Yachting: America's Cup shakedown starts for NZL84

Team New Zealand sail NZL82 ( right) and NZL84 (left) together for the first time in Valencia. Picture / Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand's new boat, NZL84, sailed on the America's Cup course in Valencia for the first time on Thursday.

It joined NZL82 on the water, where the main objective was to tune the rig and test the on-board systems on NZL84 following its recommissioning after being shipped from New Zealand.

NZL84 was launched in Auckland in December and has undergone two months of performance testing.

"NZL84, relative to NZL81 and NZL82, appears to be a pretty good boat," Team New Zealand tactician Terry Hutchinson said in an interview on the America's Cup website.

"Knowing where we stood with the rest of the fleet it needed to be a much better boat. I think we've made some good steps, and it'll be interesting to see how it lines up against the others. The initial impression is pretty good."

Although no decision has been made on whether they will race the boat in this year's regattas, Hutchinson suspects they will.

"I'd be surprised if we didn't race it. Of all the teams right now, we're the most shy on time at the venue and learning all the conditions here. So I'd be hesitant not to put our best foot forward. But I might be speaking prematurely."

NZL84 arrived at the Valencia base, with the team's workshops and equipment, on March 28.

Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said it was hard to believe that 10 months ago the team were camping on the site in Valencia while they competed in the seventh cup pre-regatta.

"It was difficult to imagine then that in 10 months a fully operational base would be here from which the team will mount its assault on first the Louis Vuitton Cup and then the America's Cup," Dalton said in a team newsletter. "We now have a very good base. There's room enough for all departments to operate efficiently.

"It's big [65m by 35m and 3 storeys high] but there are no frills anywhere.

"It is strictly a utilitarian structure designed solely to allow the team to operate efficiently."

He said the team are indebted to the people and companies who helped build the base, most of which was shipped from New Zealand.

With two yachts on the water, Team New Zealand have launched an intensive testing and crew training programme in preparation for the year's first pre-cup regatta on May 11.

"The team can look forward to long days as we shake down the yachts," Dalton said.

"A day off will be a luxury.

"We are committed to the job we undertook in 2003."

Nearly all the challengers are now in Valencia preparing for the next regatta.

Defenders Alinghi are keeping their new boat, SUI91, behind closed doors but pictures from Valenica show the syndicate experimenting with a jumper-less rig on one of their old boats.