Across a mans life-span:
 Technology  and politics.

Great excitement and awe at the sight of the first AC72 at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour on Saturday evening.
A keen crowd gathered in an even keener chill wind to see `New Zealand` the first AC72 officially launched.
I had only public access, but was well positioned early, with a back up location scouted. An excited and informed crowd filled in behind me.
The huge cat sat weather cocked with its 40 metre wing mast/sail  feathering in the unusually cold north easterly.
The sound of its tell tails slapping against the taught fabric of its power plant, crisp to the ear.
Looking much like the AC42's , it was the huge scale and potential for power , speed and disaster that impressed. Other details were not easily taken in, but the boat was undoubtedly being closely scrutinised by other teams. I noted wheel steering , saw no rudders fitted aft of the hulls and an intriguing series of vertical apertures / ports that were visible on the hull, at about the position of maximum heel ?

The event was held no doubt, at the limit of the design crew and team comfort in that stiff breeze,
ETNZ `New Zealand` a largely unknown quantity in its black and red livery, capable of bolting out of the pen should the rotating mast or sheet inadvertently jam. Its a no risk no reward game played on a blank white board until she gets some salt in her teeth. I cant wait to see her scorch across the Waitemata.
Crew members climbing aboard from the port bow had to straddle its fine entry to slide aft to the curve of a deck? well hull,  and then a balanced run to the dagger-board and safety of the netting. All this adding to the notion of danger and extreme form and function.

The launching was co-ordinated to go live with the 6 p.m. television news. The official party assembled and a practice hoisting of the christening tipple was carried out, via the large manilla rope that had a backbone and fishlike ribs for lots of children and public to raise the bottle.
A traditional Maori welcome and challenge, short speeches, an explosion of champagne,  fireworks and fire on the water made for a great spectacle against the city lights.
Most hurried off for the warm,  buzzing with the anticipation of a world class contest in San Fransisco.

I processed and sent my images live and went to bed late. On Sunday a sailing mate and I went to see the Festival film of the Flight of the NORGE  across the Arctic Pole. Polar celebraties Amundsun and Italian balloonist Nobile captured the worlds attention with this flight.
The grainy flickering sepia print was from a well preserved original nitrate that was copied onto a crisp 35 mm stock.
A silent movie with live translation of the Norwegian captions and wonderful piano accompaniment it was 1926 cutting edge technology that showed me that within a mans (Mike , my father in law) life span,  how very much has changed...and yet ?

It suddenly impressed me with the parallels I had witnessed the night before with the high tech AC72.
The Norge, a huge man made audacious construction,  Steel, canvas, engines and helium all pushed to the known limits, as per the AC 72's carbon fibre, vectran and communications systems. Still with few if any concessions to comfort.
 A lot of man power on herringbones of rope managing the improbably huge airship on the ground,  was just as the situation at the AC72 event involving hairy rope and manpower readying for the christening ceremony.

                               Image Chris Cameron ETNZ.

Then there was the hoopla, This really struck home when I recalled the intrusive presence of Prime minister John Keys personal security detail, sticking out like an edit from an american spook movie.
CIA type shaven hair, ear pieces points men and a shoulder man to take the..... heat.
It seemed so out of place in a crowd of kiwi yachties with so few degrees of separation in god-zone.

Its parallel was Mussolini's appearance in the film, he having just survived an assassination attempt that day, and his secret service minders staring suspiciously into the camera boxes.
ah well,  I guess some things are constants.
Winners have everything to loose.
Challengers everything to win.