Today is the scheduled date for the sixth race in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the dramatic series of match sailing contests that serve to decide who will compete against Ernesto Bertarelli’s “Alinghi” for possession of the so-called “Auld Mug” – otherwise known as the America’s Cup, the oldest contested trophy in sport.

Anyone attending the races off Valencia or watching them on television cannot fail to notice the plethora of watch names emblazoned on the hulls and booms of the yachts taking part: Alinghi herself – sailing under the flag of the Société Nautique de Genève – is sponsored by Audemars Piguet; Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing, the first of the 11 challengers to be accepted for the contest, is backed by Girard-Perregaux; Emirates Team New Zealand will be equipped by Omega and Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge will be flying a flag or two for Hublot.