Yachting: Shoe-maker fits Dalton's ocean race aspirations

Grant Dalton says sealing the deal with Camper took just one day. Photo / APN

The Volvo Ocean Race has always held some kind of romance for Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton.

He has long held the desire to be involved once again in the gruelling round the world event - considered the "Everest of Sailing" - where he first made a name for himself nearly 30 years ago.

So when the team's America's Cup planning ground to a halt due to the long-running court battle between Alinghi and BMW Oracle, which was mercifully resolved on the water earlier this year, Dalton saw the opportunity for the team to branch out in to the Volvo event.

All he needed was somebody as passionate as he is, and could match that passion with equal amounts of cash.

The type of money required to fund such a campaign is simply beyond the bounds of any New Zealand company. So, cap in hand, Dalton trotted off to Europe, holding talks with various parties. But the months of back and forth meetings all came to no avail.

In the end, all it took was one hot tip and a phone call to make it happen.

One Thursday back in March, Dalton had heard Spanish footwear company Camper were keen on becoming involved with a Volvo team, so he picked up the phone and gave the head of the family-owned company, Lorenzo Fluxa, a call.

At that point in time Emirates Team New Zealand were in the knock-out stages of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland.

On the Sunday, the local team took out the regatta, and by Monday Dalton was on his way to Spain to meet with Fluxa. By the Wednesday, less than a week after first making contact, the deal was done.

"Sometimes I can spend a year working on a deal to get it across the line. With Lorenzo all it took was one day, it was just so easy," said Dalton.

Now nearly four months on, the Camper campaign is tracking along at break-neck pace.

With Team New Zealand in Barcelona competing in the third round of the MedCup - a leg which Camper are sponsoring - the two parties took the opportunity to update media on how the project is progressing.

It also provided the rare opportunity to hear from the media-shy, but extremely effusive, Fluxa.

The design process is almost complete, with just a few final decisions to be made next week before the build is due to start at Auckland's Cookson Yard on August 9. Crew selection is also well-advanced with Spaniard Roberto Bermudez de Castro the newest addition to what is shaping up to be a very experienced team.

Yes, there is a great deal of optimism Camper can help restore New Zealand to the forefront of ocean racing after a 16-year absence from the round the world event. And it is Fluxa that is the reason for that optimism.

So what would prompt a shoe company in Majorca to embrace a sailing team from the other side of the world?

"Even though we are from the other side of the world, we feel very close to New Zealand culture," said Fluxa.

"When I met Grant Dalton for the first time, the emotional link was very, very quick. I think we share very close values and the history and image of New Zealand sailing has a lot of authenticity so it is a privilege to be associated with that."

With operating budgets a closely guarded secret in sailing, it is not known how much Camper has invested in the project.

But conservative estimates put the figure at around €20 million ($35.6 million).

So clearly there is more to Camper's desire to be involved with the Kiwi syndicate than simply the fact that the two bosses enjoy having a beer together.

The Team New Zealand brand undoubtedly carries a strong currency in the sailing world.

Their strategy to diversify their interests and develop a sailing franchise, with a stable of yachts racing in various events around the world, align well with Camper's plans to build brand awareness.

"The first time I met Grant he said, 'Team New Zealand always sail to win' so I like that."

Fluxa did not discount the possibility of continuing the campaign through to the 2014 Volvo Ocean Race.

"We hope it will be a long-term agreement with Team New Zealand. We plan to do more editions of the Volvo, but being a small company we have to see results in terms of awareness of the brand, but we definitely want to stay involved with sailing."