Yachting: Blake spot on with cup numbers

By Suzanne McFadden

He is no soothsayer, but so far Sir Peter Blake's prophesies have come good.

Two years ago Sir Peter predicted that 12 or 13 yachts from foreign waters would line up to contest the America's Cup in Auckland. They would all queue up to live in a village on the waterfront.

Two days before the final deadline for entries into the Louis Vuitton challenger series, there are 12 registered syndicates and one - Russia - is hovering.

Of the 12 entered, 11 have bases in the purpose-built cup village in the Viaduct Basin - and the other, Young Australia, is negotiating to squeeze in as well.

The British confirmed yesterday that they are not coming to Auckland. The calamitous Hong Kong challenge have slipped off the face of the Earth.

But last night there was renewed hope that the Russians could get it together by the 4 pm Sunday deadline.

The Age of Russia syndicate were last night issued a sail number for an old cup boat built in 1992. Their official entry has yet to come in.

Syndicates have to have a sail number for at least one cup boat by Sunday, or they are out of the regatta.

"The numbers are pretty much as I expected," said Sir Peter, head of the Team New Zealand defence. "Twelve or 13 was just a guesstimate I made, but it makes for a very big regatta.

"I still don't think that anyone understands how big this is going to be."

The record for the largest number of challengers is 13 - in Fremantle in 1986, the only other time the America's Cup has been raced outside the United States. That dropped to 12 after the first round.

"It doesn't matter if we don't have 13 - we just have to make sure this is the best regatta," Sir Peter said. "We did everything we could to encourage as many syndicates to come. The Government and the city have bent over backwards to make it happen."

Sir Peter said he was disappointed that the British were not coming, but was buoyed by the news of the Russian campaign. "The Russians would add a lot of colour to the America's Cup.

"A 1992 boat won't be very competitive - it could be a pain in the butt for others to have to race them, perhaps. But I don't think all the teams are expecting to win.

"If a team like Russia came to town and didn't have the money to stay in a motel, I'm sure there would be enough people around Auckland who would be very happy to billet them."