Launched by helicopter... the next mad installment of the America's Cup story

The America’s Cup Defender’s new yacht, Alinghi 5 was launched in Lake Geneva yesterday with a small gathering of the world’s press and one of the world’s largest helicopters.

Amazing alinghi photo gallery 

The 90ft-long catamaran cannot apparently be disassembled, so the initial launch from the yard in which she was built, in Villeneuve, was a test run for the full launch, when she will be flown all the way to Valencia, Spain.

The campaign starts in 2010.

More photos here