Team New Zealand launch new boat

7.30pm - By JULIE ASH and HELEN TUNNAH

Black Magic she may be, but tonight Team New Zealand kept its secrets closely guarded with the launch of their new boat.

Shrouded from her deck down, and sporting an old rig, there was little to see of the boat as the America's Cup defenders took extraordinary measures to protect their secrets from prying eyes.

And designer Clay Oliver admitted the skirts would be staying on if NZL81 heads to the Hauraki Gulf tomorrow for her first sail.

Lady Pippa Blake, widow of murdered former syndicate head Sir Peter Blake, tonight officially christened the first of Team NZ's two boats "New Zealand".

"I name this boat New Zealand," Lady Pippa said.

"May God bless her and all who sail on her."

But even she had no idea what was under the bow to stern-length skirts.

Although most syndicates now hide their boats under skirts as they lift them in and out of the water, Team NZ's decision to keep their boats hidden on the tow out to the Gulf, dropping them only for actual sailing, is an extreme measure.

Oliver said Team NZ had no choice but to be wary of spies.

"There are two sides to it," he told the Herald.

"We can say there is something specifically to conceal...or there may be nothing to conceal, it is a mystery. We'll just let that mystery float."

Oliver, who would only reveal that NZL81 was black, said protecting the boat from the prying eyes of the nine challenging syndicates had to be a priority.

"This particular time we are running with a lot of secrecy and that is really going to be the theme with Team New Zealand.

"We've got a big responsibility to the country and we have got a lot of good ideas. We are going to try and keep those protected as long as we can.

"The spying this time I would say is worse than ever. The stakes are higher and because of that people are doing more accurate intelligence gathering.

"So we look at it as a responsibility to protect the ideas that we have."

Under America's Cup rules other syndicates are not allowed within 250 metres of the black boats when they are training, and cannot shadow them. Photographs can be taken, but not from the air.

Music legend Dave Dobbyn entertained the crowd who had turned up to get their first glimpse of the boat, performing his hit song "Loyal" which will be Team New Zealand's catchcry over summer.

The defenders intend emphasising the loyalty of crew who shunned big-money offers to join foreign syndicates after the 2000 Cup win, and Oliver, one of those who stayed, admitted it was "exciting" to see NZL81 launched after the ups and downs of the past two years.

Oliver said although everyone was keen to get the boat out onto the Hauraki Gulf, if the high winds persist, the team will have to wait just a little longer for their first sail.

"We've waited this long already, another day won't matter."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

Peter Blake, 1948-2001