AUCKLAND SPEED FREAK
Looking absolutely assured, Emirates Team New Zealand put in a solid, stable session out on the Hauraki Gulf and as the breeze and sea state increased, ‘Te Rehutai’ just got faster and faster. Dynamite sail control all the way up the mainsail leech with minimum traveller movement, tacks were slick and fast, gybes were accurate with the team testing through a variety of ride heights both in a straight-line and through manoeuvres.
Top speeds on the bear-aways in the afternoon were later confirmed as being in excess of 50 knots and the recon team caught up with Bobby Kleinschmidt, one of the Emirates Team New Zealand Naval Architects who was onboard today, just behind the helms, checking out foil immersion through the waves, cant angles, flap angles and cavitation points. For the Kiwis it’s all about sailing to the simulation targets and on this performance, they look to be hitting the high numbers. Certainly, no hint of doubt from the design team. Emirates Team New Zealand look very strong in every department.
Video: Bobby Kleinschmidt – Naval Architect.
Recon Unit On-Water Notes: Te Rehutai was out of the shed just after 8am and rigged and in the pen by 9am with the longer rudder fitted. At 10am she slipped her lines and was towed down the busy harbour to the south-west corner of Rangitoto arriving at 10.18am. She bent on what looked like the M2 and J2. Both being in their locks by 10.24am.
In 10-12 knots of cold south-westerly breeze, she got sailing at 10.36am, zig-zagging on port tack upwind to down before gybing for the North Shore of Rangitoto where she came to stop at 10.50am. The J2 came down at 11.10am and she sat head-to-wind with Chase 1 on her port side with 10-14 knots of south-west breeze, at 11.31am there was a 20 degree shift with an increase of pressure of about 5 knots, Chase 1 tried to compensate but Te Rehutai rolled away from the chase hitting her port foil arm on the underside of the chase boat.
Chase 1 moved off the yacht and the foil arm was inspected. At 11.43am the J5 was hoisted in 18-22 knots of south-westerly breeze and she was sailing again at 11.49am ripping upwind and then down around a virtual course of about 5 nautical miles. After 2 laps she came to a stop off Thornes Bay at 12.18am. The yacht did three more 20–25-minute sailing sessions around a slightly shorter course, in the second session here she did some straight lining with big ride height changes.
At 13.40 Te Rehutai came to a stop just north-west of #7 Buoy and dropped her sails for the tow home. At 14.20pm she was alongside.
Onboard today:
Helms: Nathan Outteridge / Pete Burling
Trimmers: Andy Maloney / Blair Tuke / Josh Junior
Power Group: Simon van Velthooven / Marius van der Pol / Louis Sinclair / Louis Crosby / Hamish Bond / Marcus Hansen / Sam Meech
Sails Used:
Mainsail M2: 3 hours 18 minutes
J2: 44 minutes
J5: 2 hours 55 minutes
Manoeuvres:
Total Tacks: 28 – 28 foil-to-foil.
Total Gybes: 25 – 23 foil-to-foil, 1 touch & go, 1 touchdown.
Take-off: 90° TWA (True Wind Angle) Speed not recorded
Conditions:
Weather AM: SW 8-15 knots Fine but cold, 15°c.
Weather PM: SW 15-23 Knots 30 % cloud cover 18°c.
Sea-state: Flat water/ Moderate
Dock Out: 1000 Dock In: 1420