Sailing: Team New Zealand look to stage comeback after third Swiss win

New Zealand will have to stage one of the biggest comebacks of all time if it is not to see its pride and glory, and a huge dollop of national income, snatched away. The little country on the other side of the world has taken three big hits by the buccaneers from a little land-locked country in Europe, Switzerland, and only two more are needed to see the America's Cup being staged in either the Mediterranean or off the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

A forecast of a good fresh breeze for the third race between Team New Zealand, skippered by Dean Barker, and Alinghi, skippered by his predecessor and mentor, Russell Coutts, had New Zealanders licking their lips. They had been stunned when their icon boat, carrying the silver fern, NZL82, had been so knocked about in the opening race that it had to retire before the first leg of the first race was over.

They had been heart-broken when the second race was snatched away from them in the final half mile. Surely now the much-vaunted hula appendage, and the extra sail area that comes with it, would come into its own and provide the expected blistering performance advantage. It did not. The race was decided not by comparative boat speed but by Team New Zealand, against the advice of its weather experts, plumping for the left-hand side of the course at the start. Alinghi had been tending the same way, but were told at the last minute by their weather man Jon Bilger that the right-hand side would soon be favoured and went for it.

As the Kiwis plugged away on their side, the Swiss powered away on the other and took a 28-second lead at the first top mark. The wind was finally up to its predicted 18 knots but it was Alinghi, helped by the brilliant downwind sail designs of Grant Simmer, that was able not just to hold off TNZ but slightly extend its lead.

If TNZ cannot begin the turnaround by the next race tomorrow and Coutts makes it a clean sweep on Saturday – this was his 12th consecutive race undefeated as an America's Cup skipper – half the nation will be in deep depression by Sunday, the other half having transferred its hopes to their cricketers or their attention to the Super 12 rugby.

AMERICA'S CUP (Auckland): Best-of-nine series: Alinghi (Swit) bt Team New Zealand by 23sec. Alinghi lead 3-0.