It Will Be Alinghi vs. Luna Rossa

Alinghi has chosen Luna Rossa as its opponent in the A Group quarter-final. The Swedish team pick Le Défi in its elimination bout in Group B. Both choices are logical, in the sense that they pattern the standings after the two round robins.

Brad Butterworth, however, did play mental games with the media in saying that one strategy was to pick the strongest team in order to push them to the brink of elimintation. Hogwash, if you're first and you meet #2, you give them first hand information on how well you are doing and they then have a target to improve upon after the repêchage. No Alinghi picked the team they thought they could beat with less difficulty - they had already lost to oneWorld and Oracle & the latter seems to be in a growth phase as well.

All the better. This match-up is a chance at redemption for De Angelis, Grael & Davis against Coutts, Butterworth & the other kiwis that drive the Swiss team. Winning this quarter-final means little because the odds of having to face the same team in the finals are high indeed.

Let's have fun starting November 12! ... wind permitting ...