The Emirates Team New Zealand unveils the boat with which it will compete in Barcelona

The 37th edition of the America's Cup is getting closer and closer. All the teams are accelerating their preparations, as detected by the successive arrival of the boats with which they will compete this year in Barcelona. In the case of the host, Emirates Team New Zealand, its vessel is still in its country and has just left its shipyard in Auckland. "The first time the boat sees the light of day is always a very important moment for any team," says Emirates Team New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Kevin Shoebridge.

After ten months of construction work, the new AC75 of the New Zealand team will now prepare for its launch and commissioning throughout this month. "Today is a proud day but we still have a mountain to climb," adds Shoebridge.

A crucial step that the Kiwis still have pending to face is their transfer to Barcelona, along with the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The boats of the other four teams that will participate in the competition have already arrived in the Catalan capital. The Swiss Alinghi Red Bull Racing has been the first of all to present its vessel. It did so at a private party last Friday, April 5, with a performance by La Fura dels Baus included. After the presentation of the BoatOne, built in Switzerland, the team is making the final preparations for the boat's christening and its first outing on the water.

In recent weeks, the other vessels have been arriving in the city, by road and by sea, but also by plane. This is the case of the AC75 of the American American Magic, which traveled inside an Antonov AN-124 aircraft, one of the largest cargo planes in the world. The boat went by road from its shipyard in Portsmouth to Providence airport, in Rhode Island, where its transatlantic flight took off for El Prat, "an important milestone," as American Magic points out.

The journey that the British INEOS Britannia team's vessel had to make was not easy either. From its base in Northamptonshire, it traveled by road to Portsmouth, where it took a ferry to Bilbao. Once in Spain, it returned to the road to reach the Catalan capital last weekend after a 1,600-kilometer route. "The arrival in Barcelona is a crucial moment after two and a half years of design, construction and outfitting in the United Kingdom," point out from INEOS Britannia, with a team of 100 designers and engineers.

Finally, the French Orient Express Racing Team, the last to sign up for the competition and working against the clock, only had to travel by road. Along national roads and crossing small towns, their AC75 traveled fitted into a truck for 1,400 kilometers over four days, escorted by two motorcycles and two cars.