Swiss will Be Happy at progress

Be Happy, the Swiss America's Cup boat that almost never was, has made its first public appearance - stripped right down.

The bare hull of SUI59 came out of the mould in Geneva this week, and was taken by truck to the yard where a deck will be fitted this weekend.

The boat will be turned upside down and painted next week.

At one stage, construction on Be Happy was spasmodic as the Fast2000 syndicate struggled to find enough money to pay its bills and continue.

But syndicate spokesman Hans Bernhard said things were now "proceeding at full speed and according to the programme."

Unlike other new challenger yachts which will be shipped to Auckland, Be Happy will make the trip by plane, leaving on September 9.

The challenger yachts have to be in Auckland by September 18 to be officially measured.

The Louis Vuitton challenger series starts in October.