Going overboard in cup planning

Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby admits to ‘‘plenty of hairy moments’’ - even losing helmsman Peter Burling overboard - as they push their new America’s Cup catamaran to the limit.

The Kiwi syndicate are in the final phase of testing in Auckland before transferring to Bermuda ahead of the opening races on May 27.

It’s been a hectic six weeks since launching their new AC50 and bedding in radical new systems.

Rewards don’t come without risks and given the G-forces involved, Burling found himself thrown off the back of the boat during one transition from hull to hull.

Thankfully it was the back of the boat and not the front, given the dangers of being exposed to knife-edge foils and rudders.

‘‘I’ve seen the Oracle guys go over the front beam a few times in manoeuvres, and that’s something we definitely don’t want to be doing,’’ Burling said, speaking of the dangers to his five other crew rather than himself.

‘‘Chances are they’re going to be hit by something and have a pretty serious injury. We’re definitely trying to negate those risks as much as we can. It’s definitely in the back of your mind that you’re responsible for that.’’

Importantly there was no panic on board without their key man at the wheel. The boat was slowed, Burling collected and returned, and training resumed - with a fair bit of ribbing, of course.

Ashby says there have been a few heart-in-mouth moments but that’s the price of development.

‘‘Every day you have a few of those moments where you think, ‘oooh we got away with that one’. It’s the quest of developing,’’ Ashby said, likening this America’s Cup to motorsport.

‘‘If it’s MotoGP or Formula One through that testing phase in the off season, that learning and development is where you have most of your thrills and spills.

‘‘When it comes race time, hopefully you are nice and smooth and know your settings really well. That’s definitely the programme at the moment.

‘‘When you are sailing in breeze we have to learn to sail the boat really hard and fast in those conditions. You are pushing to find where the edge of those limits are.

‘‘A few skids and a few wobbles is sort of par for the course.’’