It's about to find out.

Sunday's end of the intense, best-of-9 challenger finals between AmericaOne and Prada (won by Prada) signaled the start of the next phase of the Kiwis' campaign, the best-of-9 series for sailing's top prize -- an ornate silver pitcher with no bottom.

"We are ready to go racing," New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts said before Sunday's decisive ninth race between the Americans and Italians.

The challenger trials began on Oct. 18 with 11 boats from seven countries. Team New Zealand chose not to have a defender series so it missed the competitive racing that would sharpen its sailing.

Instead, it took its own two boats out on the Hauraki Gulf, and did what it could to improve in preparation for the finals starting Feb. 19 on that same body of water.

"In match racing, you can't practice all the moves. There are a lot of moves that are unexpected. There are a lot of moves that you're reacting to the other boat," Coutts said in a local television interview. "We would have liked to have had an outside competition but didn't this time and I think it is an advantage for the challengers."

But with a small nation of about 4 million people, New Zealand syndicate head Sir Peter Blake didn't think there would be enough financial support for two campaigns.

When Blake won the Cup in San Diego in 1995, with Coutts at the helm, they had plenty of practice since they were challenging and participated in the trials.

New Zealand's boat that year, Black Magic, was the fastest by far. It swept the finals 5-0 over Young America, skippered by Paul Cayard, who was driving AmericaOne this time. The victory margins were huge -- 2 minutes, 45 seconds, 4:14, 1:51, 3:37 and 1:50.

The differences probably won't be that great again, but the Kiwis will have to wait until the first race of the Cup finals to see how they match up.

"I can't say I'm really worried about any aspect," Coutts said. "Across the board, we're well prepared. I guess it's the unknown that you always worry about and being surprised and we've done our best to not be surprised."

There is some suspicion that New Zealand might be weaker in light air than strong wind, but all Coutts would say was, "we're working on all aspects of our program."

Starting with a race in 1851 around the Isle of Wight in England that the schooner America won, U.S. boats won all 25 competitions until Australia won in 1983 in Newport, R.I., the 13th consecutive time the Cup was contested there.

This finals will be the first contested without an American boat in the running.

New Zealand's first participation was in 1987 off Fremantle, Australia, where it lost the challenger finals to Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes. It lost the next year in San Diego to Conner's catamaran. In 1992, the Kiwis' boat -- the Red Sled -- lost the challenger finals to Il Moro di Venezia, skippered by Cayard.

Now, they are the defenders.

The Auckland waterfront was transformed into a bustling mix of chic sidewalk cafes with street entertainers, a maritime museum and retail shops. Modern facilities were built for all the syndicates, side by side.

Coutts would like to use them again to defend the Cup.