Team NZ gets the breeze up

A new wind tunnel aimed at boosting New Zealand's America's Cup yachting efforts will also improve the country's cyclists and skiers.

Launched by Research, Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson yesterday, the twisted flow wind tunnel was designed by the University of Auckland's Yacht Research Unit, which also created its predecessor in 1994.

The earlier model was used to help develop Team New Zealand's winning formula in the 1995 and 2000 America's Cup campaigns.

Professor Richard Flay said the new tunnel, which was housed in a Mt Wellington warehouse, was bigger than its predecessor. The walls could be moved to adjust the width, which allowed for a smaller outlet and more speed.

"That's pretty good for testing wind turbines and Olympic cyclists," he said.

The tunnel, which is made out of wood and has two fans at either end, could also be used to test wind force on small aircraft, model buildings and skiers.

"The fans blow air over a model and then we measure the forces or pressures on the model," he said.

His colleague Professor Peter Jackson said the tunnel provided an economic advantage for sail designers because they could test out their ideas for "just a few hundred dollars."

"A full-size racing sail costs between $20,000 and $50,000 to build, plus then you have to tie up the whole syndicate for a day testing it."

Herald Online feature: America's Cup