Yachting: Breezes on Team NZ's Santa list

By Suzanne McFadden

The maverick light breezes on the Hauraki Gulf are conspiring to flummox the home team in their build-up to the defence of the America's Cup.

While the challenger fleet have crept around the racecourse in the Louis Vuitton Cup for the last three days, the defenders, Team New Zealand, have had even less joy.

Both Black Magic boats were out of the water last week as the crew made some major changes to the masts and underwater appendages.

But they have not been able to do any decent testing with the new additions so far this week.

"We had one boat out today, but it's been very difficult to do anything," tactician Brad Butterworth said. "We tried to do a bit of racing but it was too tough.

"It would be really disappointing if the America's Cup was decided in conditions like this.

"But I don't think we'll start races in winds like that. The challengers have to now, because they've got to get through their races before Christmas."

So its pretty obvious what Team New Zealand would like for Christmas this year - "some nice sea-breeze days."

Last night Team New Zealand put a hi-tech new mast into one of the boats, in the hope that they will get to finally test it today. Butterworth was giving very little away about the new matt-black rig.

"It's something better than we've had before," he said.

"It will take a few weeks to see how it goes."

The New Zealanders plan to build another, $600,000 mast before the cup match in February, using the proceeds from red-sock sales.