Former Emirates Team New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth has lambasted Oracle helmsman Jimmy Spithill, saying his poor starts are why they're so far behind in the America's Cup.
Team New Zealand won both races with ease on Monday morning (NZ time), meaning they are now 6-1 up, and just one win away from taking the America's Cup off the US team.
However Butterworth told The AM Show that Oracle and skipper Spithill should not be written off, even at this late stage of the contest.
"Not yet, even though [Team New Zealand have] won enough races to have won it [because they started on -1], they still haven't - so nothing's changed," he said.
But he says Oracle will need to rein in their errors hugely if they are to claw victory from the jaws of defeat like they did in San Francisco four years ago, when they came back from an 8-1 deficit.
"Today, they sailed really badly," Butterworth said, adding that if they continued to race as poorly, it's just a matter of Team New Zealand staying out of their way to wrap up the regatta.
However Butterworth says Spithill should not be removed from his position as skipper, despite him offering to step down after this morning's races.
"It's been done in the past - I think it's a big mistake but like I say, when they're making mistakes, don't get in their way."
"I'm not so sure [he's lost his edge]. I just think there's a lot of big moments in these races, and the start's a very important part of it and he's been doing that consistently bad from the beginning.
"Maybe that's his level, I don't know, but we'll just have to wait and see. One more race to go."
But he said it's not just Oracle's poor performances that have resulted in the skewed scoreline - it's Team New Zealand's confident sailing that's seen them take such a dominant lead.
"I think for sure the guys are sailing very well - obviously they did a good job of sailing a tighter race in both races today," Butterworth said.
"They're sailing exceptionally well, and they should be proud of themselves."
Butterworth says that if the expected Team New Zealand victory were to happen, and we were to bring the cup back to our own waters, that may see Italian sailing team Alinghi re-enter the fray.
Owner Ernesto Bertarelli is a very big fan of New Zealand - and the All Blacks - and is said to be keeping a close eye on how this regatta goes.
"I think he would like to be involved. Ernesto's here [in Bermuda], he's watching proceedings and he's really hoping Team New Zealand wins," he said.
"I think he's very interested to have another go."
And as for whether he, like Alinghi, will return to sailing himself?
"Right now I'm just enjoying watching these young guys win all these races," Butterworth said coyly.
"Full credit to them, they're doing a great job."
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