Team New Zealand

Bertarelli millions fund Team New Zealand (07/31/04)
(source : NZ Herald)

The NZ Herald revealed that the Swiss billionaire, Team New Zealand's arch-rival, propped up the start of their campaign with a significant amount of money.

Last night, Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said a deal had been struck, but it was a "no strings attached" loan which would be repaid.

Dalton would not say how big the loan was, but when asked if it was in the tens of millions of dollars, he said: "Well, there wouldn't be much point doing it for $100, would there?"

It's understood that Bertarelli was worried the 2007 regatta in Valencia would not draw enough quality syndicates. He wanted the New Zealanders to be there to pep up the racing and ensure that Europe's first hosting of the America's Cup was a success.

Dalton said the money was a loan from Bertarelli personally and was not connected with the Alinghi sailing team or AC Management, the company organising the regatta.

"It's a no-strings-attached deal, which means it's a money deal," he said. "He has no involvement in any shape or form in Emirates Team New Zealand. It's a complete arm's-length deal."

Dalton said he had approached Bertarelli because they were old friends, and he was grateful for his help.

"I believe Ernesto Bertarelli's motive was to ensure that Team New Zealand competes at Valencia because, in his view, the regatta would lose some of its appeal without us. It would be like holding the soccer World Cup without Brazil."

The deal was done about three months ago, just before the Middle Eastern airline Emirates became Team New Zealand's principal sponsor.

GER 68 en route to Auckland (07/12/04)
(source : DPPI)

At the time where Team New Zealand boats are going in Europe, Andrea Francolini (DPPI) took some pictures of GER 68, the boat of german Team Pinta Racing designed for AC 2003, but never terminated.

The pictures (see the gallery on the left) were taken in Sydney during a stop over of the cargo wich brings her to New Zealand.

Team New Zealand heads to Europe (07/07/04)
(source : TVNZ)

Team New Zealand has taken the first steps in its European campaign for the 2007 Americas Cup with race yacht NZL 82 loaded on a container ship bound for Italy on Wednesday.

Also on board is NZL 57, the trial yacht from the successful 2000 defence which has been sold to the French K Challenge syndicate.

The team's tender, a 40ft container loaded with sails, gear and spares and another container holding a complete workshop are also on board along with a chase boat.

The yachts will be offloaded in Italy and then towed to Marseille, with NZL 82 to compete in America's Cup pre-regattas in September and October both in Marseille and Valencia

Emirates Team NZ challenge is accepted (06/29/04)
(source : America's Cup)

Following the completion of all entry formalities, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) has this week accepted a challenge from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS).

Emirates Team New Zealand therefore becomes the fourth challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup, lining-up beside the American BMW Oracle Racing, the Italian Piutrentanove and the South African Team Shosholoza in the quest for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to sail the Defender Alinghi for the America’s Cup in 2007.

Emirates Team New Zealand is now shipping one of its yachts, NZL-82, to Europe and will be seen racing in the Marseille Louis Vuitton Act in September.

Team NZ becomes fourth challenger (06/26/04)
(source : Las Provincias)

Representing a new challenge for the America's Cup, the Team New Zealand challenge was officially lodged yesterday with the ACM in Geneva, Switzerland on behalf of Auckland's Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

The RNZYS' Letter of Challenge plus other required documentation, formalities and funds were presented to the CEO of AC Management, Mr Michel Bonnefous in Geneva by a new zealander delegation.

The Team New Zealand 2007 is the fourth challenger after the South African America's Cup Challenge and the Italian Circolo Vela Gargnano Yacht Club's Clan des Team sailing team to join the Golden Gate Yacht Club's Oracle BMW Racing team in challenging for the 32nd America's Cup.

Team New Zealand plan to take part in the first America's Cup pre-regatta in Marseille in September but have yet to officially enter.

Team NZ confirms 2007 AC challenge (06/14/04)
(source : NZ Herald)

Team New Zealand today confirmed they would challenge for the America's Cup in Spain in 2007, with Emirates Airline coming on board as their lead sponsor.

The Dubai-based airline, which began services to New Zealand last year, will have naming rights to the syndicate's campaign in Valencia. Toyota New Zealand, which has been involved in four previous cup regattas, will be back as one of two second-tier "elite" sponsors. Team NZ have yet to name the other.

The NZ Government will provide $33.75 million as an investment to get trade and tourism spin-offs from the cup and from lead-up regattas in Europe over the next three years.

The amount of money Emirates and Toyota NZ will be putting in has not been revealed. However, Team NZ managing director Grant Dalton said the syndicate were now close to their full budget.

Dalton did not say what the budget was, although it is generally accepted that teams need at least US$80 million ($128 million) to run a serious campaign.

"We have set a number and we are at 85 per cent of that number," he said. "Over the next year we will try to mop that up."

Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton believes his team have not lost time against their main rivals Alinghi and Oracle for the 2007 America's Cup despite them starting preparations now.

"The design team is already at work and sailing team members have been competing in regattas all over the world," Dalton said yesterday. "A number have Olympic campaigns, others are focused on the match racing circuit".

About 70 people had been signed on by the syndicate, who were expected to be 90-strong when at full strength.

Of the 26 so far secured in the sailing crew, just over half remain from last year's defence. The all-important afterguard takes on a completely new look with just skipper Dean Barker and Australian Adam Beashel remaining from the disastrous 2003 campaign.

New to the team is highly regarded British sailor Ben Ainslie, who for the past three years has been the world Finn champion. Ainslie is also an accomplished Laser sailor, having won gold in the 2000 Olympics and silver in 1996.

American Kevin Hall, who sailed with OneWorld, also joins the afterguard, along with former Stars and Stripes tactician Terry Hutchinson.

Veteran New Zealand sailors Kelvin Harrap, who has sailed in three cups (OneWorld 2003, American True 2000 and Tag Heuer 1995) and Ray Davies, who was a member of Team New Zealand's weather team in the last Cup, also join the brains trust.

In a move which surprised many, Dalton named Rod Davis, who has sailed on and off for New Zealand in the Cup over the past 10 years, as the afterguard coach and a member of the afterguard.

The 14-member design team also received a shakeup. Headed by Britain's Andy Claughton, the key appointments include Italy's Giovanni Belgrano, who worked on Il Moro and Prada, and Spain's Marcelino Botin.

The syndicate's race yacht NZL82 returned to the Hauraki Gulf last week for the first time since the America's Cup. She is now painted in the airline's red as well as New Zealand's traditional colours of black and silver

Team NZ, who are representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, would sail in all the lead-up regattas from now until the cup, beginning with one in September. The first of their two new boats was scheduled to be launched by November next year.

Sailing team (* new team member)

Coach : Joe Allen (NZL), Rod Davis* (NZL).
Skipper : Dean Barker (NZL).
Afterguard : Ray Davies (NZL), Ben Ainslie* (GBR), Adam Beashel (AUS), Kevin Hall* (USA), Kelvin Harrap* (NZL), Terry Hutchinson* (USA).
Trimmer : Don Cowie* (NZL), James Dagg (NZL), Andy Hemmings* (GBR), Grant Loretz (NZL), Tony Rae (New Zealand), Chris Salthouse (NZL), Rob Salthouse (NZL).
Mastmen : Nick Heron (NZL), Matthew Mason* (NZL).
Pit and grinder : Jared Henderson (NZL).
Bowmen : Jeremy Lomas (NZL), Richard Meacham (NZL)
Grinder : Chris McAsey (NZL), Winstone Macfarlane (NZL), Jonathan Macbeth (NZL), Rob Waddell (NZL), Chris Ward (New Zealand).

Design team

Andrew Claughton (GBR),
Giovanni Belgrano (ITA),
Marcelino Botin (ESP),
Jamie France (NZL),
Vincent Geake (NZL),
Nick Holroyd (NZL),
Nick Hutchins (NZL),
Masanobu Katori (JPN),
Andrew Kensington (NZL),
Christopher Miller (USA),
Clay Oliver (USA),
Tom Schnackenberg (NZL),
Daryl Senn (NZL),
Neil Wilkinson NZL).

Notable omissions from the 2003 defence

Mike Drummond (Alinghi),
Matt Mitchell (Alinghi),
Hamish Pepper,
Cameron Appleton,
Dan Slater,
Erle Williams,
Bertrand Pacé,
Joe Spooner (BMW Oracle),
Ian Baker (BMW Oracle),
Carl Williams (BMW Oracle),
Zac Hurst (BMW Oracle).

Team NZ look set to challenge for the Cup (06/13/04)
(source : NZ Herald)

Team New Zealand is likely to confirm today that it will challenge for yachting's America's Cup in Spain in 2007.

A team spokesman said the syndicate would reveal its major sponsor at a function in Auckland this afternoon. While the spokesman would not say so, the sponsorship announcement would indicate that a challenge would be mounted.

Syndicate head Grant Dalton has said previously that Team NZ would go to Valencia only if it had enough funding to be competitive.

There has been speculation in recent weeks that Team NZ was about to conclude a deal with Dubai-based Emirates Air.

Team NZ very close to sign sponsor (06/09/04)
(source : Sport Telegraph)

In Auckland, there is every sign that the 2003 America's Cup losers, Team New Zealand, will unveil their come-back campaign on Saturday for the 2007 cup in Valencia.

A $35 million deal with Emirates Airlines is being widely talked about. Boss Grant Dalton is expected to name British double Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie and American racer Terry Hutchinson as senior sailors.

Strengthened NZL 82 returns to gulf (06/04/04)
(source : NZ Herald)

Team New Zealand's NZL82 was back on the Hauraki Gulf yesterday for the first time since last year's disastrous America's Cup.

Among those on board were Team New Zealand's managing director, Grant Dalton, skipper Dean Barker, Tom Schnackenberg and several engineers and designers.

At this stage the boat has no branding and although still black, the hull also has splashes of grey and red which are understood to part of the syndicate's new look.

The syndicate said it was happy with yesterday's sail but would not comment further.

The boat will be put through a series of tests over the next month before it is shipped to Europe on July 7 in preparation for the America's Cup class regattas which start in France in September.

Also travelling with NZL82 to Europe is NZL57, one of Team New Zealand's 2000 cup boats which has been sold to the French syndicate K-Challenge. NZL57's sister yacht NZL60 has been leased to K-Challenge as well and will head to Europe in August.

NZL57, 60 and 82 will all be out on the Gulf over the next month. Work will now begin on NZL81 and the former illbruck boat GER68, which arrives in Auckland in July.

Extensive programme for Team New Zealand (05/23/04)
(source : NZ Herald)

Team New Zealand's NZL 82 will be back on the Hauraki Gulf next month to prepare for the first of the America's Cup regattas in September.

The yacht, which broke down twice in five races during the last America's Cup, has been undergoing strengthening work for the past three months after an independent study into why it and its sister yacht, NZL 81, failed.

The findings of the study have not been made public but Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said they had identified precisely what the structural issues were.

Once NZL82 has been thoroughly tested, it will be shipped to Europe for the first of the America's Cup class regattas. Work will then begin on NZL 81 and the former Illbruck boat GER 68, which arrives in Auckland in July.

Designed by Michael Richelsen, who has recently joined Alinghi, and Friedrich Judel and Torsten Conradi from the firm Judel/Vrolijk, the german hull has been lying in a boat yard in Germany for the past two years.

Although Team New Zealand are still trying to raise the $150 million needed to compete in the 2007 Cup, they have an extensive programme mapped out for the next year which will be paid for by private benefactors and past sponsors such as Toyota, Telecom, ASB, Xerox and Air New Zealand.

Immediately after the regatta in Valencia, they plan to ship NZL82 back to Auckland. Either it or NZL81 will be then modified to comply with the new version of the America's Cup class rule, which will apply for the regattas in 2005 and beyond.

The "hula" will be removed and changes made to the draught and displacement.

Team NZ on verge of confirmation (05/20/04)
(source : TVNZ)

Team New Zealand is on the verge of confirming it will be a contender at the 2007 America's Cup in Spain. The syndicate has been unable to confirm its entry, as sponsorship has so far eluded it.

Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton will on Thursday put the finishing touches to a proposal and head to the northern hemisphere with it to present to a prospective sponsor.

The mood in the Team New Zealand camp is upbeat and indications are that the deal will enable the syndicate to confirm it will be competing in Spain. However the camp is too nervous to talk publicly about the bid as doing so may upset current or potential sponsors.

Should Dalton be successful this time, an announcement confirming the entry is expected in a matter of weeks.