New Zealand

New Zealand (/njuːˈziːlənd/ new-ZEE-lənd, Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses – that of the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu – and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Somewhere between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand, and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.5 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant.

NZL 82

NZL 82 was a 2003-generation International America's Cup Class racing yacht. Raced by defenders Team New Zealand in the 2003 America's Cup match, she was defeated 5–0 by challenger Alinghi (SUI 64).

Design

After the successful 2000 defence in Auckland, many senior Team New Zealand members were lured to richer syndicates and their challenges for the 2003 America's Cup. Most notable among these departures were those of Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth to Swiss challengers Alinghi. These departures resulted in a lack of senior leadership at Team New Zealand, which along with a relative lack of funds, caused the team to resort to radical design innovations in an attempt to defend the cup with raw boat speed alone.

NZL 82 was notable for her design innovations. The most controversial of these was the so-called "HULA" (Hull Appendage) – a flat appendage attached to the afterbody of the hull designed to increase waterline length (and therefore speed) without increasing the overall length of the boat. Another radical innovation was the keel bulb, which at approximately 7 metres (23 ft) in length, was over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) longer than its competitors of the time.

NZL 32

NZL 32, or Black Magic, is an International Americas Cup Class yacht that won the 1995 America's Cup. She beat the American defender Young America in a 5–0 victory off San Diego, California.

Design

NZL 32 was, in many ways, the complete opposite of her predecessor NZL 20 which contested the 1992 edition of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Instead of being the brainchild of one man (in the case of NZL 20, Bruce Farr) she was designed by a team of Tom Schnackenberg, Doug Peterson, Laurie Davidson, David Egan, Peter Jackson, Maury Leyland, David Alan-Williams, Anthony Lehmann, Richard Karn, Wayne Smith, Mike Drumond, Chris Mitchell and Neil Wilkinson. The idea was to produce a yacht that suited the crew, catering to their specific wants and needs. NZL 32 was built of carbon fibre by the McMullen & Wing yard, Auckland, in 1994.

Her sister yacht, NZL 38, or Black Magic II, was used in the initial stages of the Louis Vuitton Cup in San Diego winning all but one race. However, Team New Zealand believed NZL 32 to be faster than NZL 38 and so retired her early, before the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. NZL 38 became a trial horse for Team New Zealand's 2000 defence of the America's Cup in Auckland, and was purchased for the 2003 Cup by the Swedish Victory Challenge. She was eventually renamed Cristina.