Team New Zealand's build of its first foiling monohull for the 2021 America's Cup is underway, according to Duncan Johnstone of STUFF. Team NZ Head of Design Dan Bernasconi "confirmed there was progress being made" on the 75-foot "monster" that cannot be launched before the end of next March under Cup rules. The team is "forging ahead" with its design and build "without having a scaled down test boat on the water" like Team INEOS UK and the New York Yacht Club's American Magic syndicate. Bernasconi said, "We are underway with the build. ... It's exciting to see the first hull come together." Team NZ and telecom Spark "explained the big benefits the looming 5G network would bring" to the defense of the America's Cup in Auckland. He said that "they had taken huge interest in the launch of the two test boats by their rivals but had confidence in their own alternative plans." Team NZ believes the 5G network to be introduced next year, which will be 10 times faster than the current 4G network, will give it "significant gains in the boat development" (STUFF, 11/19).
