AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Experience is an important asset in sailboat racing. Race 2 between Team New Zealand and Switzerland's Alinghi, was an excellent example of how veterans can make the difference in one of the most remarkable finishes in the history of The America's Cup.

	Ernesto Bertarelli, syndicate head of Switzerland's Alinghi signals to the team's supporters as the boat is towed out for Race 2.

After the start, the lead changed twice on the first windward leg, before Alinghi finally broke through, just before rounding mark one. The roles reversed on the downwind leg toward mark number two, however, when Team New Zealand regained the lead on a favorable wind shift. For the next three legs, Russell Coutts and the rest of the Alinghi crew patiently chased TNZ.

At the fifth mark, with just 3.25 miles to sail, TNZ had a comfortable 4.5 boat-length lead. The wind was blowing 8-10 knots. Coutts and his longtime tactician, Brad Butterworth, knew time was running out and they had to make a gamble. The two-time America's Cup winners started sailing a very high course to make the leg longer. Compounding Alinghi's problem of being behind, there were two sizeable rips in the spinnaker. If the wind increased or Alinghi sailed too high of a course, the sail could easily rip apart. Coutts ignored the problem and listened to the soothing words of Butterworth, who always sounds positive.

Meanwhile, on board TNZ, Dean Barker and his rookie America's Cup afterguard of Hammish Pepper and Peter Evans, started to play Alinghi's game. Instead of protecting their lead by splitting the difference between Alinghi's course and their own course to the finish, Team New Zealand started sailing higher than Alinghi and began losing distance.

As Alinghi closed, you could see the tension on the crew of TNZ. Just as Alinghi sailed past, all of TNZ's crew was focused on the other boat. This is a fundamental mistake because it means TNZ's crew is not concentrating on their own jobs. On the final approach to the finish, Coutts steered too high and risked ripping the spinnaker. For the first time, Butterworth became animated and called for Coutts to steer a dramatically lower course. It's at moments like this, a helmsman must trust a tactician's word. Butterworth had it right. Coutts responded and won the race by a half a boat-length.

Dean Barker and his crew now have the daunting task of having to beat Alinghi in 5 of the next 7 races. Alinghi has won a heavy-air race and a light-air race. Interestingly, the speed differences between the two boats are very even, both upwind and downwind. The difference is experience.

One change TNZ might consider would be rotating design coordinator and veteran navigator, Tom Schnackenberg, on to the boat for Race 3 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, Mon., ESPN2).

Three times in America's Cup history, boats have come back from 0-2 deficits. In 1920, Resolute, in 1934, Rainbow and in 1983, Australia II. Team New Zealand will have to mature quickly if it hopes to turn this Cup around.

In 1977, Gary Jobson served as tactician to win the America's Cup for Ted Turner. ESPN's lead sailing analyst, Jobson will be providing ESPN.com with daily analysis throughout the America's Cup. E-mail him at garyjobson@cs.com or check out his Web site at jobsonsailing.com.