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Team NZ crew - Source: Chris Cameron Photography -
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Seeing as this is currently "Sailing Central" as the Americans would say, it's hardly surprising that most conversations amongst the sailors here in Cagliari veer pretty rapidly and inevitably towards the America's Cup.
Reflecting the Auld Mug's status as a "game of life", the sentiments the Cup's current shambles elicits embraces every emotion including anger, frustration and resignation.
The court room shenanigans rile everyone and the frustration is of course borne out of careers being put on hold.
The MedCup is providing the best platform at the moment for keeping Cup skills honed from both a sailing and technical point of video with the TP-52 yacht being very much a development class. And because of the level of competition it is also attracting the top names.
Joining the circuit here are Cup veterans Paul Cayard and Francesco de Angelis and chatting to the Italian it was sad to hear his take on the current battle of the billionaires. De Angelis really admires the Team New Zealand set up and the way sailing in New Zealand is not solely the province of the wealthy.
Popular view
His fear is that the Alinghi v Oracle battle between Ernesto Bertarelli and Larry Ellison is merely confirming to the rest of the world the popular view that sailing is only a rich man's sport.
The problem the angry and frustrated sailors face is the dichotomy they have to contend with in that while they loathe the billionaire battle they can't help but be utterly fascinated by the amazing multi-hulls that have emerged as a result of the row.
Pictures of Alinghi's catamaran sailing for the first time on Lake Geneva have been a hot topic here all week. Watching the crew flying a hull in just 3 to 5 knots of wind is an extraordinary sight and could well be a vision of the future.
It is hard not to get excited at the prospect of these machines going head to head and while it is not the America's Cup we know and love it, it will be utterly compelling - if and when it comes to pass.
Close race
One thing it won't be is a close race because one of the monsters is going to be so much quicker than the other in different conditions. And it was the closeness of the racing in Valencia that was made the last Cup arguably the best ever.
Which brings me back to appeal of the Med Cup. The TP=52s are being constantly refined, and as exemplified by Emirates Team New Zealand's one second win on day one, the racing couldn't be closer.
And the fact that despite their clean sweep start ETNZ now has a lead of just one point after day two says it all.
