Yacht's bad luck a good omen

By Suzanne McFadden

As entries go, it was a terrible mess. But there was still something to smile at when NZL57 - one of the yachts bred to retain the America's Cup - took its first tentative steps into the wide world yesterday.

Four hours after being loaded on to a big rig in Glenfield, NZL57 finally arrived at the Team New Zealand base in the cup village, just 7km away.

In between, the yacht became stuck in mud, was almost banned from crossing the Harbour Bridge and then jammed in a tree.

Yet the Team New Zealand guys were laughing.

Bad luck, they say, is a good omen for Team New Zealand boats. They remembered a similar start to the life of NZL32 before the 1995 cup when Black Magic I fell off its truck and into the mud as it came out of the builder's yard.

But the shaky beginning did no harm: NZL32 went on to win the cup.

NZL57 made its first appearance outside the Cookson boatyard yesterday morning, swathed in black shrinkwrap, its hull shape disguised beneath steel frames.

The drama began when the truck carrying the 47.5-tonne boat sank into mud outside the yard - and was freed only when, an hour later, another truck joined the mission.

Then, another dilemma - getting the load over the bridge before barriers shifted for rush-hour traffic. Five minutes from deadline, the convoy was pulled over by police and told the load was too heavy.

But the police waved the procession through, with a warning that the trucking company could face a hefty fine for an overweight load.

The trip over the bridge went smoothly, but then more strife: the hull became jammed in the branches of a tree when the boat reached the American Express NZ Cup Village.

Things were quickly untangled, but there was no time for celebrations as NZL57 - none the worse for wear - settled into the privacy of its new home.

Today, work starts on attaching appendages and deck gear, ready for the launch early next month. By November, the yacht will be joined by NZL60, which is still upside down in the builder's shed.

Despite the rough start, Team New Zealand were excited with their new star. As trimmer Simon Daubney put it: "Look at her - she's like a champion racehorse. We're struggling to get her into the starting barrier, she's frothing at the mouth, but she's rarin' to go."