In a quiet boatyard in New Zeland a little bit of TeamOrigin takes shape

If or when TeamOrigin do make it to an America’s Cup Challenge, they won’t be held up waiting for their high speed support vessel. Here she is sitting in Salthouse Brothers in Greenhithe, Auckland, a 65ft catamaran with twin 570hp engines capable of driving her at 30 knots.

As Chris ‘Curly’ Salthouse said, the new Cup yachts are going to be travelling at around 20 knots and more at times, so team tenders carrying sails, sailing kit and other spares will need to be able to keep up. The vessel, which will feature a big fender and a weather station, has been designed by local man Chris Moores.

Mike Sanderson, TeamOrigin’s manager has asked Salthouse to complete the job and there’s another one being built for Emirates Team New Zealand. Mike had his own 37ft motor yacht, which he keeps in New Zealand, built by another of the Salthouse family boat builders.

The yacht alongside TeamOrigin’s tender is the 114-year-old Bailey and Lowe designed and built Viking. She is being completely restored by Salthouse, with Nick Peel masterminding the complex timberwork. Despite her age her kauri planking is in remarkably good condition. She’ll be rigged as a ketch and is one of a growing number of restoration projects underway in New Zealand.