Team New Zealand retained the lead through to the finishing line, completing an amazing comeback 28 seconds in front.

"It is huge for the team to come from behind," said Ray Davies, Team New Zealand's strategist.

"A huge booster, especially going into a day off (on Monday).

"It's great to get a win on the board in the America's Cup...  It's good to turn the tables," he said in reference to Alinghi's 5-0 whitewash of Team New Zealand in Auckland in 2003.

Davies gave high praise to Brad Butterworth, Alinghi's Kiwi skipper, and five other members of the Swiss boat whom Ernesto Bertarelli, syndicate head, had poached from the New Zealand team that won the America's Cup in 1995 and 2000.

Significantly, Team New Zealand's win broke Butterworth and his Kiwi team-mates' 16-match winning streak in the America's Cup.

Day off

Davies said that Monday's day off would be spent analysing television footage of the two races, and not sailing.

"We've spent more than enough time on the water recently," he joked.

"We'll study the footage, the set-up and then pick our game up for the next day."

Butterworth said his crew would also look at the race footage but would essentially enjoy "an easy day because the next few are going to be hard".

"We've been pretty close in performance," added the Alinghi skipper. 

"It's the two best boats... and has made for a great event."

Don Cowie, the mainsail trimmer for Team New Zealand, agreed with his compatriot's prognosis.

"It's two very even boats out there," Cowie said.

"But we know we're competitive. It'll be a tight boat race."

Grant Dalton, team principle, was full of praise for his crew.

"We held our nerve. We waited. We had to be patient," Dalton said.

"The boys sailed smart, and it paid off. Alinghi made one mistake and we capitalised on it.

"We took 28 seconds out of them on the second beat. We were 13 seconds adrift at the leeward mark and we were 15 seconds ahead at the second windward mark," Dalton added.

"That doesn't happen often in the America's Cup."