AC72 emerges from the shadows for big night
Emirates Team New Zealand’s AC72 catamaran was wheeled out of the shed the first time this morning as team members got down to final preparations for Saturday’s public show at the Viaduct Harbour.
On a brilliantly fine and still winter’s morning, the 40m wingsail was wheeled from its tent, lifted and carefully placed on the platform.
It was a significant time for team members who have worked solidly for 18 months for the moment.
Curious onlookers stopped and watched from Halsey Street; from the other side of the Viaduct Harbour photograhers were shooting the action at the base.
There was a serious purpose today’s operations. Designers, engineers and shore crew performed a series of load tests on wing and rigging as final preparations are made for Saturday and the first sailing which, weather depending, could be later next week.
Even though the team would have preferred to keep the AC72 under wraps for a few more days while cosmetic work (principally applying the last sponsor logos to the wing) is completed there was no hiding it
The wingsail – bigger than a wing on the Boeing 747 – is twice as high and three times the area of the wing on the AC45s the have been raced in the America’s Cup World Series regattas.
Upright and in position for the first time, it towered over the base and could be seen from CBD buildings and streets around the Viaduct Harbour.
The New Zealand public will be able to get close to the cat on Saturday when the yacht is named at a show at the Viaduct Harbour.
Team managing director Grant Dalton said the show is for the New Zealand public – “to thank them for keeping the faith and their patience since 2007.”
The event is happening at night – sunset on this winter Saturday is 5.25pm – and the show doesn’t kick off until just before 6pm. But that’s because it’s aimed for early evening TV news not because the team is being coy.
“We’re planning to stream the entire show live,” Dalton said. “We’re setting up a link from our blog (www.etnzblog.com) that will go live at 5.30pm NZ time.
The big moment comes – a champagne bottle launched by 1200 people pulling on a hemp rope will break on the boat – about 6.15pm which will trigger a ring of fire around the boat and a fireworks display.”
The show is free to the public. People will have great views from the Halsey Street wharf, from public areas around the Viaduct Events Centre and from the area around the lifting bridge.
Dalton urges people to arrive at the Viaduct by 5.30pm.
Wonderful, powerful, beautiful, but maybe crazy boats these! ! wonder that they just might be too powerful for the venue.I can’t imagine how difficult they will be to sail, let alone be thrown around in tactical racing in winds over 15 knots. I hope to be wrong. These could be the most amazing sailing craft that we have ever seen. Coming soon after the greatest race ever (the just finished round-world Volvo), yachting is looking pretty interesting at the moment! Just makes one ponder the long outdated presence in the Olympics of Stars, Finns and 470s! – they were slow and heavy when they were born, let alone in this post-Bethwaite era…
No matter what happens next, this is an achievement to be very very proud of. Grant and the team have my full admiration.
Going to be excellent. On my way up from chch to see it on saturday. Looking forward to seeing the beast
I have been watching the Volvo Oceans Race with great joy and excitement, I’ve been watching the AC World Series, I’ve watched the 33′s sailing up and down the harbour, I’ve even crept onto the base and taken a couple of personal photo’s of the AC45 before she started competing. I’ve meet the crew of Camper, shook their hands, got my shirt signed, meet the great Grant Dalton (and had a laugh at Dean’s expense), i’m a very proud ETNZ supporter. i absolutely cannot wait till Saturday evening to see the Machine of the future, everything is happening so quickly. yet again it’s the Kiwi’s taking the lead on development and launching, we have the chase boat, the yacht and with Dean skippering a fantastic crew…………….Bring the CUP Home guys.
CONGRATS to Emirates Team New Zealand, the faithful sponsors, and all the Kiwi nation for being first out of the shed with an AC72 – she looks a marvelous piece of kit – can’t wait to see her under sail (err, wing) for sea trials – we all look forward to the show – Best Regards, CupInfo et al / ps – Q: to christen a cat does one use a single bottle of bubbly or two?
I got to be the first to ask, is that thing suppose to float or fly?
THESE CATS WILL BE REALLY GOOD THEY MAY EVOLVE IN TO FOIL BOATS THAT DO WORLD RECORD SPEEDS ONE DAY ,JUST WISH FULL THINKING ,I CANT WAIT TO SEE IT SAIL.
My tickets are booked. I’m flying up for the day to see this beast. Amazing job everyone at TNZ have done. Time to bring the cup back home
I have a 22 year old Tornado which is in show room condition – My questions is would you like to swap?|I’ll even throw the trapeze harnesses in to sweeten the deal.
Setting my alarm clock for 1:30am here in the USA to be up for the big event!!!!