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XXXIIe America's Cup
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The
end is near (03/01/03)
(source
: FoxSports)
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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. |
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Perpetual
challenge Cup for friendly competition (02/28/03)
(source
: NZ
Herald)
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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. |
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"Loyal"
flags made in China (02/27/03)
(source
: NZ
Herald)
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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. |
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Poor
sportsmanship from Team NZ (02/25/03)
(source
: International
Herald Tribune)
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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."
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