Government could help fund Cup challenge, says Clark

11.00am

Prime Minister Helen Clark indicated today the Government could fund a bid to regain yachting's America's Cup "if there is a next challenge".

But any Government funding would have to be backed up by "very, very substantial" private sector money, she said.

Swiss syndicate Alinghi yesterday whitewashed Team New Zealand 5-0 to take the cup to Europe for the first time.

Government funding for the cup defence exceeded $8.6 million.

Miss Clark would not commit taxpayers' money outright to a challenge in Europe.

"I think there is going to have to be a very sober assessment of that," she told the Breakfast television programme this morning.

"We see considerable benefits, but it's not just the Government seeing the benefits, it's got to be substantial private sector money as well."

Team New Zealand plunged out of the cup after failing to finish two races through gear breakages, in the most dismal defence in cup history.

Miss Clark said to see the government investment only in sporting terms was to take too narrow a view.

The America's Cup gave New Zealand a permanently higher platform off which to project "our brand, our tourism, everything about New Zealand".

"It has been a great success for New Zealand. You can't run your economy around a single event, but while the platform is there you use it to the full, and we've done that."

Syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg was adamant defeat did not spell the end for Team New Zealand.

"We think this is a building block and we think we can create a formidable campaign in the next event."

Schnackenberg was convinced "more than ever" that New Zealand could regain the cup.

Government ministers yesterday congratulated Alinghi on winning the America's Cup while thanking Team New Zealand for a "great run".

Alinghi was skippered by New Zealander Russell Coutts and Miss Clark also had praise for him.

"Russell has won a lot of acclaim for New Zealand in the past. This time he's sailed under a different hat but what is clear is that he's one of the world's greatest sailors and I think we can take a little pride in that."

Sports Minister Trevor Mallard, the minister for the America's Cup, said all New Zealanders would admire Alinghi's experience and decisive victory.

"Team New Zealand, with Dean Barker at the helm, fought hard, displaying courage in challenging circumstances.

"The fact that we were in a position to defend the cup twice is a testament to New Zealanders' international prowess in yachting's most elite competition and that is something we can all celebrate."

Tourism Minister Mark Burton said he was sorry to see the America's Cup heading to Europe but said the race series had put New Zealand on the map.

"Defending the cup has given New Zealand the kind of positive publicity no amount of money could buy.

"I'm proud of Team New Zealand for holding the America's Cup for eight years - good on ya, guys."

Meanwhile Clark said Alinghi syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli was "naive" if he thought he could buy New Zealand's best sailors without ill felling.

Bertarelliwrote to Miss Clark on December 23 asking for protection.

Bertarelli urged the prime minister to speak out in defence of the Swiss challengers.

"It is our view that a signal calling for fair play and condemning aggression does urgently need to be sent to the New Zealand public from a credible source," he said.

Miss Clark told the Breakfast television programme she was overseas when the letter was sent, so acting prime minister Michael Cullen dealt with it.

But while she had never seen the letter, she appeared to shrug off concerns expressed by the Swiss billionaire.

"Ernesto Bertarelli would be a little naive if he thought he could come in, buy the top people from the (New Zealand) team and not have a little bit of ill feeling about it," she said.

"Sure he writes to the prime minister, it's a democracy, he got some sort of reply from the acting prime minister. Life went on."

Bertarelli told Swiss newspapers in January he was tired of "the campaign of aggression" in New Zealand ahead of the start of the cup challenge.

Key Alinghi team members Russell Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth, who defended the cup for New Zealand in 2000, were criticised and threatened.

Bodyguards were assigned to protect members of the Alinghi team after crewmen and their families were threatened.

Letters received by Alinghi in mid-December came from an organisation calling itself Teach The Traitors a Lesson.

Another organisation calling itself BlackHeart launched a publicity campaign against Coutts and other "defectors".

- NZPA


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