Yachting: New home for Auld Mug at squadron

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

By day, the America's Cup will be lowered from the heavens for all to see; by night, it will be hidden in the ceiling.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is today bringing the Auld Mug out of the closet - or at least the cup room - so it is more accessible to people.

A high-tech elevator will lower the world's oldest sports trophy from the ceiling to sit above the main room of the squadron.

At night, it will be hoisted back to the ceiling to be locked away in a high-security vault.

Since the hammer attack on the silver ewer four years ago, the cup and its bullet-proof case have been lugged up and down the stairs of the squadron every day to go on display in the special cup room.

But the squadron's general manager, Ken Pascoe, who is responsible for carrying the cup to and from its ground-floor vault, had had enough.

The club has paid for the sophisticated new system, but its cost is being kept under wraps. The cup will remain in the special plastic case made after it was bashed and will be unveiled in its new surroundings today when Team New Zealand launch their defence for 2003.

Team NZ will unveil their crew line-up, which includes some notable new signings in round-the-world helmsman Erle Williams and experienced Australian weatherman Roger "Clouds" Badham.

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