After a last minute decision to fly the second of the two boats down to Auckland, the British have been busy preparing GBR 78 for her sailing trials. With just 10 days to go until the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series starts, the team is expected to take their newest boat sailing for the first time on Sunday 21 Sept, subject to the current weather abating. For the last few days (Fri and Sat) squally showers have swept across the Harauki Gulf and none of the teams have sailed.

Given the suggestion that there had been some disappointment with GBR 70 and the general excitement that is said to be surrounding GBR 78, it’ll be interesting to see just how many smiles there are once the crew return back to the dock.