On a stretch of Amsterdam canal bordered by a housing estate, bemused residents walk their dogs and push buggies in the September sunshine as high-performance catamarans dart alongside working barges and tatty weekend motor boats. Children are feeding the ducks while some of the biggest names in sailing buzz by in their Extreme 40 catamarans.

When fighting a strong breeze, these yachts are spectacular, displaying breathtaking acrobatics, stunning acceleration and crunching cartwheels. But light winds had reduced this finale of the iShares Extreme 40 Series, which involved sailing’s elite racing on lakes and seas before ending on Amsterdam’s canals last weekend, to park pond tactics. Despite the popping corks for team Alinghi, who emerged as the series winner, there was a feeling that for the Switzerland-based team the event was something of a sideshow, a necessary distraction ahead of a bigger prize – the 157-year-old America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in sport.