American Magic is 1st Cup challenger to sail in New Zealand

New York Yacht Club’s American Magic has become first challenger to sail on New Zealand waters where America’s Cup will be contested next year.

American Magic sailed its foiling 75-foot mohull Defiant for nearly seven hours on Waitemata Harbor on Monday New Zealand time (Sunday in United States). It was first time crew sailed boat since March 3 in Pensacola, Florida.

“We h a great day. It was nice to go sailing,” skipper and executive director Terry Hutchinson said in a phone interview from Auckland. “I’ve got complaints. It was really good.”

Like pretty much every or sport, buildup to 36th America’s Cup has been disrupted by coronavirus. Defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand and three challengers were set to sail ir rical sloops for first time in two America’s Cup World Series preliminary regattas in Italy and England during spring, but y were canceled due to pandemic.

American Magic h been within days of shipping Defiant to Europe before regattas were canceled. While it didn’t sail boat again in Florida, team was able to make improvements to yacht before shipping it to New Zealand. It arrived late last month.

crew — including helmsman Dean Barker, an Auckland native — arrived in sts, and went through mandatory quarantine.

“It’s been almost five months, but we met our objective,” Hutchinson said. “We met our timelines. It’s nice to have this part of program behind us.

“From team perspective, it’s great to see team execute on a really hard plan,” he ded. “We’re still constructing our base here, and all se little milestones are a measure of team’s progress. It’s great to see team on and off water get things done. It’s great to see sailing operation up and running.”

Hutchinson said crew tested some new sails and some new systems, “all of which take time. Once we were able to do that, it was free sailing with testing or anything except to go out and let it rip and get back into it. It was 10 to 13 kts, just really nice conditions. In that regard, it was really good.”

or two challengers, INEOS Team UK and Italy’s Luna Rossa Pra Pirelli Team, are scheduled to relocate to Auckland later this summer.

American Magic’s second boat, which is under construction in Rhode Island, is scheduled to be flown to Auckland in September.

A final ACWS regatta is scheduled for Auckland just before Christmas. Pra Cup for challengers is scheduled for Jan. 15-22, with winner to meet Team New Zealand in America’s Cup match March 6-21.

Hutchinson said Defiant will be back on water Tuesday New Zealand time.

America’s Cup is alrey a tough competition, and Hutchinson said American Magic has responded well to many challenges brought about by pandemic.

“It’s what we have to do if we want to win America’s Cup,” he said.