The America's Cup In Auckland.

The America's Cup came to Auckland in 1995, where it stayed until 2003. In the summer of 2000 Russell Coutts led Team New Zealand to a 5-0 win in the finals against Italy's 'Luna Rossa'. The Italians were just out of their depth. The result was reversed in the summer of 2003 when Russell Coutts and many of his old teammates switched to Switzerland: Coutts skippered 'Alinghi' to a 5-0 whitewash of TeamNew Zealand who were outclassed by the Swiss crew's tacking and jibing. I was there tacking around the Viaduct Harbour on Sunday afternoons to see the 12-metre yachts mooredside by side at the Super Yacht Berthage. It was same shapes, different colours. On those enchanted Sunday afternoons I liked the charcoal and red of 'Alinghi', the yacht which sailed to catch the wind. -3/4 July,2017.Revised 12 April 2019.