice of helmsman, a position the syndicate have rotated during the three years of buildup events.
The contenders are Peter Holmberg, of the Virgin Islands, and American Ed Baird.
Simmer said the pair had had a difficult job as teammates. "We've asked them to do something really tough, to compete for that position while working together and supporting each other."
With the most successful skipper in cup history, Russell Coutts, parting ways with Alinghi three years ago, the Swiss syndicate have since used Baird, Holmberg and German Jochen Schuemann.
Baird, a three-time world matchracing champion who was part of Team NZ's successful campaign in 1995, when he was the tune-up helmsman to Coutts, is seen as having a more conservative style than Holmberg.
His other cup campaigns were with Young America in 2000 and Team Dennis Conner in 2003.
Holmberg, an Olympic Finn silver medallist, was tactician for Conner in 2000 and shared the helm in 2003 with Chris Dickson on Oracle Racing, who were beaten by Alinghi in the challengers final.
Earlier, Team NZ managing director Grant Dalton had tipped that Alinghi would opt for SUI100 and he also gave his pick for helmsman.
"You would have to assume that they have got Ed Baird racing," he said.
Before their Louis Vuitton Cup challengers final against Luna Rossa, Team NZ's buildup included studying ways to combat the starting skills of Australian helmsman James Spithill.
Dalton said not knowing if Baird would be at the wheel had not affected preparations for the cup match.
"Ed's not a style that the guys don't know," he said. "They've been racing against him for years."
Team NZ will stick with NZL92, the yacht skipper Dean Barker and his crew sailed throughout the Louis Vuitton Cup in preference to NZL84.
"We feel the boat is going a little bit better across the range," he said. "We're going to find out whether it's going to be enough."
Team NZ will also have the same 17 crew on board as sailed unchanged in the 5-0 win over Luna Rossa.
Dalton revealed one change was to NZL92's bulb: the one decorated with the Buzzy Bee painting will replace the one with the New Zealand flag, bringing Team NZ more in line with what Alinghi is expected to use.
"And we also feel the boat is going better with it ... we tested in Auckland and wanted to verify here."
He believed Team NZ had got as much potential out of NZL92 as they could. "I would love to go a couple of minutes faster - who wouldn't - but it's not going to go any faster," he said.
"We've got out of it what we can. We've not left any stone unturned."
- NZPA
