KEY POINTS:
Yachting commentator Peter Lester says Team New Zealand's black boats looked "superb" when their skirts came off last night in Valencia.
For the first time in the America's Cup the 11 challengers and the defender Alinghi were forced to drop their skirts before racing started and leave them off until the completion of the regatta.
This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic.
A.Glatz
My opinion is largely based on information I have gathered over the internet about the Acts and boat potentials and the performances of the teams. I believe that TNZ has a great chance of winning the America's Cup back. It seems that the major rival in the challenger series, BMW Oracle has sorted out out their ongoing internal power struggle. But have they really? I also feel that by having a different boat design for their second boat, a design that rather resembles the TNZ direction, they admittedly fell behind TNZ. These are good signs for TNZ. Luna Rossa has the potential to take races off TNZ, but with the focus, discipline and determination exhibited by TNZ, Luna Rossa can be kept at bay. I really hope that TNZ will sail like they did in 2000 under Russell Coutts. That was what I call precision sailing. Back in 2000, the Prada boat seemed like a sloppy apprentice in comparison to the black boat.I wish all the best to TNZ for the LV Cup and beyond.
P B Mathiesen
With Kiwis onboard almost every team, there is a good chance that a New Zealander will win.
Kiwi Lisa
So-called "Swiss" Alinghi never won anything. Instead it was the biggest nationality cheat ever in AmCup's history! Because it was won by a team of Kiwis led by Kiwi skipper Russell Coutts. There weren't even one fair dinkum Swiss on the Alinghi! The closest Alinghi ever came to being Swiss was its Italian born owner who'd got himself a Swiss passport, because he owned a factory up in the Swiss mountains. But Swiss boat - with seven Kiwis, one Italian and one East German - my foot! Now when Alinghi is no longer a Kiwi boat (in Swiss disguise) the Cup will return to Auckland - City of Sails, where it belongs. Because when it was won by Kiwi Russell Coutts back in 2003, it should have stayed in Auckland and not gone to mountainous Switzerland, where they don't even have even the least speckle of a mirage of ocean.So, America's Cup will return to City of Sails when Dean Barker's Team New Zealand boat crosses the winning line soon. Because, who else will be able to give Dean Barker's great Kiwi team a bit of fair opposition now, especially when Russell Coutts has turned pensioner? Thus, this time round the Swiss won't be able to cheat the Cup out of the Kiwis.
Ken Clark
Two things defeated the Kiwis in the last Cup contest, chauvinism and hubris. The first exhibited by the insistence of having an all-NZ crew while Alinghi combed the world for the best internationally. Also the use of NZ made rigging while the rest of the challengers used the one US made brand. The Hubris pronounced by the NZ media made the entire population including Team NZ believe they were undefeatable. Unless they drop these traits and concentrate on the job in hand they will suffer the same fate as before.
Manuel Cobb
go the all blacks..oops, wrong sport. we dont have a hope. wheres russ?
Russell
Team NZ has learned their lesson from last time around. Emirates may not have the biggest budget, but the number 8 wire mentality is still strong. Remember in 1995 when Team NZ couldn't afford milled steel keel fins? They laminated them in wood and they ended up just as good. Read the latest Boating NZ and you'll find a story about how they've set up a world-class wind tunnel sail-testing facility in a suburban warehouse. No supercomputers or million-dollar equipment here, just innovative, brilliant and committed sailing minds. Dalton has set up a superbly talented and intelligent team, and we should have the utmost faith that they will bring home the silverware.
Ross Campbell
I give NZ a chance albeit a very small chance. History tells us that there is more to the America's Cup than just yacht racing. I think the hot favourite has to be team Oracle. Time will tell.
Terrence
We absolutely have what it takes to win back the cup. We learned some big lessons since the last debacle and now have the right leaders and team makeup and most importantly a competitive design that will once again see the cup back in Auckland.
Perry
Great to see Kiwis thinking outside the square with great art work on the keel. We have a great chance this time round..the team seems to be working like a team and good old Grant dalton at the helm I'm sure we have a great chance..so many mistakes last time.
We can only get better.
Andrew Wilson
I think we have a great chance to bring back the Americas Cup. The team has a leader in Grant with lots of experience in successful sailing campaigns, and managing sailors. There is a wealth of experience in Team N.Z. and the sting of the defeat of 2003 is a potent motivator. Dean Barker and the crew have repeatedly shown they are the best for the job by winning nearly every event they have entered since 2003. Team NZ still have a strong groundswell of support among NZ's public and will again be national heroes if they win it, few other teams could say that.2011 will be very interesting if NZ ends up hosting both the Rugby World Cup and the Americas Cup!
Kelvin Mudgway
I think that Alingi have a problem that they can not get any more boat speed,maybe a little, the challengers have to get where Alingi was and right now I think they have done that. This Americas cup is going to be the most exciting cup out of all the Americas cup.
Nick Cressey
I believe we have a 70 per cent chance of getting into the Louis Vuitton finals and a slightly better than 50/50 chance of bringing home the Americas Cup. You always need a bit of "luck" in sailing, too !!
John Kelly
2 thing want 2 see the all blacks 2 the cup and the black boat 2win.
Toby
If the commentators are to be believed (yeah right) then the boats are pretty close and it will come down to sailing on the day. But the history of the Cup suggests that the above has seldom ever been true, when the influences of R&D money and politics come into play. Still, our chances are better than last time because we appear to have built two sail boats for the event, rather than a submarine.
Kiwi68au
I believe New Zealand will bring the cup back with them because this time they have done the hard yards in the water and not in a shed with a pc . Come on lads. Do all Kiwis around the world proud. I know Sir Peter will be watching down with a smile when you take the cup back.
V Thomson
Without Coutts? Yeah Right!
Frank
Yep!- After meeting some of Team-NZ at the Auckland open-day, you sense that these guys can't wait to do the business. If preparation, skill, teamwork and motivation are the telling factors, again, Yes! - and from an historical point of view, the 'spirit of Team-NZ' also has the added confidence of having already won this regatta "away". Furthermore, at this level there are no "minnows" in international yachting - these are seasoned sailors at the top of their profession . However, if even a small boat performance advantage is established by one of the other leading teams, I think Lady Luck will play a much bigger part - one where confidence and attitude will be crucial. Enter the "Dennis Conner Factor". He wrote the book on how to beat a better boat on the day by creating your own luck. If I was Grant Dalton I would be talking with Dennis and picking his brains - (also bearing in mind that Dennis still has a healthy investment in Auckland) Oh, and I forgot to mention. If you think the whole country was behind the boys last time - wait til this Americas Cup gets underway. Kiwis want this thing back where it belongs - in the country that produces the best boats and sailors in the world - period!
Jane Tock
Yes of course we do we have the best sailors in the world - I will be in Spain to see them bring home the Cup. Go the black boats .
Andrew
The problem with sport is that it ultimately represents only abstract achievment - it only has value insofar as man attributes its value. This means that it is dependent on "personalities" to keep it fun and alive. Professional sport is now becoming so insanely competitive that we are losing all the "personalities", because only dry robot-type people are prepared to sell their lives towards the objective of high-end sporting achievement. I liked the Americas cup when people like Dennis Conner were leading the game; now I dont give a damn who wins because all I see it as a boring robot-A versus robot-B show.
Peter Gray
I think we are poised to make the Americas Cup against Alinghi we will build as did Alinghi in Auckland and I think the team is looking good for the win. Bring it on TNZ.
Michael Warren
I definitely think New Zealand have a chance at winning back the Americas cup. The team looks better organised than they did at the last cup! Dalton is doing a fantastic job.
Jason
Sure they do, if they put a couple of outboard engines on their boat maybe. Other than that, the buzzy bee isnt going to help much.
Oliver Hill
I have every faith that this Team New Zealand will win both the Louis Vutton and bring the America's cup home to the City of Sails, I think we have the technology, the skill and the drive that is needed to do the job.Grant is a great leader and I think we'll see results. However I was very positive last time too.
Brett
It is all about the boat design/setup and its suitability to the conditions on the day. If we have the package then I would back our yachting supremacy to be the X factor and we can succeed. But realistically it is a big if. Our last efforts saw a broken boat, smashed rigging etc with a package clearly not up to scratch. The holder/Oracle etc all have very deep pockets and been on location in Valencia off and on awhile now.
The other challengers are not to be discounted as the almighty dollar/euro sees some of our best sailing talent and experience distributed around. So there is plenty to make me think it's going to be a matter of millimeters not metres or perhaps even microns as talent and technology appear evenly spread. The loss of the Coutts/ Butterworth partnership, I believe, weakens Alinghi in more than simply sailing performance so the cup is there for the taking. No reason why it can not be Team NZ if the package is competitive because Grant Dalton has the leadership experience and the team to bring it back home.
Mel Stewart
I think of all the sports we are competing in this year for the major prizes; rugby WC, Cricket WC, Netball - I think we have the better chance of winning the Americas cup. I think what makes them special is Grant Dalton's management and some key people in key roles within the team, not to mention the extensive preparation they have been doing. Go the black boat!
Peter Bickle
ETNZ have a great chance. Beating Alinghi twice from behind should give us great hope.
Simon
The keel stays underwater. There is no sting in an underwater (dead) bee.Ergo there's no sting in Team NZs keel :)
A King
I think so. I like the build up campaign, very steely and resolute this time. But where will the next contest be held, Auckland or Dubai?
