KEY POINTS:
Richard Gladwell
New Zealand editor sail-world.com
* Picking: Team New Zealand 5-0"Losing Russell Coutts has taken a key part out of the backbone of Alinghi, which they have not been able to replace," says Gladwell.
Coutts was the critical factor in Alinghi's success in 2003, not only for what he brought to Alinghi, but what he took with him out of Team New Zealand.
And Team New Zealand's Dean Barker is right on his game.
"Barker is now a better match-racing helmsman than the two options Alinghi have. Barker's and Team New Zealand's performance has improved markedly over the course of the Louis Vuitton Cup. He has come up against a variety of starting styles since the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup and has the best starting statistics of any of the challenger group."
Gladwell questions Alinghi's decision to rotate who helms the boat.
"The winning teams have always named their helmsman usually years before the event, not a couple of days."
And in NZL92, Team New Zealand have a more manoeuvrable boat which should give them a crucial advantage in the pre-starts.
"Once in front, Team New Zealand have shown a real ability to stay there, and the stats are 32-1 that the boat which leads around the first mark will go on to win the race, based on the last three America's Cups and the semifinals and final of this year's Louis Vuitton Cup.
"They have all those vital little smarts around the course. I can't see how Alinghi have picked up that level of expertise in their in-house racing."
Brett Bakewell-White
New Zealand boat designer
* Picking 5-1
History says a clean sweep or 5-1. The heart, and maybe the head, says Team New Zealand but who really knows. Alinghi should have greater straight line speed and even more so by choosing SUI100, but that equals more drag in slower conditions.
All the talk about the Alinghi keel is BS. Team New Zealand should have greater manoeuvrability and leading at the first cross is crucial. The weather may decide it. Team New Zealand won't be intimidated this time and Grant Dalton is a big factor. Alinghi are there for the money - it means more to Team New Zealand.
Peter Isler
Bmw Oracle Racing navigator
Nationality: American
* Picking: Alinghi 5-2"Alinghi was the top boat and team in 2003 and nothing has changed over the last four years as we have all witnessed from the Acts (a popular new feature that allowed the defender, for the first time ever, to race against the challengers and stay tuned to their progress). Alinghi 5-Team New Zealand 2."
Anthony Romano
Luna Rossa general manager
Nationality: New Zealander
* Picking: Alinghi"It is not to do with team work, boat handling, tactics, starting etc, which I think Team New Zealand can match and better in some areas. In the end, the single most important factor will be boat speed ... Alinghi has that extra which will make the difference. Even if differences are minor, the result could still be 5-1 to Alinghi."
Bob Fisher
Yachting journalist - The Guardian
Nationality: British
* Picking: Alinghi"To predict the scoreline would be impossible. It is so open it is purely down to the power of Alinghi and their speed."
John Cutler
Desafio Espanol - tactician
Nationality: New Zealander
* Picking: Alinghi 5-2"Based on the last time I sailed against Alinghi [Act 13] they were significantly faster than the challengers. I am sure that Team New Zealand have become more race hardened after the Louis Vuitton series, however ... the fastest boat will win, which I think is Alinghi. Team New Zealand have sailed against Alinghi more than any other challengers so they have the best idea of the relative speeds of the two boats. I am not expecting it to be a 5-0 result to Alinghi, as Team New Zealand are sailing well enough that if they get in front, they are good enough to stay there, so 5-2 to Alinghi. The less wind there is, the greater the chances of Team New Zealand for a win."
Stuart Alexander
Yachting journalist The Independent
Nationality: British
* Picking: AlinghiLonger boat speed development time will outweigh rustiness.
Julie Ash
NZ Herald
* Picking: Team New Zealand 5-2
"I don't get the sense that Team New Zealand fear Alinghi's boat speed, even after the Swiss announced they'd race SUI100. And I think New Zealand are a stronger team, they want it more."
