5 Feb 2016

Team NZ awarded R&D grants from government

11:45 am on 5 February 2016

Team New Zealand is to receive research and development grants from the government as it works on its 2017 America's Cup campaign.

Team New Zealand sailing in Bermuda 2015.

Team New Zealand sailing in Bermuda 2015. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The team has been awarded a grant through the agency Callaghan Innovation for high-tech design and development work.

The scale of the grant has not been disclosed and will be paid quarterly - up to 20 percent of its annual research and development spending.

The team said it had been leading the way in marine and composite technology for 20 years and in the last campaign pioneered the foiling technology used on the America's Cup catamarans.

Team New Zealand said it had previously not qualified for research and development grants because of other government sponsorship, which would not be provided for the 2017 Bermuda challenge.