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Team New Zealand seen from above - Source: Photosport/Chris Cameron -
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"No man love" became the famous Emirates Team New Zealand catch-cry when it was uttered by Grant Dalton as the so-staunch Kiwis crossed the line after beating Alinghi in Valencia in 2007, excessive displays of emotion a no-no.
The order seems to have stuck because three years on there was virtually nil reaction as Dean Barker drove NZL 380 across the line in Cascais to secure the Trofeu de Portugal, the first of five regattas in this year's Audi MedCup series which has ETNZ as the reigning champion.
Of course the job is only one fifth done but done in extordinary style - four wins and three seconds leaving ETNZ an astonishing 20 points clear of their nearest rival..and it's not even the rival they're expecting to tangle with long term.
While Olympic gold medalist Jochen Schumann helmed his Franco-German America's Cup All 4 One team into a surprise second place, the much-vaunted and clearly very quick Team Origin from Britain languished in fourth spot plagued with teething troubles on their new boat.
What had been a much-anticipated duel between Origin's Ben Ainslie and his former sparring partner Dean Barker turned into a damp squib in the 30-mile coastal race when Origin slowed dramatically on the long gennaker run.
In the commentary box we suspected something may have attached itself to the keel and that was later confirmed by Chris Salthouse, one of the Kiwi boatbuilders who constructed Origin at the Salthouse yard in Auckland. A diver was sent below after the race and there were clear marks on the fin where whatever it was, some fishing net or ropes perhaps, had come in contact.
Roddie Ainslie, Ben's Dad, who was riding as a guest in Origin and was one of our guest commentators said it was like sitting on the hard shoulder of a motorway as the traffic roared past. But Ben also added that there were a number of crewing errors which slowed the boat at crucial times during the regatta with the sailors still coming to terms with their new boat.
What that means is that like all the other crews the Brits are going to improve rapidly and the pressure will begin to really pile up on ETNZ as the Audi MedCup series moves through 40 more races at four different venues.
First of those is in Marseille next month which is normally a breezy venue like Cascais and that, according to Grant Dalton, should suit the Kiwis who enjoy the more physically testing conditions.
Before that, though, there's the Louis Vuittion Trophy at La Maddalena off the Italian island of Sardinia where many of the Audi MedCup sailors will be re-grouping and re-adapting to the Version 5 America's Cup yachts and the darker art of match racing as opposed to fleet racing.
So many of the sailors are heading that way they've chartered a plane to fly directly. That's the good news. The bad news is checking in at 0500hrs. That means for the Kiwis celebrations of their win here - as on the boat at the end of the racing - are once again likely to be rather muted.
