The first sea trials
onboard Boat 2

Auckland, 18 November 2020 - About a month has passed since the launch of Boat 2, and training on the water is at full regime. With the first regattas approaching in December, every hour is invaluable to gain information on the new boat and on the Hauraki Gulf racecourses.Gilberto Nobili gives his take on the situation.

What are your impressions following the first two weeks of training on the water?
During these past two weeks we have used every possible day to go out on Boat 2. Already from the second day of sea trials we were able to sail for several hours.
Clearly, as it is a new boat, we are still "fine tuning", setting, and calibrating the systems. Also, although our two boats are very similar to each other, the crew needed time to adapt after about two months since their last training session in Cagliari.

Is there much difference between the weather conditions in Cagliari and those in Auckland?
We are familiarizing with the conditions of the Hauraki Gulf that are slightly different from those in Cagliari. The local orography determines the wind conditions that are more variable and unstable.

Have you had the opportunity to observe your opponents? What are your impressions?
The thing that amazes me most is seeing boats that are so different but that in fact appear to have similar performances. Each team has launched a second boat very recently, but we don’t all have the same amount of time spent on the water so it’s soon to make assessments. Also, an important consideration is that no one has yet put their newest set of foils in the water. Not all cards have been revealed and the Defender has yet to launch its second boat. I am sure that they too will come up with some brilliant ideas.