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5:52pm - Join us again, same time tomorrow, as this fascinating America's Cup duel continues in the race to seven wins.
Race 6
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli v Emirates Team NZ
Team NZ win by 1m 41s, level series at 3-3
Finish - NZ take the race and level the series at 3-3.
NZ skipper Glenn Ashby states: "The regatta starts tomorrow."
Luna Rossa finally finish 1m 41s behind - the margin blew out a bit over that last leg.
Sixth leg - Team NZ reaching 37 knots downwind. Luna Rossa finally reach the top gate, 1m 22s behind.
That's 1.2km in real terms.
The Kiwis already laying for the finish...
Fifth leg - NZ's lead is 700m on the water and the Kiwis continue to control their own fate.
Italy seem to have more speed right now, but they're not making up ground.
NZ will lay for the top mark from the left. Luna Rossa aren't even thinking about laying any time soon.
The Kiwis round the top mark and turn downwind towards the finish.
Fourth leg - Italy take the right gate and actually shave two seconds off their deficit, now down to 1m 5s.
The margin is out to 850m...
Much activity on Te Rehutai, as crew dash backwards and forwards across the deck.
Team NZ arrive at the bottom gate at 35 knots and round the right mark.
Italy laying for the left mark, but jibe right, now 1m 13s back.
Third leg - The NZ lead is out to 800m and Luna Rossa take a wide berth out of the bottom gate.
Team NZ heading left, Luna Ross heading right, now about 700m behind.
There are now some big patches of no wind on the course, so the margin of error just got bigger.
Team NZ heading right and will lay for the top mark from that side. They round the left mark at 36 knots and head downwind.
They pass Luna Rossa, who have another tack before they make the gate.
Second leg - Italy finally arrive at the mark 51 seconds down. The lead is now 700m on the water.
The Kiwis are back to using the whole course, automatically reducing the number of tacks and jibes, where they have lost valuable seconds previously.
NZ reach 35 knots downwind, a couple faster than Italy.
The lead has ballooned to 850m, as Team NZ approach the bottom mark from the left.
They round the right mark, Luna Rossa haven't laid for the gate yet.
Italy jibe again to round the right mark, 1m 7s behind.
First leg - Team NZ are 200m up immediately, after what seemed like a complete reverse of the first start.
The Kiwis are now in the box seat and only need to manage this race to level the scoreline again.
Both boats are in phase here, heading across the course to the right side, but NZ 400m ahead.
Italy tack away and NZ follow to cover.
Luna Rossa arrive at the left boundary and tack, Team NZ continue across the course and cross 450m ahead.
They tack at the left boundary. They now have control of their destiny, rather than having to respond to the Italians.
The Kiwis round the top gate at the right mark and Luna Rossa are well behind, labouring down the right layline.
Start - Race committee has completing wind sampling and declare the race live.
Luna Rossa will have the favoured port entry, so what can Team NZ produce to break that dominance?
The Italians enter and Team NZ follow, immediately curling back to follow their rivals right.
Luna Rossa tack at the right bounday, but Team NZ curl back towards the line.
The Kiwis are travelling fast along the line and have a big advantage.
5:01pm - To use a tennis analogy, Luna Rossa have broken Team NZ's serve, becoming the first team to win from starboard entry in this series.
The Kiwis must now break back or they will find themselves in a deep hole that they may not climb out of. Another win for Italy would see them within three of lifting the 'Auld Mug'.
4:53pm - The numbers show Team NZ are faster, both up and downwind, but Luna Rossa are forcing them to sail further - about 1.5km during that race.
Race 5
Emirates Team NZ v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Luna Rossa win by 18 seconds, lead series 3-2
Finish - Luna Rossa lay for the finishline from the left.
They take the race by 18 seconds and a 3-2 edge in the race to seven wins.
Sixth leg - Luna Ross will have to fall over, if Team NZ are to snatch this one.
Italian lead is now 400m on the run to the finish. They reach the right boundary and jibe.
The Kiwis have closed to within 300m, but time is running out for them.
Fifth leg - The Kiwis are desperate to make up some ground on this leg, but ar still 200m behind.
NZ still stuck out the right side of the track, Luna Rossa still controlling the centre.
Margin just hanging consistently around 260m. Team NZ seem faster at about 32 knots upwind, but just can't make a run at the Italians.
Luna Rossa laying from the left towards the right mark, Team NZ will need another tack...
Team NZ 23 seconds back.
Fourth leg - Another split, with Luna Rossa down the left and Team NZ right. Both jibe back towards centre.
The Kiwis are travelling faster, about 33 knots, but the lead approaches 400m.
Luna Rossa will lay for the bottom gate from the left and Team NZ the right.
Italy are rounding the right mark, Team NZ have lost ground on that downwind leg, now 27 seconds behind.
Third leg - Luna Rossa take a very wide path to the left, as Team NZ go right - the lead comes down to 200m.
Both boats heading to the left upwind, but Luna Rossa tack back as they reach the boundary.
Team NZ happy to tack back to the right side of the course - they seem to favour that side.
Luna Rossa seem to be forcing Team NZ to stay right.
The Kiwis tack at the right boundary, but Luna Rossa continue stay over the top of them, throwing bad air on them - NZ tack away again.
The boats lay for the top gate from opposite sides of the course - Luna Rossa from the left, Team NZ from the right.
Italy round the right mark, the Kiwis might have made up some ground here - they're only 22 seconds down, so a 10-second gain on that upwind leg.
Second leg - The lead is 300m on the water, Luna Rossa head left and then jibe back towards centre, as Team NZ work the right side of the course.
Team NZ have been consistently faster downwind, but they're too far back right now to make that count.
The Kiwis reach the left side of the course and jibe back, about 230m back now.
This could be a defining moment in this series, as the Kiwis seem to lose the port-entry advantage.
Luna Rossa round the right mark at the bottom gate, Team NZ head left... they're still 32 seconds behind.
First leg - The Italians have already extended out to a 200m lead, with NZ heading to the right side of the course.
That's a brutal blow to Team NZ, who tack left, and Luna Rossa follow, still 170m ahead.
NZ tack right again, hit the boundary and then come back towards the centre. Luna Rossa tack left to shadow their rivals before they achieve a cross.
Both boats heading left, but Team NZ tack right - they've brought the deficit back to about 160m.
Italy reach the left boundary and tack right, maintaining their lead as they lay for the top gate.
Luna Rossa round the right gate, Team NZ now laying for the left mark... they're 32 seconds behind already.
Start - Royal NZ Air Force have done a flyover. ACE is pulling out all the tricks today to celebrate the return to Alert Level 1.
Four minutes until start and the race committee has cleared the race to proceed.
Remember, Team NZ have port entry first for this race and that team has won every contest so far this series. Hopefully, this won't be the one that breaks the trend.
The Kiwis enter, heading right, and Luna Rossa enter from starboard, immediately turning to follow their rivals.
Italy have taken a postition that almost blocks Team NZ's anticipated turn - the Kiwis have turn a lot sharper back towards the line and both teams have gone into slow mode.
LUna Rossa have taken a huge advantage at the start, with Team NZ off their foils.
3:27pm - Not sure how to feel about this moment: 'First Man' Clarke Gayford and ageing rocker Rod Stewart (via video from London) leading Cup Village supporters in singing 'Sailing'.
Did the PM go full-on Level 1 this quickly so her guy could front this event?
It feels a little awkward, but never mind...
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the America's Cup series between defenders Emirates Team NZ and challengers Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli off Auckland.
After two days of racing, the contest is deadlocked at 2-2, but for a while on Friday, the Italians threatened to sail away with the 'Auld Mug', absolutely dominating their rivals in the opening race.
The Kiwis bounced back with an even more clearcut performance in the second race, so even if the racing isn't that intense, with passing still at a premium, the race to seven wins continues to be tight.
One trend was broken yesterday, but another held true.
Team NZ's win in the second race was the first time Luna Rossa had been defeated in light winds off Auckland.
But so far this series, all four races have been won by the boat entering the start box first from port, with the best opportunity to dictate terms in the pre-start manoeuvres.
With a change in weather conditions, today's racing will shift from the southernmost Course E to Course A off Auckland's North Shore.
TAB odds: Team NZ $1.50, Luna Rossa $2.45
America's Cup course change? Light winds forecast again
Expect another day of light-air racing, when America's Cup action returns on Saturday.
Friday's racing produced two very different results in light-wind conditions and Metservice is forecasting even lower wind speed for races five and six.
A maximum of 10 knots is predicted for the early afternoon - above the 6.5 knot threshold for racing to begin.
The first four races of the series have been contested on Course E, but with Auckland back at COVID-19 Alert Level 1, all five courses are back in play.
Both Luna Rossa and Team NZ have expressed their desire to race on the 'stadium' Course C - the most fan-friendly course - and also the most unpredictable in terms of wind shifts.
Luna Rossa helmsman Francesco Bruni hopes a change in course will lead to more exciting action for the spectators.
"You tend to sail in dirtier wind," he says. "In general with these boats, you tend to sail in less pressure when you're behind.
"You can wait for the right moment to make a jump, but if the boat in front doesn't make big mistakes, it's hard.
"Today, the wind was not that shifty. You go on Course C with a southwesterly and you're going to see a different race.
"It's the nature of breeze we have the last couple of days. The start is a very important moment of the day and it's a big part of the match race usually, as well."
Fellow helmsman Jimmy Spithill agrees and believes "more dynamic" racing is possible, if the crews are moved off Courses A and E, which have been the only two available for the first four races.
"The last couple of days' racing has been pretty steady conditions and in steady conditions, generally, the boat ahead is tough to pull in, when you’re behind.
"If we see new conditions and potential changes in the racecourse, I expect to see a few differences out there and things become a little more dynamic.
"Until we get those conditions and it allows for that, then who knows?"
