I don't know what else to say except, perhaps, "you'd better be careful what you ask for -- you might get it."

Have been reporting since we finalized the deal in late 2003 that the Defender (Alinghi) and the Challenger of Record (BMW ORACLE) had really modernized the game according to the vision of Ernesto Bertarelli and Larry Ellison. Many were unconvinced, including, sometimes, ourselves.

Until the last couple of days.

The win Sunday by SWE over SUI, and the stunning come from behind win yesterday by ITA/LR over us in the final seconds of a race we had led convincingly from the get go -- well, that should have finally made converts out of even the most skeptical.

Including Angus Phillips (USA, veteran journalist who has covered the Cup for the Washington Post since 1980), who we were pleased to see had arrived VLC last evening to check in for the first time on AC 32. Surveying the Darsena from the deck of our base with Jane "Bubbles" Eagleson, Anguish said, "I now see what you mean."

What we now clearly have, and IMHO will have for the next year, is not your daddy's America's Cup. It is the brave, new Cup in which the racing is closer than ever and with surprises (pleasant or otherwise) coming when you least expect them.

As Martha might say, "It's a good thing."

At least as far as the overall event is concerned. The good news for our team yesterday is that we handled the loss with professional dignity and grace, learned a lot from it, and demonstrated to ourselves (and our competitors) some excellent crew work and boat speed.

Assuming we win one of today's two matches (only one flight was completed yesterday due to the late arriving seabreeze, so Tuesday's second race against Mascalzone becomes our first match today -- then we race finally race ETNZ), we will for sure advance to the top division semifinals along with NZL, SUI and ITA/LR.

Here is Dyer's pairing list for today. And CB's weather forecast, which looks like much better than yesterday's....


Go the Valencian seabreeze!