Sailing's top America's Cup skippers have been enjoying a rare opportunity to steer their rival's boats as 10 teams prepare for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series which begins on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour on Friday.
The teams, including the cup holder Alinghi and challengers such as Luna Rossa, have been familiarising themselves with the boats of Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle which will be shared during the fortnight-long event.
Team New Zealand's Dean Barker says he was surprised at some of the differences he found steering the BMW Oracle boats during practice racing.
