Alinghi beat Team New Zealand in the first race of the 32nd America's Cup in a tight fight that set the scene for a close best-of-nine battle for sailing's most coveted prize off the coast of Valencia on Saturday.
The boats crossed the starting line almost simultaneously and stalked each other for most of the first beat until Alinghi found some better wind on the left of the course.
The champions turned at the upwind mark 13 seconds ahead and then powered away on their new boat SUI100, which shot downwind like the "rocketship" it was rumoured to be.
Team New Zealand ate away at Alinghi's advantage as they headed back upwind but again the Swiss defenders stretched away on the last downwind beat and crossed the finish line 35 seconds ahead.
Brad Butterworth, the Alinghi skipper who has won the last three America's Cups, was clearly pleased during the last few gybes as his crew put more water between them and the Kiwis.
"It was a tricky old day today, quite shifty," Adam Beashel, Team New Zealand crewman, said.
"We feel we were right in it and we're ready to go again tomorrow."
Race two of the best-of-nine race series is on Sunday at 1300 GMT.
Out for revenge
Team New Zealand are desperate to turn the tables on Alinghi who thrashed them 5-0 to win the America's Cup in 2003.
Plenty of their compatriots had flown in for Saturday's race, which was watched by thousands of fans who crowded into the America's Cup port and set off into the Mediterranean in a huge spectator fleet.
"From the day we lost in 2003 we've wanted to be there when the boys win it back," said John Petersen from Auckland.
"We couldn't have missed today for anything."
The two teams were towed out of the harbour to huge firework displays, a cacophony of blaring boat horns, cow bells rung by the Alinghi support team and two squadrons of fighter jets flying in formation around the port.