Just days away from the America's Cup World Series and the Prada Christmas Cup we're starting to get hints of what might be in store as teams head out for some informal practice sessions and OMG! With potential closing speeds of 115mph (185kph) it is perhaps not that surprising that teams are taking things carefully, but it's also quite clear that these machines are absolute weapons that are as fragile as they are fast and that we're about to see a unique style of racing as the Cup raises the bar. From Auckland, Matt Sheahan takes a look at why the America's Cup World Series matters, what we can expect from the teams, how they may use this opening round and what we should read into the racing ahead.