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Fuente info AC34
China Team gets its wing
By Ivor Wilkins, AmericasCup.com // Apr. 22, 2011
As the ACEA and ACRM pre-season test events get underway this week one team expected to partake in the experimental racecourse is China Team.
The Cup returnees last week took possession of the wingsail for their AC45 catamaran and were busy learning how to apply the shrink wrap. The team also watched ORACLE Racing and Artemis Racing out training.
“These boats are pretty cool,” said China Team crewman Cheng Ying Kit. “The wingsail is new technology, which is exciting for us. The boats are really fast and look quite physical. I am looking forward to sailing them.”
Cheng Ying Kit started sailing in dinghies, progressed to 49er skiffs and then more recently has been sailing keelboats, primarily Farr 30s, 40s and TP52s. His multihull experience is with a Hobie 16, but he is looking forward to making the transition.
He was in Auckland with a multinational group of sailors including Australian legend Mitch Booth and his son Taylor Booth for initial trials and the start of a training program, which will see an increasing number of Chinese sailors brought on board. Mitch Booth is a two-time Olympic multihull medalist and 10-time world champion in Tornado, Hobie, A-Class and Formula 18 catamarans.
“At the moment we are starting to sail with a group of professional multihull sailors from the Extreme 40 circuit and the Olympics,” said Kit.
“We will start with a very strong team, which will teach us how to sail multihulls. First, though, we are getting our wing delivered and learning how to put it together and apply the film.
“It is important for us to learn how it all works because we will have to do all the maintenance. Our target is to have our boat ready for sailing [in the pre-season test event].”
