A ferry and yacht were holding their breath on Auckland's Waitematā Harbour when both got very close.
Video / Aleysha Knowles
Ferry passengers were holding their breath on Auckland's Waitematā Harbour when American Magic's AC75 America's Cup boat Defiant got very close yesterday.
The moment took place around 1.10pm on a ferry travelling to Waiheke Island from Auckland.
Dean Barker's team were testing their AC75 on what was a picture-perfect day in Auckland.
Aleysha Knowles was aboard the ferry, and watched the nerve-racking moment unfold. As the yacht edged closer and closer to the ferry, it was forced to veer off to its right.
"My boyfriend is a captain on a super yacht, so he was telling me that surely the ferry would slow down because of the maritime rule 'power gives way to sail', but he just didn't," she said.
As the yacht sailed by the ferry's captain said: "I've got to slow down … I don't know where that yacht's gone."
"You can hear the captain make his smart arse comment about the yacht," Knowles added.
Another yacht can be seen in the background of the video, which is thought to be a Team New Zealand boat.
The United States syndicate's Defiant tipped over earlier this month while training on the eastern side of Browns Island, reports Sail-World.
The boat quickly recovered with no apparent damage to continue sailing.
The incident showcased the safety features of the AC75, suggesting the boats will be able to be pushed to its limit and recover from any mishaps, unlike the AC50 and AC73 boats in the 34th and 35th America's Cups respectively.
Team New Zealand also capsized their AC75 Te Aihe back in December but were also able to quickly resume training.
