Jimmy Spithill and Luna Rossa hit INEOS Team UK with a right hook yesterday, leaving Sir Ben Ainslie and his team staggering.
But that should be no surprise, given Spithill has been secretly boxing with sporting legend Monty Betham in the time he is not on the water.
1 NEWS reporter Emily van Velthooven hunted the pair down during one of their training sessions before the start of the Prada Cup final, and asked Spithill if he was going to throw any uppercuts on the water.
"Definitely preparing for a fight, that's for sure," Spithill said.
"It's going to be a big fight this weekend."
Betham said he had been impressed with the sailor's mentality and willingness to train at the highest level.
"Spithill's in the top two percent of athletes I've trained with or alongside," Betham said.
"He's got the mindset, he's got the work ethic, he's very coachable and if you tell him something he'll put it in the right context pretty much straight away.
"He's a dream."
The two have grown close in their time training together, raising some eyebrows.
"My wife reckons I've got a bromance with him," Betham joked.
"You can understand why because he's high performance and I love that."
Given the work Spithill has put in, do not be surprised if Luna Rossa throw a knockout punch next week.
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