Team New Zealand celebrated their America's Cup victory with a ticker-tape parade in Auckland Thursday before taking the Auld Mug for a ferry ride escorted by Maori war canoes. The New Zealanders claimed yachting's oldest trophy last week with an emphatic 7-1 win over Oracle Team USA in Bermuda. Tens of thousands of supporters braved heavy rain to cheer on the young team, which claimed New Zealand's third win in the regatta after successes in 1995 and 2000. Syndicate head Grant Dalton said he felt "like a kid at Christmas" as he held the trophy aloft before the cheering crowd. We lived in a bubble quite a lot (in Bermuda)," he said. "We knew it was big back here but until you experience this you really don't understand it. It's just amazing."

source: AFP