Yachting: No room at the inn for latecomers

The America's Cup Village has put up the 'No Vacancy' sign, writes SUZANNE McFADDEN.

If there is no room at the inn, where will Le Defi go to find a bed for their boats?

The French syndicate have been left to look out of town for a home for their America's Cup boats after missing out on a berth in the cup village.

Le Defi's old base next to Team New Zealand has been incorporated with the old Nippon site to make an extra-large compound for Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss syndicate.

There will be no room out back at the Viaduct this time either.

Young Australia used a floating crane as their base last summer, but residents in the new waterfront apartments would probably likely object if they had a barge parked outside their windows.

Doug Snell, general manager of America's Cup Village Ltd, said the French had been offered the last available base, No 3 on the map, but had turned it down because it was too small for their two-boat cup campaign.

The last spot was snapped up by new Italian syndicate Mascalzone Latino, which are likely to have just one boat.

A Union Jack is set to fly over base eight, even though two British groups appear to be bickering over who will represent their nation in the next cup.

"The scuttlebutt around the waterfront is that there could also be another American challenge and an Australian syndicate which will be looking for a base," Snell said.

"But it's up to them now to find somewhere.

"The serious syndicates recognised that you have to be here early in the piece to set up and start training, like Prada did last time."

Latecomers are unlikely to find anywhere deep enough inside the Waitemata Harbour. They may have to park as far away as Gulf Harbour on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

Herald Online feature: America's Cup