Even though the wind didn't really like it yesterday because of the rain on the Hauraki Gulf, the sailors were never allowed to let their new AC72 cat off the chain. Under the watchful eyes of the engineers, the loads were only slowly increased before being sent to the 1200 hp tender for monitoring and recording via telemetry. If the monster with its 40 metre high wing mast sailed on a hull, it did so only briefly. Of course, this came as no surprise, as the New Zealanders did not want to let the spies from Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa, who were following behind in the dinghy, look into their cards. Team boss Grant Dalton was satisfied. "We know more now than we did in the morning, and that's why we're testing," he said afterwards.
"That's when science met real life," said skipper Dean Barker after the trip. "We first have to learn to assess the loads in light and medium winds," Barker continued. "When the wind picks up, so does the adrenaline level."
It was the first of 30 sailing days that are permitted with the AC72 from 1 July 2012 to 31 January 2013 according to the regulations. If a second boat is built, it may be launched on 1 February 2013 at the earliest and may only be sailed for a maximum of 45 days up to the deadline of 1 May 2013. The qualifying races for the Louis Vuitton Cup in San Francisco will take place from 4 July to 1 September 2013. The final of the 34th America's Cup will take place from 7 to 22 September.
