Yachting: Team NZ fuming as Niwa helps 'enemy'

By Terry Maddaford

The most sophisticated weather information for the America's Cup regatta has become the sole domain of one of New Zealand's greatest rivals under a deal which has left Team New Zealand fuming.

The arrangement, which will provide the best technical data for the Cup, is seen by the Government agency which will supply it to the Paul Cayard-led AmericaOne syndicate as a straight business deal - nothing more, nothing less.

Others see it as the latest round in the dirty tricks campaign which goes hand in hand with America's Cup yachting.

Team New Zealand has accused Niwa - the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research - of "working with the enemy" in accepting a $200,000 payoff to supply vital information from a sophisticated buoy in the Hauraki Gulf.

Niwa bosses say that is not the case, and that Team New Zealand were given equal opportunities to be part of the data gathering programme.

"Niwa put the buoy in the water because we won the America's Cup and brought it to New Zealand," said Team New Zealand spokesman Brad Butterworth.

"They then came and asked us for money to help recoup the costs of the project.

Initially they were looking for $25,000. The most recent in excess of $90,000.

"In the meantime Niwa has sold the rights to the information to Paul Cayard and his San Francisco-based AmericaOne syndicate. In that contract they included the rights of Team New Zealand - and other syndicates - to have access to a limited version of the available data but no one can take that seriously.

"I don't think we should have to pay. They have held us to ransom. While the information they have provided has been of limited value so far, come November it will be a big deal."

Niwa's Auckland manager, Gavin Fisher, said when the buoy went into the water late in 1997 - after modifications to an existing buoy - Team New Zealand was its priority.

"But we had to cover the costs of what was a $250,000 project," said Fisher.

"The crunch came last July when we had to decide whether we would continue. We went looking for contributions. If say six syndicates had come on board we would have looked for about $25,000 from each.

"In the end AmericaOne was the only one to commit. They paid $200,000 up front. If Team New Zealand had come in we were looking for about $90,000 from them.

"Not one cent of taxpayer money has gone anywhere near the project. The modifications [about $80,000 was used to increase the height of the mast from 3m to 10m] have been paid for on selling different data," said Fisher.

"The on-going costs are big. We are answerable to two shareholding ministers - Simon Upton, as the minister in charge of Crown Research Institutes, and Maurice Williamson, as the Minister of Research, Science and Technology.

"They would have my guts for garters if this was costing them money."

Come September the buoy will be churning out information which Cayard hopes will help win him win the coveted Cup and leave Team New Zealand to sail by the seat of their pants.