Te Kahu - first sail - Emirates Team New Zealand test AC75 - Waitemata Harbour - January 28, 2020 © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com
A moderate SW breeze prevailed for the sail, along Auckland's North Shore and with some runs into the inner Hauraki Gulf.
Te Kahu left her base in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour mid-afternoon after conducting foiling tests earlier in the day.
She started sailing just before 5.00pm and was foiling less than five minutes after casting off from her attendant chaseboat.
The 38ft monohull, a half size AC75, exhibited the characteristics of the bigger boat including the ability to splash-down - albeit it in less spectacular fashion. However for a first sail the AC75 development boat was very impressive.
Emirates Team New Zealand are expected to get into their development program using Te Kahu for several weeks, until the arrival of their AC75 in Cagliari, Sardinia venue for the first of the America's Cup World Series regattas in which three of the four challengers, plus Emirates Team New Zealand are expected to race their AC75's in a fleet racing format regatta.