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Merchant banker Sir Michael Fay will next year become the fourth New Zealander inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame.
He joins the late Sir Peter Blake, Russell Coutts and Tom Schnackenberg as members of the Hall of Fame, set up alongside the Herreshoff Marine Museum at Rhode Island in the United States.
Sir Michael played a key role in New Zealand's first challenge for the Cup in 1987, when the "plastic fantastic" KZ7 reached the finals of the challenger series in New Zealand's first attempt at lifting lift yachting's most prestigious trophy.
He then launched the surprise "big boat" challenge in 1988, which saw Dennis Conner's catamaran beat the New Zealand monohull on the water and, after two years, in the courts as well.
Sir Michael mounted a third campaign, in 1992, when his New Zealand Challenge lost in the challengers finals, this time to Italian syndicate Il Moro di Venezia.
After three campaigns in five years, Sir Michael decided against leading another challenge. By 1995 Sir Peter Blake had formed Team New Zealand which went on to win the America's Cup off Conner and the San Diego Yacht Club.
Sir Michael is one of three people who will be inducted in February next year, the others being San Diego sailing stalwart Malin Burnham and marine photographer Stanley Z. Rosenfeld.
The Hall was created in 1992 by the descendants of Nathaniel Herreshoff, a long-time Cup designer and manufacturer.
Sir Michael Fay makes it into Cup Hall of Fame
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