All Cup challengers settled in at village

By Suzanne McFadden

The 'No Vacancy' sign was finally hung out at the America's Cup village last night - all 12 syndicates have now checked in.

Idaten and Asura, Nippon's sister boats, turned up earlier than expected at lunchtime yesterday and have followed the latest trend of challengers to leave their skirts off.

Last night, Young Australia's boat AUS29 checked into town, but it was uncertain where she would end up.

The old '95 boat which made the three-day trip from Sydney was expected to stay on the container ship overnight before being transported around to the village by what the Australians hope will be their home - the floating crane Hikinui.

Young Australia do not have a base, but they were still waiting yesterday for resource consent to park the crane inside the village walls, next to the Waitemata Plaza.

While they wait, the boat will park up at the entrance to the viaduct.

The Japanese boats had a hassle-free move in yesterday next door to Le Defi and Young America.

Like their French neighbours, they will leave their underwater appendages on show.

Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour said the boats had been uncovered for the last seven months at their Japanese base in Gamagori.

"Everyone will have very similar keels and appendages, so skirts are just a waste of time," he said.

"Two times before Nippon have gone to extraordinary lengths to cover their boats. Given the new restraints with reconnaissance, its fine for people to observe now, anyway."

The Japanese have appeared to take a very low profile approach in the build-up to the Louis Vuitton challenger series, with very little word of their progress filtering out of Gamagori.

"I guess we have been quite quiet to the rest of the world," Gilmour said. "But the enormous exposure we've had in Japan has been difficult.

"It takes me twice as long to do an interview because everything I say has to be translated." Gilmour only speaks Australian.

All of the Nippon team - bar the syndicate head Tatsumitsu Yamasaki - are in Auckland and have settled into their red and white base.

Gilmour, the world's No 1 skipper on the matchracing circuit, expects to have the boats out sailing by Monday.

Only three more boats are now expected in Auckland - Prada's second Luna Rossa yacht is due in next week, while Paul Cayard's No 2 AmericaOne boat and Team New Zealand's second Black Magic are still being built.