British sailor backs thrust for Cup

By Suzanne McFadden

Young-gun skipper Andy Green can claim to be among less than a handful of British sailors trying to win the America's Cup.

Englishman Green, who scored the biggest win of his young sailing career at the Bermuda Gold Cup this week, is helping out the Hawaiians in Auckland.

Twenty-five-year-old Green arrived in town yesterday after beating three of the world's top 10 skippers at the Bermuda grand prix.

It is one of matchracing's most prized trophies - Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts won the title last year.

But Green won't be sailing on Abracadabra 2000 in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series as he does not have American nationality.

But with the British syndicate failing to make it to Auckland, Green is happy to help out the Brits' traditional enemy in cup history.

He will drive the "B" boat - whichever of the two Abracadabras is not racing - and work as the syndicate's rules expert.

Green has sailed on the world matchracing circuit for three years with his British Racing Green crew.

He gave up his job in a London advertising agency, where he managed the accounts of Ford and the Millennium Dome, to go sailing.

Abracadabra crewman Marco Constant joined the Green team in Bermuda, where they beat world No 7 Marcus Wieser in the semifinals, and world No 5 Magnus Holmberg in the final.

"It was by far our biggest win," Green said. "We'd been threatening for a while. And it was very good timing - just before the cup kicks off."

The Hawaiian boats have remained in the shed on their cup village base since they arrived a fortnight ago, as the crew continue to work on the newest boat, USA54, which has never been in the water.

The syndicates say it could be another two weeks before they head out on the Hauraki Gulf, cutting it fine before the first round-robin starts on October 18.