Skirts Up.

In April anyway; whew that seems like a long way off, but I'm sure it'll be here before we know it. So Team New Zealand is headed back home to make their final revisions and come up with a boat to challenge with. I believe that Alinghi still has two boats left since they've been using their original boat from the last Cup in all the races so far. Syndicates get to make two boats in the span between the cup challenges and then on April 1st 2007, its skirts up baby. There's something very intriguing and nostolgic about unveiling what everyone brought to the table, and then racing them straight up no matter the differences. Granted, no one will be rolling in with a catamaran or a moth, but its still very open to innovation.

Yachting:Team New Zealand heading home - 09 Aug 2006 - Sport

Of course I can't think about the upcoming models without reflecting back about the fates of the now replaced champions. I've sailed on "Black Magic" and I just saw "Stars And Stripes" and "Abracadabra" moored up to similar tourist gigs. Very sad. I'm not really sure what kind of fate I do wish upon these vessels, probably not being sunk to the deep like Movistar. But there's something cheap about whoring them out in their old age.