The new crop of America’s Cup syndicates is upgrading facilites in Auckland before moving in later this year to begin training in earnest.

GBR Challenge have bagged a spot on the city side of TNZ’s own base but separated from it by a car park and a superyacht dock. The Brits are building a single ACC shed with a one-storey sail loft alongside.

Next door to GBR is the bare structure of the Swedish Victory syndicate. Although still building, this shed seems to be a single ACC boat facility with a sloping roof to one side that houses the sail loft.

Oracle Racing’s base is undergoing extension work and a new ACC boat shed is taking shape alongside their existing one. Prada, too, is extending. Their twin sheds have been joined by a large tented structure extending out towards the open mouth of Syndicate Row, as it has become known.

The most striking development is that of the Alinghi syndicate. Their facility, formerly two compounds – Le Defi and Nippon, is sandwiched between TNZ’s own and the One World Challenge.

The boatsheds are as wide as the compound itself and leave just a narrow path to connect the hardstanding out front with Halsey Street out back. The buildings themselves can accommodate two ACC boats and are scheduled for official opening in December.