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Excess Catamarans

America's Cup- AC72 deck and working layout revealed on video

by Richard Gladwell on 22 Jul 2012
Long lens at work again in the Viaduct Harbour as the Emirates Team NZ AC72 prepares to pass through the Viaduct Bridge in daylight. Richard Gladwell www.photosport.co.nz

Yesterday, Sail-World, along with a significant and cheering crowd, happened to catch Emirates Team NZ's new AC72 as she passed through the Viaduct Harbour bridge, and shot this video using an iPhone.

It shows the best view yet (and in daylight to boot) of the deck layout of the AC72, and how ETNZ have approached the issue of developing the winch-power necessary to sail the 72ft catamaran, providing a platform that can be crossed at pace during tacks and gybes, and the structural layout of the beams and supporting structure.

Also in play are the RIB tugs developed to assist with the docking and extracting of the AC72 from the Viaduct harbour, with a fully rotational power unit underneath the tug, enabling them to push the AC72 sideways if required.



On an earlier visit, the AC72 was pushed sideways through the raised Viaduct bridge - a very difficult and tricky manoevre, with not a lot of room to spare or margin for error in the swirling winds of the Viaduct.

In a a three minute clip from a ten minute interview with noted international commentator, Peter Montgomery, conducted over 12 months ago, Emirates Team NZ MD Grant Dalton walks us through the commitment of their sponsors who have been supporting the team for many years - 20yrs in the case of Toyota.

Apologies for the quality and lack of zoom, this video was shot on a hand-held iPhone4S, however others were there, now becoming familiar faces - not from the media, with their long lenses....
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