Rehearsal for Cup 'drop' in the ocean

By Suzanne McFadden

It doesn't matter who wins - the true aim of the Road to the America's Cup next week is to run a smooth dress rehearsal for the real thing in eight month's time.

But it will be a drop in the ocean compared to what the Hauraki Gulf can expect for the main match in February 2000.

You can take the results of the races with a pinch of salt. This six-day regatta is more of a wake up call that the America's Cup is about to take over Auckland.

The team set up to control crowds on the gulf - including the harbourmaster, police, and coastguard - will be out on the Waitemata Harbour through the week for the practice run.

Spectators out on the water will be able to tune into Channel 8 on the VHF radio for instructions on where they can and cannot go around the changeable course area.

The people who are running the 2000 event, from the challengers to the defender, will get a brief taste of what is to come.

The racing side of this mini-America's Cup is modelled on the real thing. Three challengers sail against each other in four round robins and the winner meets the defender, Team New Zealand, in next weekend's best-of-nine final.

Team New Zealand boss Sir Peter Blake said the preliminary helps promote the big event and gives the organisers some clue of what could happen around the race course.

"While it's not the America's Cup, at least it will help everybody to get themselves in order," he said. "People have to understand the cup is closing in - it's not like it's a couple of years away anymore."

This regatta is more spectator-friendly than the cup. It will be held somewhere between the easy vantage points of North Head, Orakei Wharf, Rangitoto Island, and the East Coast Bays - depending where the wind is blowing from.

The course is a lot shorter than the cup marathons and it is a regatta that doesn't hinge on how fast your boat is.

The two yachts used are identical - twins from New Zealand's 1992 America's Cup campaign. The black and white boats are the only twin cup boats in the world.

But don't expect Team New Zealand to always be the guys in the black boat. The crews will swap ship every couple of races in the weekend's final.

This could be the boats' last appearance on Auckland waters, after they have helped New Zealand through three America's Cup campaigns.

"They are still strong boats - they have never been run into the ground," Sir Peter said of the craft that may be put up for sale.

Realistically Team New Zealand have an advantage - the bulk of their crew is unchanged from the team who won the cup four years ago.

Two of the challengers, Prada and America True, have been living in Auckland and sailing almost every day on their training boats since late last year.

The French have made a special trip here for the regatta - they sailed in last year's event.

The Swiss Fast 2000 team pulled out last week, saying they wanted to spend what money they had on training on the gulf rather than racing. But America True boss and skipper Dawn Riley says the chance to race against Team New Zealand is the reason why her team are doing it.

"It's not like we are going to find out anything special about the cup area, because we're not racing there," she said.

"But it's a sneak preview of the main event in 2000. It can be a good indication of how the teams will fare. And it's a good way for us to cap off our four months training here."

The idea of inviting foreign crews to sail against Team New Zealand began before the last America's Cup.

In 1994, Japanese, French, and American crews came to sail in the twin IACC boats in Paihia, Auckland, and Wellington.

TNZ reissued invitations in 1997, but for a regatta this time based on the America's Cup scenario - challengers battling each other with the winner racing Team New Zealand.

So far the defender has always been the victor - in 1997 they beat the British Challenge and then outgunned the Italians last year.