Look but don’t touch
High-tech security puts to bed ghost of sledgehammer attack on trophy.
Like a scene out of James Bond, minus the martinis, the America’s Cup is being secured by sensors, alarms, cameras and cordons at its new home.
Look but don’t touch will be the motto for members of the public expected to turn out in their droves to see the Auld Mug at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) in Westhaven, Auckland.
RNZYS general manager Hayden Porter was tight-lipped about specifics of security details but said the state-of-the-art system was “much more advanced” than when the club last held the Cup between 1995 and 2003.
“We are taking the role of custodian much more seriously,” he said.
“It’s the oldest sporting trophy in the world so that comes with quite a bit of responsibility to ensure that it continues its reign for many years to come.
“[The Cup] certainly has several layers of protection against someone attempting to damage it,” he said.
Security has been top priority since Maori activist Ben Nathan walked into RNZYS and took to the sailing trophy with a sledgehammer in 1997.
The Auld Mug is perched in a purpose-built cabinet, surrounded by barriers and out of public reach.
If a member of the public crosses the barrier, a cautionary alarm will sound warning them to step back. Failure to do so would activate a second alarm that directly alerts police.
“If [someone] were to touch the cabinet for instance, a number of alarms would be activated,” Porter said.
He said the alarms would sound before someone got close enough to even lift the Cup.
Porter said there had been a lot of interest in the Cup from across the country.
Public viewings are on Saturdays and Sundays between 2pm and 4pm, by appointment only.
A possible tour of the regions could affect this schedule.
[The Cup] certainly has several layers of protection.