Yachting: Dalton sizes up the opposition

NZL82 and NZL84 go through their paces. Picture / Emirates Team New Zealand

From his office in Valencia, Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton can see Italian challengers Luna Rossa busy preparing their slick new silver bullet for the day's sailing.

A little further along, Alinghi and Oracle Racing are also preparing to depart for the racetrack on the Mediterranean while Dalton's own team are readying the black boats for a full day's work.

It's just after 8am in Valencia and the 11 challengers and defender are beavering away in preparation for the next America's Cup pre regatta, which starts next week.

This is the 10th pre-regatta - but a significant one. Team New Zealand will race their new boat NZL84.

In other words, it's about to become a lot clearer whether the Dalton-led syndicate stand any chance of winning back yachting's greatest prize.

"If we are miles off the pace, we have a fundamental design problem and that would be a concern," Dalton said. "We are keeping our eyes open and looking around but, until the new Alinghi boat comes out, there is nothing we have seen so far that has given us any concern. Sure there are a few things we are looking at that the other teams have done as in, 'That's a nice idea, that's a nice idea' - but there is nothing that concerns us.

"That might change if they all blow us off the water next week."

Team New Zealand have been based in Spain for a little over a month and the base is all but complete. They've spent the last three weeks racing mostly against themselves, although they did take on Luna Rossa and their new boat, ITA86, last week but agreed not to discuss the results.

Like Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa have indicated they will race their new boat next week.

Chris Dickson's Oracle have said they won't - although teams can change their minds up to 24 hours before the first race.

While NZL84 and ITA86 are clearly different boats to their predecessors, Oracle's new USA87 has hogged the limelight, with its bowsprit and jumper-less rig.

There has also been talk of a tandem keel, which now seems doubtful because a rudder, which is not required with a tandem keel, has been spotted.

The tandem keel speculation is possibly the result of Oracle's rig and forestay (the cable that runs from the mast to the bow) appearing further forward on their new boat, which can indicate a different setup underneath.

But USA76 has always appeared a little off balance and Dalton suggests they have tried to address that by the way they have set up their new boat.

The Oracle and Prada boats were a "little different from" NZL84. "We think they are both nice boats, certainly Luna Rossa is a very pretty looking boat and often good-looking boats go fast.

"It is a Bruce Nelson [designed] boat, he did the One World boats last time so it has a bit of a One World look about it. We can see that it is going a lot better than the old Prada in a bit of breeze.

"The new Oracle, depending on the type of testing they are doing, seems to be generally better than the old Oracle at times but not by massive margins - bearing in mind their old boat was bloody good."

Dalton said the jumper-less rig configurations, which both Alinghi and Oracle have, are of interest. Team New Zealand had been investigating the concept for about a year. Jumpers (short beams) support the top of the rig and allow you to control the top of the mainsail. "If you get rid of them, you take away straight drag ... But you have to make the rig slightly fatter too - what you take you give some away ... It is just whether the whole thing is worth it."

It is believed Oracle started developing a jumper-less rig last year by using a set of jumpers that had no tension on them. "It is kind of an obvious thing to do in this venue because it is a light-air venue and you can predict when it's going to blow. It's possible teams will use a light air rig and a heavier rig. You could use a jumper-less rig as your light air rig. We understand the concept but there are two teams who have done it. It would feel a bit bloody wobbly if you didn't understand it but we have been looking at it."

As he prepares to join his team for a round of meetings before they depart the dock at midday when the breeze kicks in, the round-the-world race yacht veteran says he is not nervous about the regatta. "Although we haven't raced anybody yet in anger, I don't think we are behind."

BIG DATES

2006 America's Cup regattas, Valencia

Act 10: 11-18 May, match racing
Act 11: 19-21 May, fleet racing
Act 12: 22 June-July 3, match racing

* * *

Team New Zealand's programme in Valencia for Act 10

(Two races a day are scheduled.)

Day 1 Team New Zealand v United Internet Team Germany
Team Team Shosholoza v Team New Zealand

Day 2 Team New Zealand v Areva Challenge
Victory Challenge v Team New Zealand

Day 3 BMW Oracle Racing v Team New Zealand
Team China v Team New Zealand
Alinghi v Luna Rossa Challenge

Day 4 Team New Zealand v +39 Challenge
Team New Zealand v Mascalzone Latino

Day 5 Team New Zealand v Desafio Espanol
Team New Zealand v Luna Rossa Challenge
Alinghi v Oracle

Day 6 Alinghi v Team New Zealand
Oracle v Luna Rossa