Team NZ woo cup veteran

By JULIE ASH

Veteran American sailor John Kostecki could be sailing for Team New Zealand in the next America's Cup.

Team New Zealand head Grant Dalton met Kostecki in the United States last month and the American is now expected in Auckland this month for a second meeting with Dalton and Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker.

"I have been in talks with John," Dalton said. "We are planning further talks with him later this month, when he will meet Dean and me."

An Olympic silver medallist, two-time America's Cup tactician, 10-time world champion in a range of one-design classes and Whitbread veteran, Kostecki would be a huge boost for Team New Zealand.

His leadership and sailing skills would strengthen Team New Zealand's inexperienced afterguard, which was heavily criticised after the 5-0 loss to Swiss syndicate Alinghi.

Kostecki was tactician on Young America in 1995 and on America One in 2000. His most recent success was in the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean race, in which he skipped German entry Illbruck to first place.

With half-a-dozen New Zealanders aboard, Illbruck dominated the race, winning four of the nine legs.

The plan was for Illbruck to finish the round-the-world race then move to Auckland and challenge for the America's Cup.

But the team could not find enough money to pay for their campaign and it fell over, despite the hull of GER68 being almost completed and a base already set up in Auckland.

Kostecki visited Auckland during the last challenger series, when he said a company had been formed by himself, Ross Halcrow, Michael Richelson and Michael Illbruck, and the team were hoping to be on the start line in the next cup.

Whether Dalton has just met Kostecki or there are plans to merge the two challenges is not known.

Dalton said he and Barker had met several sailors and designers in the past month and hoped to announce key appointments in the next three to four weeks.