SAIL NZ Partners With Emirates Team New Zealand

SAIL NZ Partners With Emirates Team New Zealand

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Match racing in America's Cup class yachts on the Waitemata Harbour has become a whole lot more realistic this summer.

With images of the titanic battles in Valencia this year still fresh, SAIL NZ's two Cup yachts NZL 40 and NZL 41 have been dressed in Emirates Team New Zealand livery.

With the "makeover" completed the two yachts are being mistaken for the team's current AC class yachts, NZL 92 and NZL 84.

SAIL NZ has signed as a supplier to the team and will provide a match racing experience for sponsors and suppliers over the summer months.

On top of their duties for Emirates Team New Zealand, SAIL NZ's normal schedule of trips and charters for the domestic, tourism and corporate markets will continue as before with the additional excitement of being an even closer experience to actually racing in the America's Cup.

Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said the agreement with SAIL NZ will help the team fulfill its obligations to sponsors and suppliers. "We need to be able to take people sailing. There's unlikely to be much team sailing for some months so having access to SAIL NZ's yachts is the obvious solution".

"We will host our people at the base and then take them sailing, just as we have in the past. The big difference will be the lack of distractions the yachts will be match racing rather than taking part in the team's testing programme."

"Sail NZ has operated the yachts on Auckland Harbour for 7 years. They are a great attraction for visitors and we are really pleased to be able to incorporate them into the team's activities," Dalton said.

The Yachts with their familiar Emirates Team NZ branding have created much discussion looking like the real team training on Auckland Harbour. The public have reacted positively to the branding, creating even more of a draw card and excitement in the Viaduct Harbour.

ENDS

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