Team New Zealand

NZL 81 & 82
(© Franck Socha)

Talks flowing on cup in New Zealand (03/04/03)
(sources : Dominion Post on Stuff.co.nz & NZ City)

Discussions are being held in New Zealand about the financial side of a future challenge for the America's Cup.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has made it clear the Government would be unwilling to use public money to help Team New Zealand, if the business community does not also come on board to support another challenge.

She says discussions are underway between America's Cup Minister Trevor Mallard and Team New Zealand. However the Prime Minister says the Government would be looking for an indication that there would also be strong interest from corporate sponsors.

Auckland's Chamber of Commerce is also warning business to come to the party. The kiwi syndicate is thought to be toying with the idea of bringing a big overseas backer on board. Chief executive, Michael Barnett, says New Zealand business would be the loser if that were allowed to happen. He says it would be a lost opportunity to expand export markets.

But the hopes Team New Zealand has of attracting sponsors for an America's Cup challenge will be curtailed by strict advertising rules in Europe.

A defense in France could stop the Steinlager brand being a sponsor because of restrictions on alcohol and tobacco advertising.

The Lion Nathan beer has been associated with the Kiwi team since 1987. Lion Nathan corporate affairs and sponsorship director Graham Seatter said the company was waiting till Team NZ decided whether it could mount a challenge before it made a decision on sponsorship.

Advertising restrictions would be a factor in future sponsorship decisions, Mr Seatter said.

Another casualty of Europe's strict direct-to-consumer advertising rules would be pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, which became a secondary sponsor for Team NZ last month.

The company used the campaign to promote its erectile dysfunction pill Cialis. Eli Lilly's marketing director John Williams said direct-to-consumer advertising of medicines was allowed in the United States and New Zealand but not in Europe. That seemed unlikely to change soon.

Team NZ refuses to sink without trace (03/03/03)
(sources : Dominion Post on Stuff.co.nz & Team NZ)

The America's Cup may be Switzerland's cup but Team New Zealand leaders Tom Schnackenberg and Dean Barker want to keep their team together and have a shot at winning back when the Auld Mug is next contested in Europe, probably in 2007.

On board NZL 82 after the fifth loss to Alinghi, Barker said he was incredibly proud of his Team New Zealand camp and wouldn't have wanted to sail for anyone else in this America's Cup.

Both he and Schnackenberg said they would "love" to keep Team New Zealand alive for the 2007 America's Cup event in Europe.

"I would love to be able to keep this team together. The progress this team has made since the pretty tough times in mid-2000 has been just amazing," skipper Barker said. "Sure, we haven't won, we haven't been successful, but we've got an incredibly good foundation - intellectual property, hardware and talent - to put together a team again."

Schnackenberg said the 2003 defence campaign had been a fantastic team.

"We're still all friends at the end of a tough competition, and we can build on something marvellous," he said. "But it will take a lot of effort."

"It has been a fantastic experience being part of this team and we have just about doubled our (America's Cup) experience now. With that as a building block we can form a formidable campaign for the next cup," he said. "I myself, and I think everybody else in the team, wants that."

Schnackenberg is optimistic Team NZ can raise the estimated $120 million needed to be competitive in Europe but former Team New Zealand sailor Craig Monk believes it will be incredibly difficult for Team New Zealand to mount a challenge in Europe.

"I would say there would only be a 10% chance," he said. "The only company (out of the current sponsors) which would have the resources is SAP."

Of the existing Team NZ sponsors neither Telecom nor Lotto would be likely to be interested in supporting a challenge, with no benefit from a campaign in Europe for New Zealand domestic firms. Steinlager might find the challenge too great.

International companies could back Team New Zealand to get international media exposure, but also use it as a way of entertaining big clients.

Former America's Cup challenge supporter Sir Michael Fay could also be encouraged to help out, as well as mega-wealthy Kiwi businessman Graeme Hart who has a super-yacht of his own.

The countdown on the clock will be Team New Zealand's greatest enemy. The longer it takes for them to find the necessary funds, the longer it will be before they can sign team members.

Despite the embarrassing beatings, key personnel are sure to be targeted by other syndicates.

It's sure black boat skipper Dean Barker will be a prime target but he said the team would take a couple of days to think about what could have been done differently in this campaign, and what might be done in the future.

"We'll get together in a couple of day's time to talk about the way it was and what we've done wrong," he said.

The end is near (03/01/03)
(source : FoxSports)

There was little sense of celebration as Swiss and New Zealand yachts left the Viaduct Basin on Saturday for the fifth and possibly last match of the 31st America's Cup.

New Zealanders, expecting Saturday's race to seal the departure of the Cup from their nation after an eight-year residency, sent the yachts to sea in funereal silence.

A small crowd gathered to see the yachts leave their docks - first New Zealand and Alinghi 20 minutes later. There were only several hundred people at the docks, far less than the several thousand who had watched the yachts set off earlier in the races.

Alinghi leads the best-of-nine series 4-0 and needs to win only one of five remaining races to take the Cup to Europe for the first time in 152 years.

Spectators raised a feeble cheer when New Zealand's race yacht, NZL-82, slipped its moorings and left the harbor flanked by police and support boats. It made its exit through a small entourage of spectator craft, down also from the hundreds that thronged the harbor for earlier departures.

New Zealand was able to take only one yacht to sea. NZL-82 broke its racing mast Friday and had to borrow the mast of its sister, NZL-81, to be ready to race again. NZL-81, without a mast, remained in its shed.

A floating pontoon, moored at the center of Viaduct Basin, was being decorated with flags and bunting in anticipation of an afternoon trophy presentation if Alinghi wins.

Perpetual challenge Cup for friendly competition (02/28/03)
(source : NZ Herald)

Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth face expulsion from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron after a complaint against them from a life member.

Squadron commodore Bill Endean said yesterday that life member and waterfront businessman John Street had asked the club, which holds the America's Cup, to consider expelling the pair for "taking information with them that has gone to another syndicate".

The complaint would be considered at a meeting of the 13-member committee on March 27.

"There are allegations, which require proof, and that proof hasn't been provided by the member," Mr Endean said. "It's not a simple exercise."

He said the complaint alleged Coutts and Butterworth had broken a club rule because their conduct had been "injurious to the character or interests of the squadron".

The pair are long-time members of the RNZYS, which is based at Westhaven. Coutts has been a life member since 1995, and Butterworth an ordinary member since 1981.

Butterworth said yesterday that he he was proud to be a member of the squadron and he would be "horrified" by any attempt to revoke his membership.

"Loyal" flags made in China (02/27/03)
(source : NZ Herald)

Team New Zealand's "loyal" campaign has a nationality crisis. First, their Kiwi blood was diluted by the replacement of tactician Hamish Pepper by French sailor Bertrand Pacé. Now, the Warehouse's promotional "Loyal" Team New Zealand flags are foreign made.

Green MP Mike Ward today revealed the flags, sold for $29.95 each, were made in China. The Warehouse donates $10 to Team New Zealand from each flag sold.

The popular flags are part of the Team New Zealand's "Loyal" advertising campaign promoting key crew who stayed with the team, turning down lucrative contracts with foreign syndicates.

"It's great that everyone is getting together and showing loyalty to our yachties but the fact these promotional flags are made overseas shows an abysmal lack of loyalty to our community," Mr Ward said in a statement. "They can say that they need the cheaper flags so they can support Team New Zealand but what price is loyalty?"

The argument that New Zealand manufacturers could not produce enough flags at a competitive price did not wash with Mr Ward.

"Green Party investigations located promotional flag makers who confirmed they could adequately supply the flags in the volume and price required," he said. "The manufacturers we have spoken with all expressed dismay to learn The Warehouse would ignore New Zealand businesses to jump on the Team New Zealand bandwagon."

During the last America's Cup campaign, in 1999, Team New Zealand ran a "lucky" red socks campaign with socks imported from Korea.

Poor sportsmanship from Team NZ (02/25/03)
(source : International Herald Tribune)

In the last Cup, as a sign of goodwill toward the Prada team and its fans, the Kiwis raised the Italian flag next to the New Zealand flag on the Harbor Bridge, which spans the Waitemata Harbor near the marina where Cup yachts are docked.

But, angry over the Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli's poaching of Butterworth and the skipper Russell Coutts, city officials initially denied a request by race sponsors to raise the Swiss flag on the bridge during the current regatta, and Team New Zealand refused to intervene.

The hosts have been accused by the Swiss and in international news media of showing poor sportsmanship toward Alinghi and its supporters.

Bruno Trouble, who directs the America's Cup news media center, said city officials had agreed to his request to raise the Swiss flag only after several days of negotiations.

"We had to advocate," he said. "It took a lot of discussions."