If you are competing in the Auckland Anniversary Day regatta on Monday, keep your eye out for Mick Cookson's slick, silver rocketship High 5.
The racer/cruiser is at the cutting edge of technology and is the first in Cookson's 50ft production line.
With a canting keel and trim tab setup, it weighs just 7000kg, rather lean for a boat of that size.
Although it has plenty of comforts on board, including a hot-water shower, it does not lack speed.
Cookson's Auckland yard has produced several notable yachts, including Larry Ellison's Sayonara, Roy Disney's Pyewacket, round-the-world yachts Tokio, Yamaha, News Corp and djuice dragons, and Team New Zealand's NZL 57, 60, 81 and 82.
Cookson said he was trying to fill a hole in the market by creating an affordable, fast, high-performance production 50-footer with a canting keel.
It was also one of his goals to provide a yacht that could be raced or cruised fast and safely by small crews, or even single-handed.
"We wanted something that would be reasonable to live aboard offshore and that you could also use to entertain your friends at the dock."
Cookson's 50-footers are said to cost around $1 million.
High 5 was launched in November and Cookson is considering taking it to Europe in March-April.
"Hopefully we'll sell some overseas which we have already done."
Yachting New Zealand's high-performance manager, Peter Lester, has sailed on the boat and was "blown away" by its performance.
He believes it has the potential to be a very popular yacht.
High 5 is competing in the Bay of Islands Race Week. Weather permitting, Cookson hopes to sail it back to Auckland today or tomorrow for the regatta.
