Syndicate up with Alinghi and Oracle

By JULIE ASH

Grant Dalton believes the decision to start planning more than a year ago means his syndicate has not lost any time against its main rivals, Alinghi and Oracle.

"The design team is already at work and sailing team members have been competing in regattas all over the world," Dalton said.

"A number have Olympic campaigns, others are focused on the match racing circuit.

"In fact the team will have divided loyalties when the Finn class is sailed at the Athens Olympics. Dean Barker is representing New Zealand, Ben Ainslie is representing England and Kevin Hall the United States."

The syndicate's race yacht NZL82 returned to the Hauraki Gulf last week for the first time since the America's Cup.

The yacht, which broke down twice in five races during the last Cup, has been strengthened and will be put through a series of tests over the next month before it is shipped to Europe on July 7 in preparation for the first of the Cup class regattas which start in France in September.

"I would caution not to expect too much of us this year," Dalton said. "Bearing in mind that the guys are coming straight out of the Finn class.

"But it will give us a springboard for the future."

Dalton said Team NZ would sail in all the America's Cup lead-up regattas.

He said the first of their two new version five boats was scheduled to be launched by November next year.

Meanwhile, work will now begin on NZL82's sister yacht NZL81 and the former illbruck boat GER68, which arrives in Auckland next month.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup