America's Cup Rialto: Oct 7 - Kiwis cut a lonely sight on Waitemata
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 7 Oct 2020 05:19 PDT
8 October 2020
Te Aihe - Emirates Team New Zealand - October 7, 2020 - Waitemata Harbour © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com
Emirates Team New Zealand cut a lonely sight on the Waitemata as the team experienced sailing conditions that nudged the upper end of the America's Cup wind limits.
Auckland threw its winter switch today with cold SW winds averaging at 20kts or more and gusting to 30kts in the mid-afternoon, just after ETNZ docked back at her base.
Te Aihe trained in the Course D area, between Bean Rock and Motuihe Island, for a four hour session that appeared to be focussed on speed testing with runs from west to east.
Again for the third day, they had jib halyard/lock issues necessitating sending a crew member up the mast to the forestay attachment and halyard exit point.
There was no sign of any of the three Challengers, with American Magic's Patriot - their second AC75 and likely raceboat - remaining in the hangar for the day.
The other two Challengers - Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and the British INEOS Team UK are only recently arrived and are not expected to be sailing until the end of the month.
The wind forecast is for lighter breezes on Thursday, freshening on Friday (likely to be unsailable) and then still at the top end of the scale on Saturday and Sunday.