New Zealand's Taihoro Back in Water After Crane Incident

Emirates Team New Zealand has successfully returned its yacht, Taihoro, to the water just two days after it was damaged during a crane incident at the America's Cup in Barcelona. The yacht fell approximately six meters onto its support cradle while being lifted out of the water, prompting a round-the-clock repair effort by the team's shore crew, who had to cut and replace a section of the hull. Although initially concerned that the damage could sideline the team throughout the early rounds, repairs were completed quickly, allowing them to participate in warm-up races. Team CEO Grant Dalton noted the impact sounded 'like a bomb went off,' but fortunately, the structural damage was manageable. The defending champions are guaranteed a spot in the finals scheduled for October, allowing them to focus on fine-tuning their performance during the round-robin phase. They missed only one day of racing, demonstrating resilience and efficiency in their recovery efforts.