Fingers crossed for a wonderful boat

By Suzanne McFadden

Superstition will have a lot to do with the christening of Team New Zealand's first new boat, NZL57.

Pippa, Lady Blake, will break a bottle of the sponsor's product over the bow of the black yacht next Thursday - a special day for Sir Peter Blake.

"Pippa has christened a few winning boats," he said.

"She christened Steinlager I, and Mike Quilter and I took off in that boat in the Round Australia race on 8-8-88. This boat will be christened on 9-9-99."

Sir Peter, who never went a day without his red socks in the 1995 cup campaign, says it is another superstition of his to use a bottle of Steinlager instead of champagne.

"Sailors are superstitious people - maybe not on land, but definitely at sea. When the wind dies, you whistle and scratch the boom. You certainly don't go to sea on a Friday for a long journey.

"That's why I don't like to alter anything too much. If it was a good thing then, it should be a good thing now."

Which is why the new generation of Team New Zealand boats will again be black.

"The colour is the same, but people will still notice a change."

The name of the boat will also be unveiled at the late afternoon event.

The christening will take place in the cup village, but not on the Team New Zealand base.

"We want the public to have a first-class view," Sir Peter said. "I think you will be surprised by what you see.

"This is the start of the final phase of the operation. This is where we get to see the result of the last three-and-a-half years of designing and tank testing, thinking and chatting, crew training and trialling.

"This is going to be a wonderful boat."