Louis Vuitton Act 10 - Day 5: Preview

Without any doubt, today's highlight is the race between Alinghi and BMW Oracle. The Americans are the only team unbeaten so far, while the Swiss already know the bitter taste of defeat, served by James Spithill and the excellent Luna Rossa crew. Will Chris Dickson be able to outsmart the Swiss in light air conditions? Will the Challenger of Record, on the other hand, intentionally lose the race? How does USA-87 fare against SUI-75? We will know the answers by tonight.

Our fear though is that if we see a repeat of yesterday's conditions and there is a delay in the start, THE match of the day could very well become THE match of tomorrow. Alinghi and BMW Oracle were initially scheduled to race in the first flight of the day, but yesterday's postponment means that it is now planned to be the last start in the south race course.

This is not the only important race taking place though. Victory Challenge will be facing +39 Challenge and one wonders whether the so-far excellent Swedish team will have a tough time against the Italians. Despite having one of the oldest boats, Iain Percy's excellent helmsmanship proved to be a headache for Emirates Team New Zealand yesterday.

Last but certainly not least, the local crowds hope that Desafio Espanol 2007 do not repeat their unforgivable errors against United Internet Team Germany. Even if the German team lies at the bottom of the score table, no team should be taken lightly.