James Stagg, a member of the GBR Challenge team who is writing exclusively for the Daily Echo in the run up to the America's Cup later this year, reports on the team's daily schedule and latest developments from the GBR base in Auckland, where Britain's new boat GBR 70 is being launched for the first time.

"I was hoping to be writing this having sailed our new boat GBR 70. Unfortunately she is still in the base boat shed, although by the time you have read this, she will be moved outside and will have a mast stepped.

"We had hoped to have reached this stage between seven and ten days ago but have had a few minor teething problems, hence the delay to our schedule. Hopefully there will be positive news on this next month!

"In the meantime I will try and give a brief insight into the team and its workings. Weather permitting, we sail two America's Cup Class boats five days a week which requires a total of 40 people.

"The boats are dry sailed - they are launched every time they sail and are then lifted and placed in their cradles overnight by our shore team who get down to the base, launch the boats and then have breakfast!

"Our sailing team meet every morning at 6.00am for an hour-and-a-half before having breakfast and then head to the base for an 8.30am team meeting to debrief the previous day's training and map out the plan for the day.

"We generally have one hour to load the boats with sails and make sure we have everything we need before we leave the dock. These boats do not have engines so we manoeuvre out of the Auckland Viaduct using rubber boats before the tow lines of both boats are transferred to the main tow boat.

"This boat has a full-time skipper and sailing crew share the duty of looking after the towlines. The tow out to the training and race area lasts an hour and once we are sailing, the tow boat and one other chase boat follow our every move. They act primarily as safety boats but also carry spares, equipment and sails, food and water, video manoeuvres and exercises and act as a start boat.

"Training generally consists of three disciplines; testing, racing and exercises. Testing is very time-consuming and to be frank at times can be boring!

"The two boats line up side by side and sail as fast they can against each other in a straight line. This helps us evaluate different sail types, construction and designs, different mast settings and also different keels, bulbs and rudders. The tests are strictly observed and the data is collected by onboard computers so it can be evaluated by the design team once back ashore.

"Racing speaks for itself. It is full on and you don't want to lose even if you are racing your own teammates. You have to try and simulate the race scenarios and we have had plenty of close calls and the odd crash. If a particular situation repeats itself we will try and re-enact the situation as an exercise and run through the possible options available to each boat.

"Once back at the base the boats are lifted out of the water, sails are hung up to dry or re-packed and the crew check the boat and service all the equipment.

"The sailing team have now been sailing together since April 2001. We are now a squad of over 30 and yet only 16 will be selected on a daily basis when it comes to the racing.

"Our philosophy is that we are a team so there is no talk of an A and B boat crew. However, as time ticks away it is impossible to totally avoid the issue and it is definitely in all of our minds.

"Injuries are common place and vary in severity. At this stage a bad injury would probably rule you out of selection for the start of the Louis Vuitton Challenger series in October.

"In the meantime we are plugging away at our daily routine and are definitely improving as a team but we have to continue this trend all the way to the start of racing."