Yachting: No room on board for No 17

By SUZANNE MCFADDEN

Team New Zealand are sticking to their guns over not having an extra passenger on board their boat - even though New Zealand's top sportsmen are lining up for the job.

The Kiwis have decided not to sail with a 17th man - the silent observer at the back of the boat - for the first two races of the America's Cup.

World rowing champion Rob Waddell and golfing star Michael Campbell have expressed interest in riding on Black Magic. But skipper Russell Coutts politely doubts if the opportunity will arise this time.

The decision was made well before the event to do without the spare body, an optional position on the racing boat.

"In some of these conditions it doesn't quite suit us to have one," said Coutts. "It doesn't give us any advantage. In San Diego we tested the effectiveness of having a little more weight and it made no difference."

The 17th man role could be filled if the winds get much stronger, and more weight is needed - "but we'll stick closely to the rules [no team members] and take a sponsor.''

Prada have stuck with their 73-year-old good-luck charm Renzo Guidi, as they have since the semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series.