America's Cup: American Magic's Patriot sees sunlight for the first time in Auckland
by Will Ricketson, American Magic 5 Oct 2020 13:01 AEDT
5 October 2020
The hangar doors finally open ahead of American Magic's AC75 Patriot in Auckland © Will Ricketson / American Magic
Patriot, the second AC75 built by New York Yacht Club American Magic, has been wheeled outside its hangar for the first time at the team's base in the Wynyard Quarter of Auckland.
The groundbreaking yacht will undergo a wide range of tests by the design and shore teams ahead of its future launch.
"This whole America's Cup cycle has been very unique in that we won't race another boat until December [at ACWS Auckland]," said helmsman Dean Barker.
"It's a completely new class and so there's many things we have to work on to be race-ready. We know we are up against three formidable teams, so it's going to be about doing everything as well as possible, and knowing that there are still plenty of gains on the table. We have to keep chipping away at those and hope we are as good as we can be by the time we start racing in January at the Prada Cup."