KZ7 to return home in all her glory

By Suzanne McFadden

A spruced-up KZ7 will be coming home to New Zealand to be a showboat in the America's Cup.

The Plastic Fantastic, the darling of the 1987 cup in Fremantle, is now living the high life on the Mediterranean.

After her appearance among the modern-day cup boats in Auckland, KZ7 could be bound for England to star in the 150th anniversary re-enactment of the first race for the America's Cup.

The 12-metre fibreglass yacht is still owned by Fay Richwhite but has been chartered to Patrizio Bertelli, the head of Italy's Prada cup challenge.

Millionaire Bertelli, CEO of the Prada fashion house, has restored KZ7 and has been racing her on the Mediterranean. Last year she won the San Tropez regatta, the world championship for old cup 12-metres.

Fay Richwhite spokeswoman Michelle Boag said the boat would be on her way back to Auckland at the end of the year to take her place in the 2000 cup celebrations, as New Zealand's first-ever America's Cup yacht.

It is also likely that KZ7 will take her place in the Jubilee Regatta in Cowes in August 2001, to celebrate 150 years since America beat allcomers for the Hundred Guinea Cup.

All America's Cup yachts since 1851 are invited to take part in the six-day regatta. On August 22, the fleet will follow the exact course of the original cup race around the Isle of Wight.

New Zealand's plans to hold a harbour parade of past Kiwi cup boats look to be slowly sinking.

Sir Michael Fay had hoped to have the yachts back in the water during the cup. But getting KZ1, the 1988 big boat, off its permanent cradle in the Viaduct Basin and watertight again would cost at least seven figures.

"A full role-call is probably too ambitious," Boag said. "A number of people would certainly like to see it done. But it's still uncertain whether it's possible to get all of the boats back in the water."