For the past two months, Alinghi have watched as the 11 teams hoping to challenge them for the America's Cup battled it out. Now that Team New Zealand have the Louis Vuitton Cup on the shelf, it is time for the Swiss syndicate to ramp up for the big match.
New Zealand have raced 32 matches since the LV Cup started in April while Alinghi have been alone, practising with their two in-house teams and tuning up their boats.
"We are just trying to emulate the racing the challengers get in the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is difficult," skipper Brad Butterworth said.
"But we have got a great team, the sailors have done a great job to have good racing each day, we have got two very good boats and we're spoilt for choice really," he said.
Alinghi had a quick sparring session with Team New Zealand before the LV Cup finals and took on semi-finalist Desafio Espanol last week. Last weekend, they headed out to sea to practise against LV Cup losers Luna Rossa.
Alinghi will now put the finishing touches on a defence they have been working at since they won the Auld Mug four years ago. The America's Cup match starts on June 23.
"We don't race in the (LV Cup) so we don't know what the speed of the other boat is. They might have changed something, they might have improved (but) the work we have done in the past is going to help us in the long run," said Butterworth.
Alinghi won the America's Cup 5-0 against New Zealand in 2003 and in the warm-up seasons since they have shown they are the crew to beat, with one of their new boats speeding well past the fleet in an April regatta. Alinghi are expected to christen SUI100 for the America's Cup match.
Butterworth, who took over the leadership of the team after Russell Coutts left, said the results so far were thanks to every team, from the boatbuilders to the administration to the sailors, striving for 100 per cent.
"When we sail the boat we also try to be perfect for the race," he said.
"But we all make mistakes and obviously this game is about making the least amount of mistakes."