As the would-be challengers raced, the defender practices, and waits

by Chuck Lantz on 24 Aug 2013 On most Louis Vuitton Cup race days, before the two challengers face-off in the best of 13 match race series, one or both Team Oracle boats can be seen testing and practicing on and around the America's Cup race course on San Francisco bay.

On Wednesday August 21, PST, shortly before Emirates Team NZ met and defeated Luna Rossa in races four and five of the series, Oracle boat one and two, owned and built by Larry Ellison and representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club, official holder and Defender of the 162 year-old America's Cup, could be seen skirmishing on the course.

Here are eight photos of the team Oracle boats, shot by one of Sail-World's on-site photography team, Chuck Lantz. More of Chuck's shots of the LVC can be seen by searching Sail-World.com and at ChuckLantz.com.

To help identify Oracle boat one - the first boat built - and boat two - the probable Defender - here are some visual clues.

Boat one has two posts extending down from her bowsprit. Boat two has only one.

Boat one has a large notch at the bottom front of her mast/wingsail. Boat two is faired straight to the deck.

Boat one has a larger and more squared underdeck structure below the sail. Boat two has a smaller, flat V-shaped structure.

During some sessions, but not all, boat one will have a darker, slightly thicker horizontal main-sail rib just ahead of the leech, and just above the Puma logo.

Again, during some sessions both boats will have small round shapes in the central clear vertical section of the sail, about ten feet apart. Boat one has white shapes, and boat two, black shapes.