America's Cup holders Alinghi have stolen a win in the opening Louis Vuitton Challenger series final race against arch rivals BMW Oracle, on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.
The Russell Coutts skippered Oracle led narrowly for most of the race but as the two boats approached the finish line from opposite sides of the course, Brad Butterworth and Alinghi found some extra breeze to pip Coutts by just a second and go one nil up in the best of three final.
The winner will race Team New Zealand in the regatta final starting on Friday.
