America's Cup- Emirates Team NZ sailing in 35kt winds
by Richard Gladwell on 16 Oct 2012
Emirates Team NZ returns to Auckland, behind her chase boat, this afternoon after a five hour training session in winds gusting in excess of 35kts Richard Gladwell
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Emirates Team New Zealand completed a five hour sailing and testing session, apparently without mishap today in winds that gusted over 35kts.
It is their 12th day of sailing in the 30 days allowed until January 31st, 2013.
www.predictwind.com!Predictwind.com forecasted winds averaging 26kts at Bean Rock at the entrance to the Waitemata Harbour. The winds peaked at midday before easing. Real time observations in the area have the winds at 28kts, gusting 36kts.
The real time observation facility of www.predictwind.com!Predictwind.com showed stronger similar wind speeds and gusts off Tiritiri Island which is closer to the usual sailing area for the AC72. The SW breeze peaked at 40kts at Tiritiri and was averaging in excess of 35kts.
Winds tomorrow are expected to moderate to an average of 18kts.
Emirates Team New Zealand sailed on Thursday and Friday last week in a health onshore seabreeze, with a big sea state. Today's winds were offshore.
The team can sail two days per week right through to the end of January 2013, allowing for a reasonable Christmas break and still stay within her allowed sailing time allocation of 30 sailing days.
A second AC72 Challenger, Luna Rossa will be holding a media conference in Auckland next Thursday and launching their AC72 on Friday evening.
Their first sail is expected the following week, weather permitting.
It is not known if Emirates Team NZ's AC72 will compete in the 110nm Coastal Classic sprint race on Friday, starting from Auckland and heading to the Bay of Islands, expected to be sailed in extremely fast reaching conditions.
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