The development of the new AC45 class reached another significant milestone in Auckland, New Zealand when four of the high-performance catamarans lined up for a sailing session in the Hauraki Gulf.

In a 10-15 knot breeze, the four yachts sped along at speeds reaching the mid-20 knot range, often within a couple of metres of each other. “What we learned today is that we made the right decision,” said ORACLE Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill, referring to the choice to switch to hardwing multihulls for the 34th America’s Cup.

Click on images above to see more. Plus, you can watch the video footage on Matthew Sheahan’s blog here.

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