America's Cup comes to Europe at last

The Swiss team Alinghi completed a 5-0 whitewash yesterday over the less experienced Team New Zealand.

At the end of the day, SUI-64 was never anything special.

However, it was a package put together especially for the Alinghi sailors, not a trophy for the design team.

"The thing that wins races is doing the simple things right, and that's what Alinghi seems to have done all along," said Ed Baird, TV One commentator and veteran America's Cup skipper.

Team NZ skipper Dean Barker said, "It was disappointing to have finished only three out of five races and to have so many gear breakages.

"Going in to this event, we were sure we had a good chance of winning this regatta. Before we knew it, they were three up. All I can say we did our absolutely best.

"Alinghi proved to be a better team."

Dream conditions prevailed on the Hauraki Gulf, with 13-15 knots from 29 degrees in perfect mid-range conditions.

The right end of the start line at the committee boat was the favored end and Alinghi made it clear they wanted it.

From the outset, Alinghi looked a little higher and quicker.

Alinghi caught the shifts on the right side and kept extending their lead, pointing higher and showing better boat speed on the first upwind leg.

Alinghi rounded mark one ahead of NZL-82 by 21 seconds, and rounded mark two 18 seconds ahead. The gap was down to 16 seconds by mark three.

Adding insult to injury, Team NZ broke its pole approaching mark four, though they had an extra pole on board.

By virtue of a little left hand shift, Alinghi marched forward to an eight boat length lead, confirming their ability to point higher on the windward legs, and eventually won by 45 seconds.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, the club which backed Larry Ellison's ORACLE BMW Racing Team in the 2003 competition, will be the 'Challenger of Record' for the 32nd America's Cup.

The Challenger of Record negotiates the rules with the defender representing the interests of all eventual challengers.