Schnackenberg doing it for the fans

By JULIE ASH

The man once described by Dennis Conner as having the best brain in yachting says he couldn't turn his back on Team New Zealand out of loyalty to their supporters.

Tom Schnackenberg could easily have jumped ship after the 2000 defence with Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth who were to have joined Schnackenberg and taken over the management of Team New Zealand.

But the 57-year-old said the team's fans made it impossible to leave.

"The support we have had since we won in 1995 has made us realise how important the America's Cup is to New Zealand," said Schnackenberg, who is not only Team New Zealand's syndicate head but also the design co-ordinator and a member of the afterguard.

"It is the same this time as it was last time - people say to you 'you've got to win it, you've got to keep it here'.

"There was no question in my mind about staying."

In a recent radio interview Ralph Norris, head of the Team New Zealand Trust, recalled talking to Schnackenberg about Coutts and Butterworth taking jobs with Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss syndicate Alinghi.

Schnackenberg was sitting in a hotel room in Monaco lost for words.

Norris remembered Schnackenberg saying: "If I can't do it for Team New Zealand I can't do it for anyone".

In less than a week, Schnackenberg and Team New Zealand will line up against several of those who deserted them.

"We want to win just to hold on to the cup," he said.

"It is not a personal thing. All I think about is if we win we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.

"If we don't win we can blame ourselves for not doing our job right."

Competing in his eighth America's Cup regatta, it will be the fourth time Schnackenberg has been involved in the match.

He was the sail co-ordinator of Alan Bond's Australia II when Australia became the first nation to take the cup away from the United States in 1983.

Schnackenberg, a nuclear physicist, joined Team New Zealand as a design co-ordinator and navigator for the 1995 campaign. He helped them win the cup and defend it in 2000.

"For you to win you have to do everything right. You have to move forward in the game whether it be with your sailing style or design or understanding of the environment. "You have to move quickly to stay level with the top of the fleet.

"Relying on experience is not enough. I think the most experienced team here was Dennis Conner's team which didn't win."

While Team New Zealand's yachts NZL81 and NZL82 have created plenty of interest, especially with their hull appendages, Schnackenberg echoes skipper Dean Barker in saying the appendages are not necessarily Team New Zealand's ticket to success.

Already there are questions as to how the black boat will fare in light conditions and upwind against Alinghi's SUI64.

"You need to get that in perspective. It is just one aspect of the design, there are pluses and minuses in different conditions," said Schnackenberg.

"We think it is a gain but the design problem is you always give something to get something.

"There is a delightful sense of expectation around but you have got two very credible performers out there and nobody knows what is going to happen."

Team New Zealand have until 1pm today to declare whether they will race NZL81 or NZL82.

For the crew the next few days will involve some fine tuning on the Hauraki Gulf.

"It is the America's Cup and we are going up against a team that has beaten eight other teams so they are not to be taken lightly.

"But we are where we want to be. We'll see on Saturday if we are where we need to be."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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