Aloha yachts hoping for ethnic empathy

By Suzanne McFadden

Aloha Racing are hoping for a big "kia ora" from Kiwi yachting fans during the America's Cup.

The Hawaiian campaign wants the local Polynesian community to back them during the challenger series starting on the Hauraki Gulf in October.

"Team New Zealand don't get to bat until February 2000, so we are hoping New Zealanders cheer for us, another Polynesian team, through the challenger series," said spokeswoman DJ Cathcart, in Auckland this week on a fact-finding mission.

"We are working hard in Hawaii to promote the seafaring tradition aspect of it. We would love to include the Maori community in our challenge."

Aloha Racing are planning to bring Hawaiian outriggers to Auckland as part of the cup and millennium festivities.

The Hawaiians have already picked up on the similarities between their campaign and the Team New Zealand one of 1995.

"We are an extremely small campaign from a country with a very strong seafaring history," said Cathcart, who starts and ends her conversations with a cheery "Aloha."

Like Team New Zealand four years ago, Aloha Racing are not attracting attention to themselves. They don't send out press releases proclaiming every step in their project.

Their first boat, nearing completion, will be christened Abracadabra 2000.

"There's a bit of a connection with the Black Magic name," Cathcart said.

Abracadabra is, in fact, the name of the boat belonging to one of the big backers of the Hawaiian campaign, Dr Jim Andrews.

An acclaimed orthopaedic surgeon, Andrews is a director of Healthsouth, the giant American healthcare company that has paid for the design and construction programme.

Aloha are more than happy with the allocation of their sail number for their first boat. It will be USA 50, which is fitting with Hawaii being the 50th American state.

The boat's nickname is Hawaii Five-O.

Construction of the first hull began in November and the boat should be launched in May.

The drawings for boat No 2 are sitting in Aloha Racing's Waikiki office, and building will start any day.

Both yachts are being built in Hawaii, at Ko Olina, an hour's drive from downtown Waikiki.

It is the first time such big and complex racing boats have been constructed in the islands.

The hulls will be illustrated by celebrated marine artist Wyland, whose colourful murals of sea life grace the walls of buildings in cities around the world.

Aloha will carry out sea trials off Waikiki, in waters they say are similar to the America's Cup course on the Hauraki Gulf on a rough day.

Skipper John Kolius is still determining his crew for Auckland. Crew trials have been on board Andrews' Abracadabra, a One Design 48.

The campaign will set up home in the Cup Village in late August.