Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

This week's Sideline Sid blog comes to you from the US of A. Sid and Mrs Sid are off on their second big OE after Europe last year courtesy of John Key's fortnightly super handout. This time we are looking at all things sporting in the United States.

This is being written on board an Amtrack train, between Oakland, which is a short trip over the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, on the way to LA. While it looks a short hop on the map of America, the reality is that is a thirteen hour journey.

The main purpose of six days in San Fran was to try and catch some Americas Cup action on the waters of San Francisco Bay.

The city is made for close up viewing from a myriad of vantage points overlooking the race course. On our first day, we travelled on a hop on hop on bus, with our first disembarkment at the Golden Gate Bridge, National Park. Being the weekend there big numbers of people walking or biking across the GG bridge.

Knowing that race three of the best of seven between Luna Rosa and Artemis was to kick off at 1.15pm, a real friendly park employee suggested that we could probably catch the race action, from one of the paths overlooking the course. Low and behold about 15 minutes after the race was about to start, the two boats came past us less than 200 meters from the shore, around the far mark at the GG bridge.

They then sailed off into the far away distance before returning some 20 minutes later, to charge off around the mark in what was the race to the finish. The Italian boat (Luna Rosa) had a good minute lead which it increased the second time around the mark.

Next day it was back on the hop on hop off bus, where we spent a pleasant few hours at the seaside town of Sausalino on the other side of the GG bridge.

It was with some surprise, that we found courtesy of our binoculars that I remembered to pack on day two in San Fran, that we could see the fourth race of the semi-finals.

Once again Luna Rosa easily beat Artemis to book a berth in the Challenger Final against the mighty Emirates Team New Zealand black boat.

Another surprise awaited us on Sunday on the trip around the harbour, which includes getting up close and personal with the former prison on the rock of Alcatraz Island.

As we journeyed around the beautiful waters of the Bay, we spied the TNZ black boat out on the water on their endless training runs.

The speed of the Americas Cup cats has to be seen to be believed, with the black boat coming near us before disappearing into the distance at a great rate of knots.

After getting off the boat from the harbour cruise we walked along the harbour frontage from Fishermans Wharf to the Americas Cup Village.

First stop was the Waihehe Island Yacht Club, which is a pop up restaurant set up for the Cup by a kiwi chef.

Plenty of Kiwi tucker on the menu, so we both tried the TNZ beef and lamb burger - delicious.

Next stop was the Americas Cup Village on Pier 29-27. The Village provides plenty of hospitality for the public on race days, with close up views as the boats race past and big screens as the racing catamarans quickly disappear. There are a series of evening concerts scheduled during the Cup in a set up arena which seats a few thousand. Of course there plenty of merchandise to buy - at inflated prices, however we brought a few trinkets.

Day four saw us confirm our train bookings and at a loose end hopped on the harbour ferry to Oakland.

Again the black boat was out on the water, getting further experience of the ever changing conditions out on the waters of the San Francisco Bay.

Coming back on the ferry we thought we spied the team bases from where Cup holder Oracle and the Challenge contenders come back to be lifted out of the water. Sure enough, we got onto the wharf where the black boat was only meters away, albeit behind a ring of fencing.

However, just when we were about to walk away, around the corner came the Kiwi contender. Sitting in the water less than half a football field away, we could clearly see the TNZ crew disembarking as the shore team made ready to take the boat out of the water.

While there was disappointment that we didn't get to see the black boat race it was awesome to get so close the 34th Americas Cup action.

Next week TNZ square off against Luna Rosa in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, with the winner going on to meet Oracle in the race for the Americas Cup.

In San Francisco, racing for the one of the oldest sporting trophies in the world, goes completely under the radar with people completely oblivious to the action on the water. The only recognition we saw outside the Cup Village was a small Americas Cup display at Macy's Department store which has a Louis Vuitton store.

However, my memories will remain forever of the contrasts of the harbour side city. On one hand there is the excesses of riches shown by the many millions of dollars going into the four Americas Cup campaigns - while hundreds if not thousands of homeless are visible on the streets of San Francisco.

Go the Black Boat.