App users click here for latest updates
Race 10
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli v Emirates Team NZ
Start - Racing has been abandoned for the day. Officials are unable to change the course in time to make the 6pm deadline, so we're back tomorrow, poised on matchpoint.
Wow, can the nerves take any more of this?
Pre-start - Winds have dropped to 9-10 knots, making for a different race to the previous one.
Luna Rossa have port entry and the chance to dictate terms in the start box.
Race committe has postponed the race until 5:55pm, which is the last possible time before the race window closes at 6pm.
Race officials are trying to change the direction of the course again before that deadline, but they may not make it...
5:24pm - Conditions may be changing out on the course, with lighter winds increasing the element of luck.
The window is closing for more sailing tonight.
5:12pm - Next race likely to start about 5:42pm.
Race 9
Emirates Team NZ v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Team NZ win by 30 seconds, lead series 6-3 (matchpoint)
Finish - Team NZ cross the line and are now on matchpoint in the America's Cup, after another masterful performance to overhaul the Italians.
Luna Rossa cross 30 seconds behind, their backs hard against the wall now.
Sixth leg - The Kiwis are steaming downwind at 40 knots towards the finish and their advantage has quickly grown to 400m.
Both boats heading to the left boundary and tack back, but Italy need to do something different - time is running out for them.
Team NZ may be heading for the right layline now, now 500m ahead.
Fifth leg - Team NZ head down the left of the course, Luna Rossa down the right and as they tack back to the centre, they're back on parity.
Italy will cross ahead and the margin is 40m, both boats continue to opposite sides of the course, NZ to the right.
Italy still have a 80m lead, as Team NZ arrive at the right boundary and tack back.
Both boats hit the centre of the course, italy leading by 70m, but they tack away, NZ back to the right.
Luna Rossa chosing to protect the left side of the course, but that seems like a bad choice, as the Kiwis find a puff and build a 100m lead, heading into the bottom gate.
Team NZ round the left mark first, Luna Rossa 18 seconds behind.
Fourth leg - This is probably the best actual race we've seen so far and still anyone's to win, although Italy are now out to 100m.
Team NZ are supposedly stronger downwind, so this is a chance for them to force a pass.
Both arrive at the left boundary and jibe right - the margin is 80m. NZ sailing perhaps 2-3 knots faster, but sailing in bad air.
They jibe left and the lead is 100m.
Luna Rossa have built a good margin now as they approach the right layline, Team NZ laying from the left.
Italy round the left mark, NZ the right and they are only three seconds back, as they split.
Third leg - Italy continue down the left, Team NZ split to the right and concede a 200m lead.
Both boats sailing towards the centre of the course from opposite directions, but Luna Rossa tack to cover the anticipated Team NZ course, but the Kiwis tack back right.
Italian lead is now 100m upwind.
The Kiwis eating into the lead, now down to 30m. Lots of talk off the boats.
Neck and neck now, as both boats sailing side by side only a few metres apart.
Both tack away to the right, Italy with a 60m lead.
Luna Rossa arrive at the top gate and round the left mark first, nine seconds ahead.
Second leg - NZ cruising downwind at 43 knots to the left of the course and they have taken a 50m lead.
Italians cross 40m behind, as they head left, the Kiwis right. Luna Rossa get their noses back in front, but tack right to follow Team NZ.
Team NZ tack left and the lead is about 60m for Italy as they converge. The Kiwis cross behind as they head to the left boundary.
First leg - The Kiwis have a small early lead as both boats head to the left boundary.
They tack simultaneously and head across the course to the right, still the Kiwis by a few metres.
Just flat out boat speed right now, neck and neck, although the Italians now have their noses in front.
NZ eventually tack away, gifting Italy a small lead. They may actually be laying for the top mark, while the Kiwis will need another tack.
Team NZ lay from the left and pass 30m behind Luna Rossa, heading for differnet marks. Italy lead around by one second.
Both boats seem to overshoot the layline and then cut back sharply - Luna Rossa round the bottom gate eight seconds ahead.
Start - Race committee is happy for this race to start, so here we go...
Overhead observors say right side of the course is "light and flaky", so left is preferred.
Team NZ into the box, Luna Rossa enter from starboard and follow the Kiwis right to the boundary.
Both boats sailing away from the start, but Italy cut back first.
Team NZ end up at the port end of the line, which is the preferred end...
Pre-start - Team NZ will have port entry in today's first race, but that no longer seems to be a relevant omen for who will win the race.
The course is set up for westerly winds, but we have southwesterlies, so racing has been delayed, as we wait for the winds to change. If that doesn't happen soon, the course will be turned to cater to the prevailing direction.
Probably looking at a 4:30pm start for now...
One of the problems with rotating the course will be clearing spectator boats that haven't lined the boundary and now have to move back from the new course. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but it has delayed racing before.
Race is further delayed to 4:45pm, which is narrowing the window for completing two races today. The second race must start by 6pm.
The course is being shifted closer to Course D, further out of the harbour and closer to St Heliers.
3:53pm - Latest update, the wind is strong enough, but race directors may need to reorient the course to match wind direction.
3:28pm - Wind update, 15 knots at the head of the course, so looking good.
3:10pm - Looks like we may have enough wind for a couple of races today, with about 12-13 knots out on the harbour.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the America's Cup series between Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli off Auckland.
After meandering along for about three months without much real action, Monday's events more than made up for that, producing a couple of heart-stopping races that became instant classics.
Somehow, for the first time in this series, one team swept both and now Team NZ lead 5-3 in the race to seven wins and find themselves in a position to close out their defence of the 'Auld Mug' today.
Among yesterday's highlights was the Kiwis performing an actual mid-race pass to break the overwhelming trend that saw the boat leading at the first gate continuing on to win that race.
When the wind died and both yachts fell off their foils, Team NZ repeated the feat, recovering from a 2km deficit to win by 2km - an eight-minute turnaround that had everyone on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Two more wins today would see Kiwi fans celebrating tonight, but the weather and Luna Rossa helmsman Jimmy Spithill may yet have something to say about that.
Today's racing will take place on Course C - known as the 'stadium course', because it's the most spectator-friendly of the six available.
Located off Auckland's waterfront, the track is best viewed from North Head, Orakei, Bastion Point or anywhere along Tamaki Drive.
But with light winds forecast, the chances of completing two races today appear slim and the ability to stay airborne may again prove crucial.
'Not over': Spithill vows to fight until America's Cup is lost
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli helmsman Jimmy Spithill vows the America's Cup isn’t lost yet, despite his side trailing Emirates Team NZ 5-3 after Monday's racing.
In a dramatic turn of events, Team NZ came from behind twice, catching the Italians off-guard to close within reach of defending the 'Auld Mug'.
But after already orchestrating one of sport’s greatest comebacks against the Kiwis at San Francisco 2013 - clawing back from 8-1 down to win the America's Cup for Oracle Team USA - Spithill knows as long as there's a mathematical chance, his side are in the contest.
"For us, it's not over," Spithill said afterwards. "We're not at the trophy presentation here, that's for sure.
"We will be going back. We had a little session before we got here, just having a look at what we could have done better... definitely a number of things.
"Because tomorrow looks similar - it looks light - we have to learn, get stronger and come out swinging tomorrow."
Spithill is also confident of an Italian turnaround, preparing to resume his battle with Team NZ from Tuesday.
"We've just got to focus on the next race and that's exactly what we'll do," Spithill added.
"We'll go back tonight, put a good focus on it and we will be stronger for tomorrow.
"There is a lot to learn from today and we'll definitely take all the lessons."
Spithill has also congratulated Team NZ, who twice fought back from the brink of disaster to move two steps closer to retaining the silverware.
"I thought the Kiwis sailed a great race [in] the first one,” he said. “Once they got in front, they really extended.
“And full credit to them for the second race, for hanging tough, getting going again - especially with the smaller jib.
"We have to tip our hats to them for sailing two good races."
