Emirates Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup class racing yacht is en route to Bermuda.

The 35th America’s Cup challenger’s AC50 foiling catamaran was loaded into the belly of an Emirates SkyCargo 747 that departed from Auckland’s International Airport at the weekend.

“It really is a precise operation that the guys are running, but it was always going to be. We have had this plan in the pipeline for a good six months now, so at the end of the day it is just part of our process towards getting to Bermuda to bring the America’s Cup home to New Zealand,” Kevin Shoebridge, the Team New Zealand COO, explained.

“But the deployment is on and every day counts, so we need everything to go to plan so that we are back testing and sailing on the Great Sound in Bermuda in as little time as possible.”

Martin McElwee, the project manager, added: “We have our ACC race boat, two wing sails, a chase boat, daggerboards, gym equipment, electrics, hydraulics and a huge amount of supplementary equipment which equates to around 42 tonnes of cargo,” “All of a sudden we are on our way to Bermuda which is hugely exciting for everyone in the team, especially the three of us — Sean Regan, Chris Salthouse and myself that get to fly with the boat direct to Bermuda.”

Once on island, Team New Zealand will reassemble their racing yacht at their base, located in the heart of the America’s Cup race village at the Royal Naval Dockyard.