Dalton's team set to fly into Cup challenge

By JULIE ASH

Emirates Team New Zealand's managing director Grant Dalton is confident he has the right people to win back the America's Cup.

The team yesterday confirmed they would challenge for the Cup in Spain in 2007, with Emirates Airline as their major sponsor.

Toyota New Zealand returns as one of two second-tier "elite" sponsors. The second has yet to be found.

The Government will also provide $33.75 million as an investment to get trade and tourism spin-offs.

Dalton would not say what the budget was, although it is generally accepted that teams need at least US$80 million ($128 million) to run a serious campaign.

"We have set a number and we are at 85 per cent of that number," he said.

"Over the next year we will try to mop that up."

Also revealed yesterday was the makeup of the sailing team and design crew.

"With 70 people under contract, we have a team that is more experienced and is more international in its makeup," Dalton said.

"In almost every instance the people we wanted signed with us despite competitive offers.

"At full strength the team will have 90."

Of the 26 so far secured in the sailing crew, just over half remain from last year's defence.

The all-important afterguard takes on a completely new look with just skipper Dean Barker and Australian Adam Beashel remaining from the disastrous 2003 campaign.

New to the team is highly regarded British sailor Ben Ainslie, who for the past three years has been the world Finn champion. Ainslie is also an accomplished Laser sailor, having won gold in the 2000 Olympics and silver in 1996.

American Kevin Hall, who sailed with OneWorld, also joins the afterguard, along with former Stars and Stripes tactician Terry Hutchinson.

Veteran New Zealand sailors Kelvin Harrap, who has sailed in three cups (OneWorld 2003, American True 2000 and Tag Heuer 1995) and Ray Davies, who was a member of Team New Zealand's weather team in the last Cup, also join the brains trust.

In a move which surprised many, Dalton named Rod Davis, who has sailed on and off for New Zealand in the Cup over the past 10 years, as the afterguard coach and a member of the afterguard.

"Rod has vast experience but I do see him as an impact player," Dalton said. "The key to the whole campaign is now to knit that afterguard together and that is his job."

The 5-0 loss to Alinghi last year highlighted weaknesses in the afterguard and in trimming, areas which Dalton said have been addressed.

"Terry [Hutchinson] is a great communicator and is a very good match racer but particularly he is a good communicator. Kevin [Hall] is a good navigator but he is also very technical.

"Ben [Ainslie] is without question the best dinghy sailor in the world and as a strategist, in that role, you know that in time he is going to be the best there has ever been.

"Then forward of that you have got Don Cowie on the main and Adam Beashel. The key is to make that ingredient work now."

He said a lack of top sailors in New Zealand meant he had to look overseas for afterguard members.

Although some would question why further changes were not made in the sailing team considering the heavy loss, Dalton said in his opinion the front of the boat and the middle of the boat worked "okay".

He said it was obvious that trimming needed work and the "afterguard definitely needed work, and those are the areas we are working on".

He said the upcoming America's Cup regattas and Swedish Match Tour events would give the syndicate plenty of chances to test the crew.

"One of the good things is that we have more time and we have got lots of racing so we'll be able to see pretty quickly how it is all coming together."

The 14-member design team also received a shakeup.

Headed by Britain's Andy Claughton, the key appointments include Italy's Giovanni Belgrano, who worked on Il Moro and Prada, and Spain's Marcelino Botin.

Barker said that already the team had a different feel about it.

"I am rapt the team looks very strong, the areas which have been identified as weaknesses last time have definitely been addressed.

"Now it is really a case of putting the structures in place.

"It is all very well having the best guys in the world but you have to make sure that everyone works well together."

Yachting New Zealand's high performance manager, Peter Lester, said the challenge was a credit to Dalton.

"This is great for New Zealand, for our clubs and great for our little kids to look up and say 'Hey, I can do the America's Cup one day'," Lester said. "It is fantastic."

The line-up

Sailing team

Joe Allen (New Zealand), sailing coach and video analyst.
*Ben Ainslie (Britain), afterguard.
Dean Barker (New Zealand) skipper.
Adam Beashel (Australia) afterguard.
*Don Cowie (New Zealand), trimmer.
James Dagg (New Zealand) trimmer.
Ray Davies (New Zealand) afterguard.
*Rod Davis (New Zealand) afterguard/coach.
*Kevin Hall (America), afterguard
*Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) afterguard
*Terry Hutchinson (America), afterguard.
Nick Heron (New Zealand), mastman.
*Andy Hemmings (United Kingdom), trimmer.
Jared Henderson (New Zealand), pit and grinder.
Jeremy Lomas (New Zealand), bowman.
Grant Loretz (New Zealand), trimmer.
Chris McAsey (New Zealand), grinder.
Winstone Macfarlane (New Zealand), grinder.
*Matthew Mason (New Zealand), mastman.
Richard Meacham (New Zealand) bowman.
Jonathan Macbeth (New Zealand), grinder.
Tony Rae (New Zealand), trimmer.
Chris Salthouse (New Zealand), trimmer.
Rob Salthouse (New Zealand), trimmer.
Rob Waddell (New Zealand), grinder.
Chris Ward (New Zealand), grinder.
* new team member

Design team
Andrew Claughton (UK), Giovanni Belgrano (Italy), Marcelino Botin (Spain), Jamie France (New Zealand), Vincent Geake (New Zealand, Nick Holroyd (New Zealand), Nick Hutchins (New Zealand), Masanobu Katori (Japan), Andrew Kensington (New Zealand), Christopher Miller (USA), Clay Oliver (USA), Tom Schnackenberg (New Zealand), Daryl Senn (New Zealand), Neil Wilkinson (New Zealand).

Notable omissions from the 2003 defence Mike Drummond (Alinghi), Matt Mitchell (Alinghi), Hamish Pepper, Cameron Appleton, Dan Slater, Erle Williams, Bertrand Pace, Joe Spooner (Oracle), Ian Baker (Oracle), Carl Williams (Oracle), Zac Hurst (Oracle).

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup