Pete and I weren't alone in thinking we'd pop along to watch. Around 20,000 friends joined us, with far more USA flags on display than our last trip, but we'd already sussed out the air-conditioned, spacious Kids' Zone which enjoyed an excellent uninterrupted view of the big screen. We hung out there with the other well-informed families.
Getting back to fairy tales, it was meant to be the Cinderella story of plucky, impecunious Team NZ beating the bottomless pockets of Larry Ellison and his Team USA (who, lest we forget, are actually a bunch of Aussies and Brits). Turns out that success does have a price, but Ellison can afford it!
With the usual American penchant for understatement, the commentators declared it "the greatest comeback in sporting history". As with all implausible results there are plenty of conspiracy-flavoured questions to be asked. How come the three races that Team NZ were leading were called off, only to be won by the USA on the restart? When Team USA were docked points for cheating, why were races added on so they could still score enough to win? Did Ellison really build a mechanical whale in case he had to scupper another race? Will the Queen strip Ben Ainslie of his knighthood for so impressively assisting the old enemy?
Commiserations to Fiona, Dan, Patrick, and all our NZ buddies. Stealing something from another boat used to be called piracy, but it looks like it's legal on San Francisco Bay.
Off go Team USA. NZ were already out there practicing their starts.
Plenty of interest - this is an hour before the race even started.
Not a sight I expected to see.
The Kiwis might not have the cup but they do have the beer tent.
There's no confusion about who we're supporting today.
The view from the Kids' Zone.
Team USA sail through the finish and then buzz the crowd.
In the end it was all too much for some.
Look! It's a fire boat doing that fire boat thing!
Pirate Pete says: USA arrrrrr the winnarrrrs.
