Cup defectors - the verdict

By EUGENE BINGHAM

America's Cup defectors Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth have left no hard feelings in the hearts of most New Zealanders.

An overwhelming majority in a poll taken this week do not blame them for quitting Team New Zealand after the last defence and do not feel "betrayed".

While giving strong support for their freedom to switch to the Swiss Alinghi challenge, however, most people still believe Team New Zealand will retain the Auld Mug.

The Weekend Herald-Digipoll survey has found that more than three out of four people believe the pair had every right to take billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli's offer.

Nearly 60 per cent did not believe Coutts and Butterworth had betrayed their country.

Despite those sentiments, the country remains firmly behind Team New Zealand, with 80 per cent of those polled confident of a successful cup defence, including 30 per cent who are very confident.

Coutts and Butterworth, two-time winners of the America's Cup for New Zealand, shocked the country when they jumped ship after the 2000 success.

A Weekend Herald inquiry last week revealed the background to their decision to leave, including their clashes with the late Sir Peter Blake and his trustees.

Coutts also wanted to ditch the team's sponsors and find a single overseas benefactor.

In the weeks after the cup, though, the pair told the new trustees and the existing sponsors that they would stay - then reneged on the deal and joined Bertarelli's $120 million challenge.

Alinghi will race Team New Zealand for the cup in a best-of-nine series starting on February 15.

The poll of 800 people, conducted from January 23-28, is the first major survey of New Zealanders' opinions on the defections.

About 80 per cent agreed that as professionals they had a right to sell their services to the highest bidder, and 60 per cent thought that they had made their contribution to the country and deserved to leave and earn more money.

However, most people scotched Bertarelli's call for the cup to become less parochial and for the nationality rules to be relaxed.

About half of those surveyed disagreed with his belief that future events should be less a competition between nations and more a match-up between elite teams.

And 75 per cent thought New Zealanders should continue to support Team New Zealand, even if they lost.

Former America's Cup skipper and Louis Vuitton Cup media director Bruno Trouble said yesterday that the survey showed New Zealanders were more fair-minded than the perception created over the past six months.

"I think it is the real reaction of New Zealand," said Trouble.

"The bad reaction against Coutts and Butterworth was pretty much driven by business interests, because if the cup leaves New Zealand then some people will be in trouble businesswise."

He said he had been very unhappy with some of the reactions against the pair because he had believed it had not reflected what New Zealand was really about.

"Even the 'Loyal' television commercial, it's very dark and very isolationist. I must say I don't like it and I must say this is not the real image of New Zealand."

Auckland Mayor John Banks said the survey showed the reputation New Zealand had gained internationally for bad sportsmanship over the affair was undeserved.

Bertarelli this week said his team had been subjected to a "campaign of aggression" in New Zealand, but Mr Banks did not believe this was true.

"I think the so-called cloud of bad feeling is much more perceived than real," he said. "Most New Zealanders are fair-minded and don't hold the extreme views which have fuelled much of the international focus."

He believed New Zealand and Auckland had been unfairly maligned and our international reputation sullied in a short space of time.

He did not blame the BlackHeart campaign, although he described it as "a public relations stunt that went horribly wrong".

Sports Minister Trevor Mallard said it was a professional sport and he understood why Coutts and Butterworth opted to secure their financial futures, although he was disappointed with their decision.

"But I do feel there is vigour and intellectual horsepower in Team New Zealand that has been renewed by their decision to leave.

"I think with two very good boats and a great crew, New Zealand have an excellent chance of winning.

"We must recognise, however, that Alinghi have much more money and an experience advantage."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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