Yachting: Next Cup black boats ahoy

The first 2007 generation black boat is now being built at Cookson's boatyard in Auckland.

Team New Zealand will build two boats for the 2007 America's Cup, the first of which will be launched early next year. By then teams are allowed to skirt their boats, hiding their shape and appendages.

Cookson's have an association with Team New Zealand which dates back to 1992, when they managed the appendage programme for the New Zealand Challenge. They built Cup winner NZL60 and sister yacht NZL57, and the yachts used in the 2003 defence, NZL81 and 82.

While their yacht is under construction, Emirates-sponsored Team New Zealand will head to Europe for pre-Cup regattas in Sweden (Malmo) and Sicily (Trapani).

Team managing director Grant Dalton said nothing that happened in Sweden and Sicily would change the new boat. "The hull shape is set in stone."

They would, however, be testing the sails, rig and appendages.

Dalton said they had squeezed as much speed as they could out of NZL82, the yacht which broke down twice in five races during the last defence in 2003.