Team NZ's First Lady shrouded for modesty

By Suzanne McFadden

Team New Zealand's first boat to defend the America's Cup will make her first appearance next week - and she's bound to stop the traffic.

NZL57 will come out of the construction shed on Wednesday and travel to her new home, Team New Zealand's base in the cup village, for her finishing touches.

She will travel across water - but it will be over the Harbour Bridge on the back of a truck.

The new boat, the first of two for the defenders, has been under construction at Cookson Yachts, on the North Shore, for the last three months.

NZL57's first journey will take place around midday. Special dispensation was given for the boat to be carried down the Northern motorway.

But there will be little to see of the new yacht.

It will be heavily shrouded so as not to give any of her design secrets away.

Underneath the covers, NZL57 will be naked.

She has yet to be given a paint job - which is certain to be black - and her deck fittings will be put on at the base, ready for launch next month.

The second Team New Zealand yacht, NZL60, should be in the water by November.