Yachting: Team New Zealand facing first cup test

Team New Zealand will today get an indication whether they are heading in the right direction design-wise on the opening day of act four of the America's Cup in Valencia.

Emirates Team New Zealand, along with the 10 other challengers and defender Alinghi, will line up for a five-day match-racing regatta, competing twice a day on two courses.

The regattas are the first under the new scoring system. Points won in the acts will be converted into bonus points to carry through to the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup.

To compete in this year's acts [cup pre-regattas] teams had to comply with the new design specifications, the key elements being a reduction in the weight of the keel bulb and the introduction of new sails and rigs.

After NZL82 was badly damaged in a storm in France last year, it has perhaps undergone the biggest transformation of all the competing yachts, sporting a new bow and stern as well as new rigs, sails, keel and bulb.

How syndicates have approached the new design specifications, especially the changes to the rigs and sails, will be of special interest because most are about to start building their new boats.

Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said his syndicate are "very advanced" in the design of their 2007-generation yachts.

"We have pretty much designed the next boat and the engineers are working flat-stick now.

"The boat will start to be built in Auckland in a few months and go on the water early next year."

He said his team would use the two acts (a fleet-racing regatta follows the match-racing regatta) in Valencia to check that the changes they have made to NZL82 are the right ones.

With the regattas being sailed about the time of the year that the event will be staged in 2007, the conditions will also be of importance.

Although the team have been in Valencia for just the last week or so, the syndicate's weatherman, Roger Badham, has been based there for some time.

"We have certainly got a feel for it [the conditions], but only in terms of information for design," Dalton said.

"We are behind in terms of sailing at the venue. I knew we would be, but we wanted to stay in Auckland and keep the team settled."

2005 Acts

Act 4: June 16-22, Valencia, match-racing.

Act 5: June 24-26, Valencia, fleet-racing.

Act 6: August 25-31, Sweden, match-racing.

Act 7: September 2-4, Sweden, fleet-racing.

Act 8: September 29-Oct 5, Italy, match-racing.

Act 9: October 7-9, Italy, fleet-racing.