JUST weeks after the British America's Cup boats were shipped into Southampton, they are being packed up again for the next phase in the syndicate's training programme.

One of the GBR Challenge's training boats, together with four container loads of gear, is being prepared for shipment today to New Zealand in time for October. That's when the sailors transfer from their base in Cowes to resume the training process which kicked off in the Solent in May.

Between now and then, there is more work to be done for the trialists on the former Nippon Challenge boats, bought by campaign chief Peter Harrison earlier this year.

For the first time, they will get the chance to measure their progress when they compete in the America's Cup Jubilee next month against 200 Cup yachts including 2000 Cup finallists Prada and Team New Zealand.

More than 50 sailors have been given trials over the past six weeks as the selectors refine their options for the Louis Vuitton Challenger finals, starting in Auckland in 2002. Around 30 have been shortlisted, including the 18 names announced at the launch. Among them is James Stagg, who will be writing exclusively for the Daily Echo in the lead up to the America's Cup.

Since training started, when many of the sailors were inexperienced at this level of match racing, progress has been swift and their success in the Qantas America Classic Cup held last weekend confirmed their development.

"The regatta was definitely a useful exercise for us," said skipper Julian Salter.

"It gave the opportunity for the whole of the sailing team to do some racing against other ACC boats, rather than just against ourselves.

"Some people have been working really hard in the yard recently so it was good for them to get out and race.

"It also let us get GBR 41 up to speed for our evening racing during Skandia Life Cowes Week and let the other British-based ACC yachts prepare for the America's Cup Jubilee."

While the sailors sail, the designers design and, with building on the new boats due to commence in Cowes in November, the third of four ten-day tank testing sessions at the Wolfson Unit in the DERA facility in Gosport has just started to assess how the computer-generated models perform on water.

Both training boats will compete at Cowes Week and the AC Jubilee, complete with new sails.

The emphasis will be on progress on the water and promotion off it as Harrison and his team entertain a host of potential backers for his £17 million project.

Few are expected to sign up until details of television coverage of the next America's Cup are announced in September.