The America's Cup has always been a big magnet for the rich and famous.
Queen Victoria watched the first race off Cowes in 1851 and was not amused when Britain lost to the US.
Through history Harold Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, Sir Thomas Lipton, Tom Sopwith, Ted Turner have vied to inscribe their names on the silver trophy which has been called ``as ugly as a camel.''
Royalty and celebrity are mingling again in Auckland as the racing began yesterday.
Actors Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, supermodels Cindy Crawford and Kylie Bax, Prince Albert of Monaco and a collection of the world's wealthiest businessmen have gathered for the event.
Cruise and Cruz are reported to be staying on one of more than 50 super yachts moored in Auckland's Viaduct Basin. Crawford, 37, held a news conference Friday and wore a black dress which was interpreted as a sign of support for Team New Zealand.
She twittered over New Zealand's boyish skipper Dean Barker.
``Having just met him he seems like a very charming guy,'' she said.
The wealthy are also making their mark on Auckland's night life and economy.
Rich visitors include Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison (estimated worth US$16 billion), Microsoft founder Paul Allen (US$20 billion), German software magnate Hasso Plattner (US$4 billion) and Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli (US$1 billion).
Auckland up for cup
Garbage collectors emptying trash bins outside swish downtown restaurants sang ``you're not going to beat us'' as Auckland geared itself for the first race of the America's Cup.
Taxi drivers delivering earlybirds to the Cup harbor shouted "5-0'' at passersby, showing confidence of a Kiwi sweep of the best-of-nine Cup match.
Auckland smoldered under a clear blue sky yesterday morning and the Viaduct Harbor, home of the Cup, was a scene of hectic activity by 8am, more than five hours before race one was due to begin.
All night partygoers packed the waterfront tables of the chic bars, to have a front row seat as the New Zealand and Swiss Cup yachts put to sea.
Hours ahead of the yachts' departure and many more hours before racing vantage points around the yacht basin were filled five deep with spectators.
Ignorance is bliss
America's Cup rivals Dean Barker and Russell Coutts have something in common: their partners know nothing about sailing and that's the way they like it.
Alinghi's Coutts and Team New Zealand's Barker were asked Friday -- Valentine's Day -- what advice their partners would likely give them before the first race of their Cup match.
``I'm really fortunate in that Mandy doesn't know anything about sailing so she hasn't been able to give me any advice and the good thing is that if we do anything wrong she won't be able to criticize me either,'' Barker said.
``She understands sport at a high level and I think the best thing is that she doesn't talk about sailing at all.''
Barker's partner Mandy is a New Zealand field hockey representative. ``That's the same with my wife Jenny,'' Coutts said. ``We don't tend to talk about sailing at home.''
Red socks
Red socks, the symbol of New Zealand America's Cup campaigns, are back in style as the Cup defenders pay tribute to former syndicate-head Sir Peter Blake.
Blake, who was killed by pirates on the Amazon river in December 2001, popularized red socks as a good luck symbol for New Zealand teams in San Diego in 1995.
The legendary yachtsman, winner of the Whitbread Round the World Race, treasured a pair of red socks which, he said, brought him luck in his sailing ventures.
He wore the socks throughout New Zealand's 1995 campaign in San Diego and New Zealand went unbeaten on the water.
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