KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Chris (Knysna)
I am very sad that the Cup went to Switzerland. It wasn't for lack of trying on team New Zealand's part.My red socks are nearly worn out but the issue that I want to raise is all about nationality. I know that it is a club that takes up the challenge and is thereafter reflected as the national choice but where would Alinghi be if she had been sailed by Swiss nationals only. TNZ was also not completely NZ crewed either but it's money that the Cup is all about and more's the pity.Don't give up - it's not in the NZ makeup.
Bristol
For a country that can't put a team on the water the English sure have a lot to say about the Kiwi challenge. Maybe they use some of that cash they wave under everyone's nose and put it where their mouths are.
Not Again (Ashburton)
Why is it that the Government can fork out $10m of taxpayers money on yet another over rated race.While doctors, nurses, teachers, mechanics, trades people and hospitals struggle to survive with what they have and keep, let alone replace experienced staff. As a proud Kiwi I have to say I am ashamed by the lack of concern from the members of parliament on the use of taxpayers money on the Americas Cup. I want to asked Helen Clark a question. Has she any idea what is going on in NZ? The reason I ask is because they find spending our money far too easy and have little concern for the feelings or rights of the average NZer. I don't agree with putting money into sports when our own people are in such a poor state of affairs, with housing shortages, food, and the dollar not going far at all. Most NZers are finding everyday living near impossible. My family and I are and I am in a well paid job with only a mortgage. i say no to more money being spent on team nz until this country is sorted out. Thank You.
Claire
Go Team NZ! I think its a poor effort by the NZ supporters! Most countries cant put a team forward and we are in the Finals! plus most of the boats have NZers on them. The boat that won is because of a NZer! But as usual NZers are very quick to say bad about their losing team when really they are all champions who have worked hard to get there. Team NZ lost in the Final to an amazing New Zealander. All round we should be proud of our people!
Spanish living in Switzerland
First of all, congratulations for the effort and the amazing races of team NZ that made so many of us to stay scotched to the TV screens. I have been reading the comments on this forum. I would like to share an European view on the tone of some of them. After fighting each other for the last few centuries, nationalism is now in Europe close to a dirty word. My understanding was that this was a competition of Nautical Clubs, not Countries. Switzerland is also a small country, 7 millions, of which more than one, so close to 20 per cent of the population are foreigners -like me. On the building of my Swiss workplace there are people form 80 countries. The genius of the Swiss is to be able to put together the best technology, the best people and the best organization to produce results, either at work (5 of the 50 biggest Companies in the world come from tiny Switzerland) or at sports. Multinational teams are key, and the natural and evident way of doing here.So, please, celebrate the excellent sportsmen you have, all of them, we all admire you for them. And do so independently of where they play and fullfil their passion. Do not turn a fairplay sportmans event between sailing clubs into a nationalistic contest.
jeba
As a Pom we went for two days to Valencia to watch the cup. We sat in the wool-shed and in the official NZ cafe,We met many wonderful people and I have never been so proud of a country its sports men and supporters. What the NZders did at that cup was way beyond any advertising promotion the New Zealand government could ever do. New Zealand made the cup the success it was.As for the Team they were great ambassadors both on the water and in the camp.They were never too distant that you couldn't talk to them.They were professional friendly and competitive. They will be a hard team to beat next time.I hope for the sake of Americas cup NZ are back in it for many years ahead. Well done to you all. Should they have won, of course. They deserved to they gave us thrilling heart stopping racing and has put the Americas cup right up there for many none sailors.
Mark Valk
I totally agree that we should mount another challenge. Alinghi believed they had a faster boat we proved them wrong. They will now become arrogant about their abilities and pride always goes before defeat. Considering the winning margins I believe that we are still the best boat builders and sailors in the world. Good on the government for once they are doing something positive with my taxes.Now if only we can find a way to make sails that dont tear. I am proud to be associated with this challenge .
John Grosse Ile (Michigan)
TNZ was robbed. When you see the computer view of the Alinghi, right after TNZ made their tack to port just before the foul, Alinghi fell off some 10 to 15 degrees, thus crushing TNZ's chances of getting past Alinghi's way without fouling. Without that dive, the pass would have been perfect. That foul cost TNZ the race and the cup. It was a bad Committee Boat and no one saw the manover. Good for Alinghi and too bad for TNZ. Better luck next time, as you have the better boat and crew.
franke
Bertarelli is a commercial man first and last. He has now created a company that controls the Americas Cup as a 'brand'. His objective is to integrate the AC into his corporate world long term so he can make big money from the AC brand on an ongoing basis. To do that he will reshuffle the rules and regs so that each challenge will have to be OK'd by his holding company - whether the 'Alinghi' defence is successful or not is a bi-product. The Americas Cup will become no different from soccer, boxing or any other international sporting event. Sponsorship at an international corporate level is where it is now heading - and he intends to control it for the purpose of increasing the size of his wallet and his ego. What a shame - but that's life on the planet these days - or am I just too old school and very uncool...
jacobo
Sorry Kiwis for the dissapointment. We hope to see you back in Valencia in 2009. As for Coutts, this is what happen when you sell yourself to another team for money. Business is business. And Butterworth, the best kiwi sportsman?? Is he kiwi??? Maybe next year he will be Spaniard. Or American. Or French.
Thailand
Rich boys sport,,so who really cares..Like big deal..The best boat won.End of story.It has been said that had team NZ won then the cup would have gone to the land of the emirates and the Arab nation would have made all the money.The only people that got anything out of the cup being based at Auckland was the Aucklanders(jaffers)Give it up and give the money to the people that really need it and not some plum nosed yachting team,that wouldnt give the common man the time of day..
Gu (Switzerland)
Thanks New Zealand Team for all the emotions given!You were the only ones that could beat our team.Let's meet the next time!
Aussie
Big bad Brad is surely one of our top sportsmen, as is Russell Coutts and their associate Kiwis. I am thrilled to learn Brad is building a home in NZ, despite all that has happened. Directly and indirectly they have lifted our game enormously. I read with sadness that Russell Coutts doesn't want to do another challenge if it is in NZ. I can understand that. But we can all take a longer view now and I certainly would love to see him sailing in Auckland again, with us or against us.
Eels from England
Please don't give Brad Butterworth any awards. As a Brit watching with the NZ supporters I watched him turn his back on the NZders when they cheered him coming down the canal after loosing the second race. These same supporters had cheered him when he won the day before.That is not a true sportsman. Nor did he conduct himself well in the press conference. I find him very arrogant and self important.His ego is big enough.Grant Dalton should be congratulated.
Nzausse
Alinghi 5, ENZ 2 obvious I would have thought. Brad Butterworth is no different from the exodus of A/B's and Leagues going for the big Bucks off shore. Another point, I am sick of hearing that we have the best sailors in the world. If that's the case how many Gold Medals in the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
Should the Skipper of ENZ be reinstated for the next challenge. Of course not, loosing in 2003,2007 not good enough when all the experts said we win 5 nil. Keep Dalton obviously there would not have been a decent challenge with out him. Get rid of the losers. Same as any other professional sport. Spend our money on a better challenge and a winning performance.
Westie
Yes I believe ETNZ should have another crack at bringing home the Auld Mug. Just next time let some larger companies within NZ also assist in the sponsorship. It would be great advertising for them on the world stage of yachting. The NZ taxpayer, even those not heavily into yachting like me, should not gripe about the amount of taxpayers money being used. In reference to Brad Butterworth. I do not think he merits being called a New Zealand Sportsman(or even ever receive NZ Sportsperson of the Year Award). His eager usage of the F-word in the losing races certainly showed his calibre. The entire ETNZ deserve being called Sportsman (and women). Not someone who left our shores when someone offered him(and the other 4) a higher dollar deal. I also hope there is no blame games about any of the crew on ETNZ. They all did their best and NZ should be very proud of our champions.
Erl William (Cambridge)
Good morning.That is despite the agonizing length of time of one second that is what I would quote " a second is a long time in the length of a yachting race" this is the real world that we live in a and we can not expect fairy tale experiences or neither the providence of God despite our National Anthem or some peoples perception that we living in the God zone. I have followed the Americas cup results from the time it first left USA waters to Australia. I marveled at the way Chris Dickson and the crew from NZ made their presence felt and really had the likes of Denis Conners rattled. Then since that time New Zealand as ordinary citizens are concerned our loyalty lies with the NZ team there is no perception in our minds of this is a private yachting Clubs challenge irrespective whether it is true or not because there will only be one challenger from the shores of this country, unless our very wealthiest citizens who are in the Billionaire status want to unload and have another challenger then Helen Clark and her Government or who else from that sector would have second thoughts. So in the minds of New Zealander, we can only think with a national physic and I believe it is unreasonable to think otherwise. I don't care whether the Swiss club had 75 per cent of kiwis among their ranks manning their defence's I would not have my heart with them and no New Zealanders will ever.They will never look upon him and Brad Butterworth with the same respect though we may highly regard his skills, because we are nationalistic as we are parochial with our super 14 or club rugby. So I support Grant Dalton Dean Barker and the whole team they are gutsy and focused fighters in their field despite the loss it was a tremendous challenge and they have regained a huge amount of ground and respect from me.
Mark (Zurich)
I'm originally from Christchurch and now work in Switzerland for one of the companies that sponsored Alinghi. It would have been good to beat the "world team" as we call it here but regardless of the final result everyone here enjoyed the races. I have read on some posts that the NZ government only spent 10 million on the whole thing? That seems amazingly low for all the media coverage they received in Europe! People here are talking about NZ, going to NZ sites to find out more on the country, and some are talking about going on holiday there. Ask yourself how much a trip by the PM to some foreign country costs and what you get in return for it? Most companies/countries would love to get so much attention for just 10 million.Im disappointed by the give us more social services people thinking that the 10 million would help with this or that. That sort of small thinking is one of the reasons I and many of my fellow NZ'ers left the country.In the end it was a great race and we should be happy and proud that we were able to take part in it.
Caleb
To David, good to see you're using the classic English line about the All Blacks not being true born and bred New Zealanders, perhaps research it before going off half cocked.I live and work in london and the amount of times I have heard this drivel is enough to make me want to pack up and move to the dull insulated cocoon of Switzerland. Take care .
Subsin
Brad Butterworth NZ's greatest sportsman! how can you be NZ's greatest sportsman if you are Swiss?
Dave
Dear all,
I'm from Spain, exactly from Barcelona. I think that ETNZ is best than Alinghi team, but the experience is very important too, and Alinghi has a lot...So please don't broke this team, on 2009 the America's cup will come at NZ. I'm sure... Thanks for the biggest show that I never seen...Thanks Barker for lessons but remember all that Beard & Russell Coutts explain you experience. Thanks Mr.Dalton for this team, and try to repeat with same team, OK? See you on battle of 2009, and congratulations for the best supporters that I never see! Thanks kiwis!
Dean
Brad Butterhead New Zealand's best sportsman, I wouldn't say best sportsman he is definitely loyal though, Loyal to the $$$$$$$.
Auckland
I feel frustrated and disappointed at ETNZ loss of the AC.The hardware although different it demonstrated that it was equal in terms of performance despite the earlier hype about Alinghi.The problem was with the software or teams. Although both are the best Alinghi's proved to have the best afterguard (the sould of the boat). In a nutshell ETNZ handed over the last to races to Alinghi by making the same mistake of choice of sides when rounding the gate marks to starboard when the right was the wind favoured side.So the best team won!Despite this NZ should mount a new campaign as believe they have demonstrated that if they make less mistakes they can win.Brad showed he is better than Terry but he also works within a team.So provided we get serious sponsors we will be there in two year's time.
James Jones
No he's not. he is a talented sailor. Maybe he's Switzerland's greatest sportsman. Anyone who walks away from their home country and costs that country millions possibly billions of dollars in lost revenues, both in active sailors and in yachting exports [think 2 more successful defences of the cup], simply for personal gain, deserves no recognition from the country they've deserted.
John
TNZ was totally robbed of the chance to move on with the crappy call at the second rounding of the windward mark. When the TV reviewed the manover of TNZ did their tack to port, Alinghi immediately fell of 10 to 15 degrees, thus causing the conflict that the stupid Race Committee assigned the foul to TNZ, wrongly. What a sad ending to a great effort. The TNZ sailed so very well.
proud kiwi
Can I just say how proud I am of our boys. they gave it everything and came very close to beating Alinghi and getting the cup back, will have to wait until next time for that unfortunately.
Andy (South Wales)
As a first time watcher of the series, I have to say it's been fantastic. The best team won but it was mighty close - shame you didn't give the best helmsman in the team a go but then he wasn't a kiwi so there was never much chance of that! Watch out for Team Origin next time around hopefully some of the kiwi magic will have rubbed off on our lot as it did with Alinghi!
Concerned New Zealander
The final summation of Team New Zealand's effort in Valencia would be one of disappointment not to have won. TNZ lost 5-2 after leading in nearly all of those races in a boat that was as fast or faster in certain conditions than their opposition. What better opportunity than to race a first time defender without the main reason for their win in 2003 - Russell Coutts! As Kiwi's, let's face it the final result was a disaster! TNZ lost due to poor crew work at times & a malfunctioning afterguard. Summed up in the last race when they stuffed up both top mark roundings with Barker having a shocker giving a penalty to the Swiss on the second. Barker was shown to be weak and not up to life as a professional sportsman. Why when leading would you take the gate mark to the left hand side of the course when the right was favoured something like 80 per cent of the time in Valencia. Crew work was disastrous at times for a team that had just raced an entire LV Cup. Remember the race when TNZ blew out a downwind sail only to try and replace it with a sail without sheets on it! That was a race lost by the bow team and the grinders... fancy grinding up a spinnaker with no sheets on it! That's what happens when both of your grinders aren't sailors! After mistakes like these people should have been removed for the next race.
Moheka
I have re-visited my view of 'should ETNZ challenge again?'. No, is the short answer to that, not after the way they were treated at the after match by Alingi. Without ETNZ there, promoting the event will be hard, boycott the damn thing. Save our money, invest it in Tennis and train a whole stack of young talent to wipe the court of Swiss players, go to Switzerland, use as much taxpayers money to pouch all their Swiss tennis talent, set them up here in New Zealand and beat them in their national sport, good plan I think.
Suzanne
Please do not insult New Zealanders any further by suggesting Brad Butterworth be nominated for anything in NZ! He wouldn't call himself a New Zealander would he? Team NZ put every effort into the challenge and are to be commended, whether you like sailing or not! The fact that the Alinghi people are so ungracious doesn't gain them any more respect as winners. NZ aren't sore losers. Of course we're disappointed, but we gave them a darn good challenge didn't we? They acted liked spoilt brats. That's not good sportsmanship. Of course we'll get over it. But we do need to back this country. You can't just take the good bits!
Julian (Hamilton)
No, Brad Butterworth is not NZ's best sportperson, and I don't think he would like to placed in that position. I think this question is a very provocative, and has had some negative responses. He is a professional sportsman that is representing Switzerland, not New Zealand. His country of origin is New Zealand and always will be, but as far as NZ best sportperson, many other candidates deserve that title than him, what about the Black Fern Womens Rugby Team, winning the Women Rugby World Cup 3 times, Farrah Palmer led this team, she deserves these accolades, not only that, she is Dr Farrah Palmer, which she managed to achieve while leading her ladies through three Rugby World Cup campaigns, so yeah Brad Butterworth is hardly worthy in comparision, but awesome achievement at NZ expense though, maybe the Swiss can honour him.
Fred (Switzerland)
Come on Kiwis, don't be so sad. Alinghi wins again and he wins with some very nice sailers for New zealand. We are here proud that Alinghi wins, but that's all. No need to be arrogant and we aren't. The fact is that New Zealand get a lot of the best sailors in the world, but like Brutterworth said "sailling is important, but if you don't get the fast boat there is no way to win".And for that too we are proud cause the Alinghi's boat has been well produced in Switzerland with the help of the polytechnical school of Lausanne, desing team and so on everything is Swiss and also the spirit which consist to make a good atmosphere between people from different nationalities is also typical Swiss. We got 4 official language in our land and also we live with to confession (catholic and protestant) and we use to live without anger since 700 years.Don't be angry guys, we know that our team is international, but you have to think that our country is an open country to the world and for that we are proud too.
Exiled in Manchuria
Should NZ challenge again? Please no! But I'm sure we will. Is Brad Butterworth NZ's best sportsman? No. He's the best sailor from NZ that happened to be on a team, run by someone with more money than sense, who spent mega-bucks to win a garish bit of useless silverware. Good on him. The fool with the cash obviously gave him a reasonable slice of it.
Mike (Qatar)
Close but not close enough. We were all wrong, the boats were even on speed after all. Alinghi were simply a better drilled crew this time.Lets look to next time when we will be more mature and experienced. As for Butterworth, how can he be New Zealand's best sailor? Lets give him the credit for being Switzerland's best sailor. I think it would be great if he stays there to take the punishment next time round. Team NZ should be New Zealand's Team of the Year. Where else have we received such positive coverage?
landlord from the Bay
Okay New Zealand, 5-2 was a hiding, and to lose by one second is an even more thrashing than losing by one minute! Team New Zealand is number 2, the first to lose... get over it, They just weren't good enough. end of story! Read the scoreline 5 - 2 isn't even close. I'm glad they didn't bring it home, because the government would've done the 'Apple & Pear Board thing' and strangled the goodness out of the business it would have created. If New Zealand want to win this cup, then the they'll have to pay Russell Coutts big money to bring it back. Dean Barker lost it and he couldn't bring it home.Sorry guy's you just weren't good enough on more than just 2 occasions, and you needed 5 to make a difference.
Swiss guy (Geneva, CH)
I'm proud to be a Swiss, to live in Geneva. This Amercia's Cup was great, wonderful races. Alinghi did it again, they have won a second time the Cup. I have been to New Zealand for one month, I visited Auckland and his port, and I'm still thinking New Zealand is great !But I'm not really happy with few comments that I read here, not fair. 4 years ago, we have won 5-0, so it was just clear.This year, we have won 5-2, it was much more interesting than 4 years ago, because of a very good Team New Zealand.But Alinghi won. Maybe New Zealand have the best selling guy of the world, but for selling, you need a good boat, and in this case, Switzerland have the best one. IT Swiss technology is famous around the best, very good school like EPFL and ETHZ.So maybe Bertarelli have lot of money, but this guy is great. He loves selling, so he does his hobby ! Only with money, you can NOT win the Amercia's Cup ! You need clever persons, interest, motivation and good selling guys.In this case, Swiss team did the best...all a country, Switzerland, was behind Alinghi !Thank you Alinghi for your dreams !Thank you Switzerland. See you in 4 years...
Iaia from Rome (Italy)
Hello, I'm italian but I'm ETNZ supporter. I'm very sad for yesterday! But I'm comforting because Mr. Dalton wants "another shot at lifting the Auld Mug". At once the race hi says that: it would not have been another challenge. but fortunately it was only the reaction after the defeat.All final series was very exciting. Every match was the most exciting and fought of lastlast twenty years. "That show". To win is better than to participate, the boys have fought and always believed. Perhaps still racing in Valencia, but I think it will depend on the marketing of the city, also from the economic interests of the formula one.They have won...but now, tomorrow and forever : go go kiwis of team New Zealand. However your country has won because you have the best sailor of the world. Thanks.
Auckland
I will happily give money to another challenge, and another. The country has made the money back 10 fold through good PR and industry. Plus, it nice to focus on something positive in the press for a change and to see the immense pride Team NZ had for being kiwi'. It was an inspiration for all young people. They havent accept second place and nor should they, it is a loss. Try and try again until you win... something not taught in todays schools so yes, take my tax and win!
adam
I don't have a problem with coming second, it stings a little bit and then you go to work and realise that these guys are all millionaires and I try not to feel too bad for anyone with millions of dollars. I think we should go again at the Cup as it showcases NZ and the sailing industry here. That's a good thing. Brad Butterworth is not a kiwi sportsman, he's a Swiss sportsman when he's on Alinghi. Maybe they can give him their version of the Halberg award but we're mugs if we give him the kiwi one. After what happened after the race, maybe he would be the only one who would be allowed to attend the ceremony.
A Kiwi in Europe
Well it's over,the 'Cup' stays in the land of cowbells and if you look in the bottom corners of the 'Cup' Fondu.Ernesto and the boys will be eating out of it on the terrace of his Chateau over looking the only respectable piece of water in Switzerland, the 'Vierwaldstädter See' next week.Lets be honest 'they beat us',1 second,1 meter,1 tenth of a knot,there are no points for being close in the best of 9.Tactically we never had them,boat speed, they had more,teamwork, not one mistake.How did we look?, under pressure,in the leads we gave up,be honest.Not much in the press up here,NZ sells its self and Bertarelli doesn't want the cup 'downunder'We did him the favor, lets let it go.
Ford Watson
So, we taxpayers are going to spend $10 million to keep together a team of sailors which has been out-sailed and out-thought. Not really a good business decision, is it?
saul loosier
Why do some parties have such contempt for kiwis aboard Alinghi? gosh, they are at the top of the game and they deserve to choose wherever they wish to pick their place of work.I work in a well-paying, multi-national foreign engineering firm; If my team were to win a bidding war with a homegrown kiwi firm for a tremendous public contract, would I qualify as a traitor to New Zealand as well? If so, we might as well close our doors and bring back all of our best brain and man power from overseas - have the govt subsidies their salaries, and this would only mean paying for taxes, goods and services through our noses.Like himself, the minister's justification for splurging more into the Alinghi's cup campaign is farcical - then why is it so difficult for SPARC to be doling handouts to minor sports? after all the fundings would only trickle back to the local economy.
Taylor (Switzerland)
Head up and be proud!Deano and the Team did an amazing job!Go Team New Zealand for the next Cup and make your dream come true.
Simon
To paraphrase Michael Cullen, we won, you didn't. Get over it.I am amazed that so many in a country the majority of whose population is descended from families who sought a better life overseas should be so vitriolic towards a few highly - skilled individuals who have sought to do exactly the same thing. Is every Kiwi who leaves to work overseas a traitor? I don't think so.
If I was a Kiwi taxpayer I would be more concerned about my elected government's readiness to gamble millions of dollars of my money against individuals such as Bertorelli or Ellison whose pockets are truly bottomless. Other syndicates do not rely on state funding - other governments understand the risks of taking on men with money to burn as well as recognising their priorities and obligations towards their electorate.
Arthur
I'm not interested in sailing. But as a Swiss, I was interested in the way New Zealanders perceive the event. I must say I totally disagree with those thinking that your government money shouldn't have gone for the race. I've been in New Zealand once, for a bit more than a month. This is an awesome country, so much that I even hesitated to apply for citizenship. Amazing landscape, and a general feeling of easiness toward life that you wouldn't find anywhere but on a very retired island...But the problem also is that it is a retired island, and you probably ignore how much western world generally ignore you. How could it be different, for a 4 millions habitants island almost lost in the middle of south pacific? You began to be more known in Europe and in the US after the Lord of the Rings film (I remember with my cotravellers we used to say that landscapes looked like in Tolkien's book, 5 years before the movie came). In New Zealand, I've never seen so many people expressing their curiosity for Europe, from the coach driver t