America's Cup: Teams begin base construction
by Richard Gladwell 8 Jan 2020 00:43 NZDT
8 January 2020
INEOS Team UK foundations laid - America's Cup Construction - January 7, 2020 © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com
Progress continues to be on or slightly ahead of time and under budget for the America's Cup base construction in downtown Auckland.
At least two teams have begun construction of their bases in the lead up to the 2021 America's Cup.
On November 30, 2019, the largest new structure in the project, the Hobson Wharf extension, was handed over to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the team of the Challenger of Record.
Some work has now begun on foundations for the teams base. The berthing area for the teams chase boats, and AC75's appears to be complete.
On Wynyard Wharf the demolition of the silos is largely complete. The concrete platforms for INEOS Team UK and NYYC American Magic are complete and have been handed over. INEOS Team UK has started base construction.
The base allocated to Stars + Stripes Team USA is due for completion later in 2020.
The remaining base area on Wynyard Wharf not required for the 2021 America's Cup will be utilised in a public, Cup-related facility.
Three of the five bridges that will allow access by the teams to Wynyard Wharf for launching are under construction. The launch cranes will be located on Wynyard Wharf.
One of the significant parallel projects with the America's Cup base construction has been the extension and replacement of the Daldy Street stormwater outfall. The outfall will now be a large diameter HDPE pipe running approximately 500 metres along Wynyard Wharf and will still discharge into the harbour.
A later part of the stormwater network development will see the water filtered in some way before being discharged.
The Daldy Street outfall stormwater extension is expected to be completed by July 2020. The project will avoid having any stormwater discharged in the base or superyacht mooring areas.
Another parallel project is the development of a new superyacht servicing facility which will join land occupied by Orams Marine and other land known as Site 18, which included the old ETNZ base area in Beaumont Street.
The new facility is well advanced and is expected to be completed later this year, as will other construction in the Wynyard Quarter area for shops, offices and apartments.