Should I stay or should I go? A dash for Cup cash

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

So who will New Zealanders barrack for when the America's Cup challengers come to town?

Will it be the Swiss-Kiwi team, the Seattle-Kiwi syndicate or the Larry Ellison-Kiwi challenge?

Judging by the public's mortification at the mass defections from Team New Zealand, it is most likely to be that old crowd favourite Prada, who seem to have left the New Zealanders alone.

Team New Zealand's defence continues to be plundered and pillaged by the new breed of money men of the America's Cup: Swiss pharmaceuticals billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, Seattle telecommunications billionaire Craig McCaw, and the richest of them all, Oracle mogul Ellison.

Cup legend Dennis Conner has nicknamed them "the Bees" (as in B for billionaire).

So far, 13 frontline sailors have jumped ship to the new big three - compared with the 16 who have signed up again at Team New Zealand.

The defenders have also scored some promising new young sailors, giving them an opportunity that would not have come so soon if most of the old guard had not left in such a hurry.

Tactician Peter Evans and trimmers Tony Rae and Grant Loretz have yet to make their decisions.

Back on land, Team NZ have kept at least 12 key designers and shore crew - and lost eight.

Former Team NZ skipper Russell Coutts, who has taken five crew with him to Bertarelli's Swiss challenge, expects to be pelted with rotten tomatoes when he sails out of the Viaduct Basin in a different-coloured boat.

And former team boss Sir Peter Blake warns the defectors not to expect a rousing welcome when they return for the 2002 Louis Vuitton Cup.

"They mustn't be surprised if people here are bitter about it. That feeling is only going to get stronger.

"If they expect people to clap and cheer as they come into the Viaduct they're in for a big shock.

"It's a bit like the All Blacks turning up here next year to play wearing a French, American or Australian jersey."

Team NZ: who's in, who's out

America's Cup feature