Team NZ close in on their recruitment targets

By JULIE ASH

Team New Zealand could have up to 20 sailors and designers signed within two weeks.

Syndicate head Grant Dalton has already appointed British-born Andy Claughton as the design co-ordinator, and said he was confident of further signings in the next week or so.

Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, former syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg and former chief executive Ross Blackman all have contracts until the end of the campaign.

"We are in final discussions with around 20 people at this stage in the area of design and sailing," Dalton said. "I don't have any reason to suspect any of those deals will fall over."

Dalton would not elaborate on the names, saying he didn't want to give his team's game away. But it is known that Dalton has met former illbruck sailors John Kostecki and Ross Halcrow. Kostecki is an Olympic silver medallist, two-time America's Cup tactician, 10-time world champion in a range of classes and a Whitbread veteran. Dalton said he would be a tremendous asset.

"John looks pretty likely. I think it was identified by the report and also by watching it on telly that Team New Zealand were weak in the back end of the boat. John brings a lot of experience in that area.

"His credentials, in terms of yachting, cannot be faulted - in fact he may be the best in the world. We need a sailor-driven model and the only way you can do that and make it work is to have the right sailors, and he brings a lot of experience."

Halcrow, a trimmer, has sailed with Team New Zealand before. It is also understood Dalton has been in discussions with former OneWorld sailor and Aucklander Kevin Shoebridge in relation to the role of sailing manager.

"There are a lot from the old team but there is a lot of new people as well," Dalton said of the 20. "There are people that will come into here from other teams, people that have been involved in the America's Cup in previous years for Team New Zealand."

Just which designers Dalton has approached is of particular interest. He confirmed that Schnackenberg will have more of a "roving role" but would not comment on the future of former designers Mike Drummond and Clay Oliver.

If he was looking overseas, Dalton may have approached Italian-based Mani Frers who designed Dalton's boat, Amer Sports One, in the last round-the-world race. Frers worked for Prada in the 2000 Cup and was responsible for Victory Challenge's boats in the last Cup.

Since OneWorld and Prada are not expected to challenge in the next cup, Dalton may also have considered former Team New Zealand designers Laurie Davidson and Doug Peterson. "I can say we have not missed anybody at the moment that we would desperately want," Dalton said.

Claughton has a long history with the New Zealand syndicate. As manager of the tank and wind-testing programmes, he was part of the successful campaigns in 1995 and 2000 and was with the New Zealand Challenge in 1988 and 1992 and KZ7 in 1987.

"We have deliberately worked on the changes in the team personnel-wise before hitting the money trail really hard, simply because one of the first questions asked is, 'What are the changes'?" Dalton said. But the discussions he has had with potential sponsors, including the family of five, have gone well.

He said Team New Zealand would compete in the Newport regatta in a year if everything was on track.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup