Play nzherald.co.nz's rugby Pick the Score competition - go to: pickthescore.nzherald.co.nz
KEY POINTS:
The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will likely be back.
The Herald on Sunday understands that race organisers have already started manoeuvres - including a recent lunch with BMW Oracle boss Larry Ellison - which could result in the series becoming a permanent fixture in Auckland or part
of an alternating cycle with the Northern Hemisphere.
The successful regatta has helped light the fires that saw New Zealanders become enthusiastic followers of the America's Cup.
Louis Vuitton and race organiser Bruno Trouble was saying little yesterday but it is thought that preparations are under way to keep this regatta on the yachting calendar.
One who will be pleased with that is BMW Oracle CEO and skipper Russell Coutts, whose much-publicised splits with Team NZ and Alinghi have been the stuff of bitter conflict.
"I think it should be a biennial event," said Coutts, whose appearance back here has helped salve the wounds of his past.
"I have really enjoyed it. Obviously I would have liked a different result at the end but I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
"I didn't come down here with any great expectations, I must admit, I sort of had the attitude that I'd just take it as it comes and see what happened. But it just took off and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would and it was better than I thought it would be."
It has been interesting watching Coutts over the regatta as the Oracle, former Alinghi and former Team NZ supremo can be a crusty character, sometimes appearing aloof and difficult.
The last time he sailed in New Zealand was full of upset, emotion and even vituperation as his Alinghi team took the America's Cup 5-0.
They bore the full brunt of the displeasure of New Zealanders who did not like the fact that he had jumped ship.
But he is a fan of the regatta, its format and its competitiveness - with even the less-fancied teams pulling off victories against rivals of bigger reputation.
"Everyone won a race, I think, and that has to be good," he said. "All the teams came here determined to prove a point and do well and it was good to get people back on the water that just has to be good for the sport."
Coutts said he would not change much about the regatta, advocating perhaps a more direct format if teams could get longer on the water with the boats beforehand.
He also felt the race committee could look at the bias of the start line and the gates, given the tendency for the courses to be one-sided, meaning that he who wins the start usually wins the finish.
"But, for a first shot, this was a pretty damned good regatta."
Britain's Ben Ainslie of the new America's Cup team TeamOrigin agreed. "We have enjoyed it immensely," he said. "It was our first opportunity to get on the water and race and, for us, it was fantastic."
In their first week, the British served notice they will be highly competitive as a crew in whatever form the next America's Cup takes.
"But some of the things that went for us in the first week didn't go for us in the second week and that was slightly more important a week," he said.
"So we were a little frustrated but it was quite clear that Team New Zealand and Alinghi are the best prepared and the best teams out there with some of us, like ourselves, Oracle and Luna Rossa a little bit behind right now."
