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They say no one has gone overboard yet.
This is Te Aihe, the foiled monohull of the New Zealand team, designed to be the fastest yacht of all time.
Even with the softest breeze, you wonder how it never happened. McRae says the g-forces he creates are “absolutely insane.”
This is the first time they have allowed someone who is not with the team on board. There aren’t too many yachts where you need a helmet, safety vest and goggles and you are forced to sign a safety waiver, but the AC75 is one of them.
Team boss Grant Dalton does his best to reassure McRae.
“Being a monohull, it can’t tilt with the pole, so it can stick its nose in but it can’t tip over,” he says.
“If they’re trapped for any reason, they have air, knives to cut themselves, and also just training.”
Then what could go wrong? But in fact, the first thing you notice once on board is that, despite the noise and speed, everyone is calm. The team knows their roles from the inside out.
“These guys are like a Formula 1 pit crew, but instead of being in the pits, they are on board,” says McRae.
The second thing is how smooth the ride is. It’s a calm day, only 7 knots of breeze, right on the low end for racing.
But the conversion rate is incredible. We were up and frustrated in an instant, making over 30 knots, that’s around 60 km / h.
The other three teams are very aware. They all have spy ships in the water.
There are many very complicated equipment in the booth that Newshub cannot film because it is sensitive intellectual property that is critical to the team’s success.
The New Zealand team say that five months before the Cup they are in a better place than they bargained for and COVID-19 has really helped them.
“We’ve had a really good winter, the new boat is doing great, there is a good vibe to the team, having the Olympics postponed has been a benefit,” says Dalton.
“Of course we have the most Olympians on the team than any other team, so it has helped our progress a lot.”
One thing is guaranteed: the races will be spectacular.
Check out the video above.
