More than 700 family and friends lined the wharf to greet the 175 crew members in scenes of utter jubilation.
The woman claimed a senior officer drugged and sexually assaulted her while she was on an exchange with the NZ Royal Navy.
"I woke up naked, covered in vomit, semen and urine."
The lawyer said that having two allegations from different women about the same night was coincidental, and both women instigated the encounters.
The 27-year-old man has interim name suppression for his trial in Auckland.
"Some of these sailors have been away for 18 months - that's a really long time."
