America’s Cup: Emirates Team NZ patron Helen Clark calls for funding for NZ to host next event

Helen Clark with Grant Dalton. Photo / Emirates Team NZ

• Helen Clark believes Auckland can host the America’s Cup again if funding challenges are addressed.
• Potential funders, including the Government and Auckland Council, must commit substantial financial resources.
• Clark enjoyed witnessing the celebration in Barcelona, alongside thousands of New Zealanders.

Helen Clark appears buoyant on the prospect of Auckland once again hosting the America’s Cup - but says it will require power brokers to “step up” with realistic funding.

The former Prime Minister and patron of Emirates Team New Zealand believes hosting is viable so long as the procrastination and arguments that notoriously surround the event can be put to one side.

Clark’s Labour-led Government financially backed hosting the 2003 event in Auckland - and sponsored the team in Valencia and San Francisco for the 32nd to 34th iterations.

“It was all around a hard economic case of what is good for New Zealand,” Clark said.

“Kiwi’s love winning and seeing a successful event at home. We can do that really well, but we have to invest to get it.”

Former Prime Minister and Emirates Team New Zealand patron Helen Clark. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Clark said the potential funders of another America’s Cup event in New Zealand, whether that be the Government, Auckland Council or private investors, needed to accept it would not be cheap.

“To be honest, that’s hard dollars on the table, because you can’t do it on the smell of an oily rag,” she said.

“You have to go into it with your eyes open and everybody has to step up.”

Clark said the simple alternative is that several international cities will again gladly stump up the cash to host the event - and also reap the economic benefits.

“Barcelona used the hosting of the cup as a catalyst for reviving its economy and is thrilled with the outcome of it,” she said.

But regardless of the eventual destination of the next America’s Cup host city, Clark savoured seeing the Barcelona win person.

“There were thousands of New Zealanders here in Barcelona yesterday and partying went on late into the night,” she said.

“People just felt so good about it and I was so happy to be here and part of the celebration.”

Claudia O’Neill is an Auckland-based multimedia journalist with an interest in science, health and geopolitics. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Auckland and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (Distinction) from Massey University. She joined NZME in 2023.