New
Team NZ yacht launched
(10/21/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
Shrouded in black from the deck down, Team New
Zealand's second America's Cup yacht, NZL82, slipped
into the Viaduct Basin for the first time today almost
unnoticed.
While the nine challengers were out on the Hauraki Gulf
fine-tuning their boats for the start of the second
round of the Louis Vuitton series on Wednesday, Team
New Zealand carefully lowered their second boat into
the water.
In keeping with tradition, the yacht's entry into the
water was a private affair without the fanfare of a
public christening ceremony which in the past has been
reserved for Team New Zealand's first-built yacht -
which this time was NZL81.
It was too windy for NZL82 to make her maiden voyage,
but Team New Zealand syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg
said the yacht was expected to be out the "next nice
day."
"The boat is a combination of a lot of hard work," he
said. "Because we had NZL60 available we weren't in
a great panic to get NZL82 in the water. "But she looks
very sharp."
Revolutionary
rig for Team New Zealand ?
(10/14/02) (source
: sailingworld.com)
There is no doubt that the Team New Zealand three-spreader
"millennium" rig was a strong contributor to its successful
defense of the America's Cup.
Now, Team NZ have a revolutionary design that is currently
in build at Southern Spars, the carbon-fiber mast making
division of the North Sails Group, that's a mega-advance
on the millennium rig.
Inside information from the spar-makers indicates that
a totally new, low drag rigging system has been developed
and that it will be used on one of the TNZ boats within
two weeks.
Game
is over for
NZL 60
(10/07/02) (source
: LV
Cup)
Team New Zealand will this week decommission NZL-60,
its champion yacht, which in March 2000 made history
on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf as the first non-US yacht
to successfully defend the America’s Cup.
And it did so in convincing fashion, beating the challenger,
Prada of Italy, in five straight wins. The black Kiwi
boat beat the sleek silver and maroon yacht from Italy
by an average winning margin of 1 minute 39 seconds.
NZL-60 and its sparring partner, NZL-57, were drawn
by Team New Zealand’s design team of Clay Oliver, Mike
Drummond and Laurie Davidson, with Tom Schnackenberg
coordinating the design programme.
After its overwhelming dominance in the 2000 series,
the much-admired NZL-60 became the benchmark in the
America’s Cup Class. Syndicates preparing for the 2002-2003
regatta knew that they had to find a starting point
ahead of the standard set by this yacht.
“You can even see elements of its pedigree in the current
fleet,” said Schnackenberg. “The bow shape for example
has, in some cases, been quite faithfully reproduced.”
NZL-82 is expected to make the journey from Cookson
Boatbuilders to the Team New Zealand base this week.
The team will then busy itself with commissioning its
newest boat, in preparation for a hectic summer of testing
and development for the America’s Cup showdown in February.
“Naturally, one feels quite sad to see NZL-60 going
into the shed now,” said Schnackenberg. “But, that is
a sadness tempered by excitement. We are fickle. It
won’t be very long before we are focused on NZL-82.
We are very excited about that.”
TNZ
concentrated on their own performance
(10/03/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
Team New Zealand will, naturally, be keeping an
eye on the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger races, but the
rest of their attention will be concentrated on improving
their own performance.
What they could learn from the challenger series was
limited, said Tom Schnackenberg, Team New Zealand head
and design co-ordinator. But they were still keeping
"one eye on the challengers, just like a dog that never
sleeps."
Watching their rivals racing was not particularly scientific
and Team New Zealand could not even work out how fast
the challengers were going.
"You don't really know what's going on aboard the boat,
except for what comes through on television," Schnackenberg
said. "You don't actually know how much breeze they've
got. It's such a particular thing, we have enough trouble
between our two yachts when they're 50m apart".
What Team New Zealand would watch for among the challengers
would be little hints about all aspects of the teams'
performances, such as sail handling, manoeuvring, starting
techniques, and strengths and weaknesses of the boats,
he said.
And by looking at such things as sail size, it could
be possible to estimate performance differences between
yachts under certain weather conditions.
The team were now racing their new yacht, NZL 81, against
the 2000 cup winner, NZL 60. When their second new boat,
NZL 82, was ready, probably late this month, it would
replace NZL 60.
Team
NZ holds Internet auctions
(09/20/02) (source
: CNN)
New Zealand's biggest-ever online auction, to raise
money for Team New Zealand, is now underway with the
first bid placed this morning by Prime Minister Helen
Clark.
Team NZ's Internet auction contrasts the differences
between its $30 million budget and other teams' war
chests with some syndicate having $85 million and upwards
at their disposal.
The Great Team New Zealand Auction was officially opened
at a launch function in Auckland where the Prime Minister
went on-line to bid for a unique black-hulled sail testing
model yacht, donated by Team New Zealand. But her offer
of $47 was quickly eclipsed as bidding reached $750.
Supporters rallied to help the team, which has held
the America's Cup since 1995, by donating an eclectic
array of products and services to be sold. Almost 1500
items are up for auction, donated by individuals and
organisations around the country.
An Auckland cosmetic surgeon offered his skills and
New Zealand's national airline, Air New Zealand, offered
time in its 747 flight simulator. Premium French wines,
designer furniture and sport and movie memorabilia were
also offered.
The Great Team New Zealand Auction, which has raised
more than $100,000 on its first day, runs until Friday
October 18 2002.
America's
Cup Sucks Sponsor Dollars
(09/16/02) (source
: xtramsn.co.nz)
A sponsorship management firm claims the America's
Cup is sucking up the country's sponsorship dollars,
and other sports will have to work harder to get funding.
Raisin says the whole nation wants to be in on the Cup
action, meaning funds available for other other events
are very tight.
Managing director Charles Morley-Hall says the vast
majority of company marketing and sponsorship budgets
are going into the America's Cup which has built the
most fantastic following over the past decade or so.
But he says available sponsorship money is being depleted
not just through the yachts, but through related activities
such as booking a day on the water with clients.
He says other sports will have to be more creative in
what they are offering and look outside the normal top
of the line sponsors while the Cup is in New Zealand.
However, Mr Morley-Hall says one of the plusses is that
Auckland can expect a significant economic boost as
marketing funds are released into the economy over coming
months.
America's Cup police are warning Team
New Zealand fans to restrict shows of support to legal
activities.
A group called "Blackheart" has been set up claiming
it is fundraising for Team New Zealand.
However, there have been reports the organisation is
harassing other syndicates to protest the defection
of former Team New Zealand members including sailor
Russell Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth.
Blackheart spokesman Dave Walden believes there's a
danger the Cup could go offshore. He says that would
be at least partly because of the defection of key members
of the last defence to richer overseas syndicates.
Mr Walden says some of us have forgiven those who left
too quickly. He says it amazes him that defectors are
being applauded at public appearances up and down the
country, when their only reason for being here is to
take away the America's Cup.
Police say no formal investigation is underway but Inspector
Mark Hall says police have spoken with members of Blackheart
and have been assured the group's purpose is to fundraise
for Team New Zealand.
He urges fans to use common sense and to channel their
support in a lawful manner.
Dave Walden admits there will be a bit of ribbing of
the defectors on tee-shirts and bumper stickers.
Team New Zealand could be preparing for its last
shot at the America's Cup due to a lack of funds and
plans to bulldoze the event's Auckland base.
While wealthy benefactors have ploughed money into crews
challenging for the Auld Mug, Team NZ is reliant on
corporate sponsors and government cash to compete and
stage the event
Unless the title is successfully defended, there are
fears the nation will be unable to mount a fresh challenge
on foreign shores. "It would be more difficult for us
to challenge for the America's Cup overseas next time,"
said Team NZ spokesman Murray Taylor. "The costs would
be considerably more. I don't want to say we couldn't
do it but it would be extremely difficult."
Massive construction work on syndicates' row, established
as a base for teams since the 2000 event, will get under
way once racing is over. The 10 America's Cup teams
have signed leases until April next year after which
they must vacate the area, removing buildings and pontoons.
Work has already begun on a multiplex, squeezed between
current team bases, and construction of luxury apartments
will start after sites occupied by challengers from
Britain, Sweden, France and the US are cleared. Land
occupied by the remaining six teams will also be left
empty, with plans to include the area in redevelopment
of the waterfront.
Peter Kiely, America's Cup Village Ltd chairman, said
the future of team bases on land owned by the company
would not be decided until after the event. "We are
making contingency plans to develop other areas around
Wynyard Wharf or an extension beyond the existing Prada
base."
Auckland mayor John Banks said officials were reviewing
how the event could be staged around the harbour in
the coming years. "Just how we do that right at this
time has been left up in the air but one thing is for
sure we intend to make sure we have the ability to host
the cup again."
Team
NZ in rudder rumour
(09/09/02) (Source
: NZ
Herald)
The America's Cup defender has gone to great lengths,
even by cup standards, to hide the yacht's hull shape
and undersides since its official launch last week.
Speculation is mounting in Auckland that Team New Zealand
are set to use a boat with radical twin-rudder configurations.
The rudders would be placed at the stern and towards
the bow and would give the boat a tighter turning circle.
This would be a particular advantage in the pre-start,
the five minute period before the gun when the two boats
jockey for position at close quarters.
A yacht with two rudders, one aft and another near the
bow, would supposedly turn on a dime. The use of a bow
rudder or "canard" has been tried before but never with
complete success at Cup level.
Designers have toyed with that technology in previous
cup regattas - in 1992 and again in 2000 when the Swiss
yacht Fast 2000 had two keels, one acting as a rudder.
The Swiss yacht, bright yellow in colour, became the
famous lemon of the regatta. While it was reported to
have great straight-line speed, it lacked manoeuvrability
and its crew had trouble coping with its complex steering
system.
Team NZ have unsurprisingly refrained from comment on
design specifics.
