Speed the key as New Zealand, Italy race for America's Cup

[ASFN Admin]

Word around the docks in Auckland is that defender Team New Zealand has a faster boat than Italian challenger Luna Rossa in the 36th match for the America’s Cup. More than the prevailing wind on the Hauraki Gulf where the best-of-13 race series begins on Wednesday, the dockside whisper has been constant that Team New Zealand’s 75-foot (23-meter) monohull Te Rehutai has achieved extraordinary speeds in practice sails. When gossip on the dock suggested it might even have exceeded 60 knots (111kph, 69mph), Team New Zealand issued a denial of sorts: “Tell him, he’s dreaming.”

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