Eighteen months out from the next America’s Cup, Team New Zealand are in the critical phase of finalising the hull design for their new AC75.
This campaign, teams are only permitted to build one boat from scratch, meaning time on the water in their old vessel is key to retaining or winning the Auld Mug.
Team New Zealand's America's Cup campaign is full speed ahead. The team has spent weeks modifying the old Te Rehutai boat to better fit the new class rule.
"There's a change to the weight, there's a change to the onboard systems, how we use the hydraulics, the bikes," chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge told Newshub.
"There's a lot of complicated things on there, which it's nice to iron out at this early stage, so when we do launch the race boat we're confident everything is going to work."
And with a lot of the testing confidential, it's not often they allow non-team members on board the boat.
Earlier in the day the team offered Newshub some advice.
"Hang on, basically," said Shoebridge.
"Obviously chasing the very bottom end of the wind strength so yeah just enjoy the ride," added skipper Peter Burling.
Despite the noise and sheer speed, there's a calmness on board and it makes for a relatively smooth ride.
Newshub had to be careful about what was allowed to be filmed, because a lot of what is onboard the boat is top secret to Team NZ.
The team are currently utilising their last couple of weeks on the Waitemata Harbour, before the boat is shipped off to Barcelona in preparation for preliminary racing.
"This period has been incredibly valuable," added Burling. "We've probably learned quite a bit more out of it than we thought we would at the beginning of it."
