Leaky effort by Menzies to bail out Team NZ

By CHRIS RATTUE

It was Team New Zealand as we had never quite seen them before in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron at Westhaven. Although, as the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

With a backdrop of yachts gently rocking under the Auckland sun, TNZ director Peter Menzies sat alone in a ground-floor corner, eyeball to eyeball with about 30 media, revealing all that he would allow about the failed America's Cup defence.

There was no gunnel for Menzies to sit upon, unlike during the campaign when Dean Barker, Tom Schnackenberg and Co hid their concerns from the heights of the press centre podium.

Those key team members were even more distant yesterday, muzzled as Menzies stated only he would talk on this subject.

Those covering the campaign faced difficulties getting face-to-face squeaks out of skipper Barker and his cohorts, and were left questioning from the floor as the stars tried to twinkle from above.

Unlike the accommodating challengers, TNZ didn't even give the media pre-regatta rides on their boats, apart from one jaunt for the international press crew.

Little wonder, as it turned out. There was the hula to keep secret, but TNZ also knew their campaign was in trouble. On the occasion the media got close on TNZ's chase boat, they had to carry a busted boom back to shore. Symbolism in hindsight.

Podium or no podium, first-time humbling admissions or not, Menzies still delivered a message from on high yesterday.

"We have captured the hearts and minds of all New Zealanders, and in recent times we have had the nation's unqualified commitment and support," the introduction to the eight-page report claimed.

Wrong. There are, TNZ, citizens disinterested in this mega-money contest and yachting in general, just as there are those who don't give a toss about the All Blacks.

And TNZ have got even less chance in the hearts and minds stakes when they make all the wrong splashes on race day.

TNZ haven't learnt, even at the very moment they are publicly trying to learn from the past.

In a nutshell, Menzies' report conceded the campaign had too much test tube and not enough tub testing.

Through circumstance or design they were missing a healthy dose of expert instinct.

That, presumably, is why the sea-faring Grant Dalton is now in charge.

Menzies, whose CV includes running the huge Mainzeal company for two decades and trusteeship on The Warehouse-associated Tindall Foundation, might see a strange irony.

This $90 million construction project ended up relying on a blue bucket you could get for loose change at a bargain store.

When asked if he feared New Zealand might one day be priced out of escalating water warfare, Menzies replied that the new campaign would not cost the $150 million some predict, and sponsors would be attracted to the cup profile in Europe.

But, he hinted, TNZ might have to be bailed out by even greater overseas money. Conclusion? Dalton - who knows a thing or two about going around the world - will take an extra large collection bucket on his travels this time.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup