Roadshow spreading Cup gospel according to Sir Peter

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Sir Peter Blake began his quest yesterday to convince New Zealanders living south of the Bombay Hills that yachting's America's Cup is not Auckland's cup.

Blake, the man behind the 2000 defence, visited the business leaders of Palmerston North and stops in Napier today to spread the cup gospel.

He will call on every major centre from Whangarei to Invercargill over the summer.

"New Zealand won the America's Cup through the enthusiasm of the whole country, not just Auckland," he said.

"We really want to let New Zealand know - on a one-to-one basis as much as possible - that there are enormous opportunities for them from this event."

Blake will push the message that visitors coming for the America's Cup season, between October 1999 and March 2000, can be enticed to visit places outside Auckland.

"The countries who have interest in the Louis Vuitton Cup challengers represent 70 per cent of inbound tourism to New Zealand, and 72 per cent of our trade," he said.

"The message I'm taking around the country is `we can't do it for you, but the opportunities are all there.' People will want to get away from it all, so all of New Zealand can benefit."

Blake will suspend the tour next month when Team New Zealand's sailing programme on the Hauraki Gulf kicks in again.

He will not be sailing on the black boats this time. Instead he will be working from an inflatable boat on the weather programme with American weather guru Bob Rice.

Blake made a similar roadshow tour of the country before the 1985-86 Whitbread round the world race to drum up support, travelling with his wife, Pippa, and baby daughter, Sarah-Jane "with a caravan and a bassinet."

"The memories are flooding back - not all of them good," Blake laughed.