Emirates Team New Zealand Cat Ends Planned Service Life
Kiwi's AC72 to be Decommissioned: Press Release

Click image to view more. Photo:©2012 Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand
 

Emirates Team New Zealand today completed the permitted 30 days of testing and training in its first AC72 catamaran.

Rules for the 34th Americas Cup allow on 30 sailing days for the first boat between July 2012 and the end of January 2013.  Tomorrow the shore crew starts to decommission the yacht while the team concentrates on finishing Boat 2. Winch drums and some hardware will be removed from the yacht and fitted to Boat 2.

Boat 1 will be refitted in the near future and held in reserve, to be commissioned quickly in the event its needed.

Components for the new boat are being built at Auckland companies Cookson Boats and Southern Spars.  The second wing is being assembled now at the teams Viaduct Harbour base.  Hulls, beams and other parts of the platform will be delivered to the base early in January for a launch in early February.

Managing director Grant Dalton said the team was fortunate to be able to complete the sailing program in good time, giving plenty of time to commission Boat 2.

“We never considered sailing both boats together because of the logistics and cost involved.

“It takes 35 people 1-1/2 hours to launch the AC72.  Three hours out of morning to launch two 72s and three hours at the other end of the day to retrieve them is out of the question. 

“The only solution would to have two separate operations to launch, retrieve, maintain and improve two AC72s and that is not a realistic prospect for Emirates Team New Zealand.“

He said the team would gain many of the benefits by race training with another boat through the arrangement with Luna Rossa.

--From Emirates Team New Zealand

Links of Interest:
At CupInfo: ETNZ AC72 day-to-day highlights and roll out of the entire AC72 fleet

From the Team: Video highlights of 30 Days Sailing
ETNZ Blog: Photos by Chris Cameron