"I tell people that if they were expecting to just sit back and drink gin and tonics, they’re on the wrong boat."
Conor Kissane
The America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats, incredibly powerful, yet still delicate, are unmatched by any other in the sailing world. Under normal circumstances, only the best sailors in the world have the privilege to stand at the helm of one. But there is one exception. The ACC Experience, where even the novice seafarer gets a chance to get on board an authentic ACC boat. Better yet, guests on board the ACC Experience aren’t just going to sit and watch while someone else has all the fun.
¨I tell people that if they were expecting to just sit back and drink gin and tonics, they’re on the wrong boat.¨ said Conor Kissane, one of the boat’s 4 full time crew members there to help you learn the ropes.
After a quick introduction and once everyone is warmed up, visitors can jump into one of many jobs on an ACC boat, depending on previous experience and comfort level.
¨People don’t realize how much work it is,¨ said Kissane. The ACC Experience gives people a chance to see what makes the best sailors in the world sweat, and why they keep going back for more.
Sailors can grind winches and raise sails onboard a boat that has seen its share of America’s Cup battles in waters all around the world. This yacht’s story begins in 2000 off the coast of Japan in the gulf of Hauraki, as a Nippon challenge boat when her name was still JPN-52. After 8 victories in 10 regattas she made it all the way to Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals in 2001 before finally being beat out. But one fight was not enough and the JPN-52 sailed again for the British as GBR-52 in 2003. With the exception of a small engine and slightly smaller sails, the boat is completely original, exactly as it was for its racing days.
With only 97 of them being built to date, the chance to stand at one at the bow of one of these elegant 79 foot long sailboats is rare. To have the ACC Experience you can book online, by phone, or in person. Details can be found here: America’s Cup Class Experience Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/www/admin4.iomedia.ch/web/clients/32nd_ac/www.americascup.com/en/.dyncontent/35/features_mag_cat.xsl/detail_1258_25921.php on line 109
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