NZL-92 arrives at Emirates Team New Zealand base in Auckland

[Text and Image Source: Emirates Team New Zealand] Emirates Team New Zealand has taken delivery of its second new America’s Cup yacht.

NZL 92 arrived at the team’s Viaduct Harbour, Auckland, base before daybreak today after an unannounced journey over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is now in the boatshed being prepared for launch later this month.

Appendages, hydraulic and electronic systems and deck hardware will be fitted over the next couple of weeks. NZL 84, which the team campaigned in Valencia this year, recently arrived back in Auckland and modifications will begin soon.

Grant Dalton said: “We have just over six months to perfect the boat and team package before the start of the Louis Vuitton challenger series in Valencia. There’s no time now for second thoughts, no going back to the drawing board.

“The team has come a long way since June 2004 when we announced that the challenge would go ahead but there’s still a lot of work to do by April 16 when the series starts.

“We intend to do exhaustive reliability trials on NZL 92 and 84 through November then both yachts will be back on a Maersk containership by Christmas, bound for Valencia.”

For pictures of the arrival of NZL-92 at the Emirates Team NZ base click here.