A surprise arrival at Auckland's Viaduct Basin is already turning heads and looks set to be a top onshore attraction in the build-up to the next America's Cup.
Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) has mounted Aotearoa, its victorious race boat in Bermuda, onto Team HQ at the Viaduct.
Aotearoa was dismantled and shipped home after ETNZ won the Auld Mug in 2017. It has been stored in two containers since then.
But with the launch of a new race boat looming for the next America's Cup in 2021 the team decided it was time to bring their old boat "back to life".
"It brought back a lot of feelings to everybody in the team as we brought it out and put it on the floor in all its little pieces and it all came together," says Andy Nottage, ETNZ Base Manager. "There's lot of affection for that boat, for sure."
Special brackets were fitted to hold the two tonne AL50 catamaran, that measures 15 metres in length, in place.
Heavy machinery delicately lifted Aotearoa onto its new home in the early hours of yesterday morning.
ETNZ compiled the above video of the operation.
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