Yachting: Last three sailors sign for Team NZ

By SUZANNE MCFADDEN

The dramatic first chapter of Team New Zealand's next America's Cup defence finally closed last night.

After 24 hours of intense negotiations, the defenders signed the last three sailors - trimmers Tony Rae and Grant Loretz and tactician Peter Evans.

All three had been on the verge of accepting serious offers from overseas syndicates, but by 5 pm they had all signed contracts with their old team.

After two months of chequebook raids, 13 front-line sailors have jumped ship to three new big-dollar syndicates backed by billionaires Ernesto Bertarelli, of Switzerland, and Americans Craig McCaw and Larry Ellison.

The other 20 sailors signed up again at Team NZ.

Loretz had to phone former Team NZ skipper Russell Coutts last night to tell him he had changed his mind and would not be joining the Swiss syndicate.

"I had a verbal agreement with Russell to go there," he said. "But I'm really happy with the decision I've made now.

"It's been a long, frustrating time - my head was on the verge of exploding for the last six weeks."

Loretz had also had talks with Prada, AmericaOne and the OneWorld Challenge from Seattle.

"But it's good to be back in here," he said from Team NZ's headquarters last night.

"Team New Zealand is in good shape - I don't think the world's seen the best of Dean Barker yet."

Evans turned down offers from Seattle and the Ellison camp to return to Team NZ, where he ran the weather programme and called tactics for Barker on the back-up boat.

This time he is certain to be a tactician on the main boat, having built a good relationship with Barker.

Rae was seriously considering an offer from Ellison, after sailing on his boat Sayonara in the world maxi championships in the United States last week. But Barker and Team NZ chief executive Ross Blackman persuaded him to stay.

Team NZ still have spots to fill in the sailing crew, but there was relief in the camp last night that the worst was over.

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

America's Cup feature