SailGP's debut on Kiwi shores also marked a return to New Zealand for some of the biggest names in sport, including Jimmy Spithill - Team USA's driver - the sailor Kiwi's 'love to hate'.
"It's all love, you know that," joked Spithill today.
Team USA enter the penultimate event on the calendar in sixth position.
"We've got nothing to lose," said Spithill.
"We have to really go out there and put the hammer down. Coming off a good race in Sydney we have to take confidence in that and we'd love nothing more to beat the lads [NZ] in their hometown [Lyttelton]."
After all, it's the 43-year-old's first time back in New Zealand since being beaten by Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.
When asked how close he is to clocking Peter Burling, Spithill couldn't help but laugh.
"It's been a lot of fun. Both he and Blair really are the best in the world right now for sure, they'll be hard to beat here," he said.
But he also said the nature of the Sail Grand Prix means on any given day, it can be any given team's race.
"There is no excuse cause we are on the same gear; boats are identical, we can see data of everyone, microphones are live so we can listen during races so any team has a shot," said Spithill.
Practice racing gets underway tomorrow, before the event officially kicks off on Saturday.
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