Alinghi 1 win from America's Cup title

It's win or go home for the Kiwis. America's Cup defender Alinghi pounced on a sudden wind shift Saturday to secure a come-from-behind victory and take a 4-2 lead in the first-to-five series for the Auld Mug, the oldest trophy in international sport.

"Obviously it's tough," Kiwi skipper Dean Barker said after a third straight loss to the Swiss yacht. "You can't lie and say we don't have our backs to the wall here."

Alinghi's 28-second win means that Emirates Team New Zealand must take three straight races, beginning Sunday, in what has already proved to be one of the closest contests in the 156-year history of the cup.

"I certainly prefer to be in my position than Team New Zealand's," said Alinghi founder and crewman Ernesto Bertarelli. "But every single race this week has been fought to the last jibe and I wouldn't take anything for granted."

The Kiwis won the right to challenge Alinghi after defeating 10 other boats in the Louis Vuitton Cup challengers' series. The win set the stage for a rematch with Alinghi, which hired crew away from New Zealand's 2000 America's Cup-winning team and swept the Kiwis 5-0 in New Zealand in 2003.

Off Valencia, the racing has been much closer. The Kiwis led 2-1, only to see Alinghi take three straight.

"It's tough when you see the scoreboard. It could easily have been 3-3, but it's not," Barker said. "It's just been frustrating."

In Saturday's sixth race, with light winds and calm waters, the Kiwis had a 14-second lead going around the first marker buoy, and seemed in control. However, Alinghi closed the gap on the Kiwis to 11 seconds at the second marker.

The 80-foot yachts were jockeying for position as they sailed upwind on the third leg when a sudden wind shift forced the New Zealanders to veer left while Alinghi charged straight ahead to pass.

The Swiss yacht, skippered by three-time cup winner Brad Butterworth of New Zealand, expanded its lead to 16 seconds when it rounded the third marker buoy.

The Kiwis got within a boat length or two on the final leg, but couldn't catch the Swiss.

"It's depressing," said Kiwi fan Allan Yeoman of Auckland.

Saturday's loss came after the Kiwis saw their lead vanish on Friday when one spinnaker tore, they lost control of its replacement, and a third became twisted.

Some Swiss fans, despite their delight at the win, were not ready to write off the Kiwis.

"They are equal teams," Adi Klammer said. "I think it is still open. This win today was a big surprise."

At a news conference, Barker took a similar view, saying the margins had just not gone the Kiwis' way.

"We are still a dangerous team," Barker said. "The guys in Alinghi are just doing a little better at the moment."

He said all New Zealand can do is focus on winning Sunday's race, and take it from there.

The America's Cup is named for its first winner, the U.S. yacht America, in 1851. In its 156-year history, only three regattas have been as close as this one.