FILE PHOTO: Sailing - America's Cup Preliminary Regatta - Barcelona, Spain - August 25, 2024 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team in action during the final race against Emirates Team New Zealand REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo
(Reuters) -New Zealand said its AC75 America's Cup boat had sustained damage while being craned out of the water in Barcelona and they will not be racing on Friday as they assess its full extent.
New Zealand said all team members were safe following Thursday's incident, which took place on the first day of the competition for the oldest international sporting trophy -- known as the 'Auld Mug' -- in the Spanish Mediterranean city.
"There was an issue with the lift and the boat landed heavily onto its supporting cradle," the team said in a statement, adding that after initial assessments they had decided not to sail on Friday.
The team secured the boat with a portable crane and said the full extent of the damage will be assessed overnight.
"These are the moments that can define an America's Cup campaign, and we have an amazing group of dedicated and talent people who will be working around the clock on getting the boat repaired," said New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton.
The America's Cup AC75 boats are craned ashore after racing and sit on huge cradles which keep their hulls supported and their huge foils and deep rudders protected. They are kept in huge hangar-like 'sheds' where engineers can work on them.
As defenders, New Zealand do not have to qualify for the head-to-head final but are nevertheless participating in the six boat round-robin series which will decide which of the five potential challengers faces them in October.
Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland and the United States have all entered crews hoping to become the challenger in their huge high-tech 'foiling' mono-hull boats, which 'fly' above the water on hydrofoils at speeds of more than 30 knots.
Before the crane incident, New Zealand beat Italy in a tightly fought race, while Britain scored a victory over the U.S. after their boat came off its foils before the start, leaving them with too much to do despite a strong recovery.
France beat the Swiss in their race, before Italy bounced back from their loss to Kiwis with a win over the French.
The 'double round-robin' series sees all the teams compete against each other twice and will decide which four teams go through to the semi-finals, which start in mid-September.
New Zealand won a preliminary regatta for the event last week, throwing down the gauntlet to their challengers.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
