Yachting: Last of the magicians exits boat

He is one of the most recognisable faces in yachting, but this week Tom Schnackenberg was bundled out of Team New Zealand, bringing an end to the era that was Black Magic.

Following the loss of Sir Peter Blake and the departure of Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth to Alinghi in 2000, Schnackenberg was the only central figure remaining from those glorious red sock days when the America's Cup was first declared New Zealand's Cup.

However, as the evolution of the new Team New Zealand continues under Grant Dalton, Schnackenberg's brilliant mind and knowledge of what makes a yacht go faster was deemed surplus to requirement.

"I can tell you from personal experience it is not good for job security to lose the America's Cup when you are in charge," Cup legend Dennis Conner told the Weekend Herald. "It is hard for 'outsiders' to know the circumstances which made Tom expendable.

"It is possible he did not want to work in the role Team New Zealand had in mind for him. Sometimes it is difficult to step down to a smaller role after being the boss.

"In any event Tom's life will go on. He will be much in demand and I wish him all the best."

David Barnes, who was the general manager of the British Challenge in the last cup but is more famous for his 470 class exploits in this country, was also taken aback by Schnackenberg's release.

"He is exceptionally talented. He is one of the smartest people I know with numbers. He has a good yachting background but is very practical at the same time.

"Obviously they have thought about it long and hard."

Schnackenberg did not start competitive sailing until he was 21. A nuclear physicist, his passion for the sport took him into sailmaking.

He became fascinated with sail design and wrote his own computer programs to analyse the air flow around a sail.

His introduction to the America's Cup came in 1977 when he joined Enterprise as a sail designer.

He was part of the successful Australia II campaign in 1983 then worked for the New Zealand challenge and the Spirit of Australia before signing with Team New Zealand in 1995, which under Sir Peter Blake's guidance brought the Cup to Auckland.

"He was a walking, talking encylopaedia on the America's Cup and he was a hell of a nice guy," said Alan Sefton, who was part of Team New Zealand management in 1995 and 2000.

Sefton was not that surprised to hear of Schnackenberg's dumping.

"There have been some rumours going around about the structure of Team New Zealand and where and how Tom fitted."

In his book An Amazing Life, based on Blake's life, Sefton claims Schnackenberg's ego was out of control along with Coutts' and Butterworth's.

However, Sefton does not believe that is the reason for his demise.

"I think all of this was in train some time back. I think Dalts [Dalton] has done the right thing in having Tom on board thus far because he has a lot to offer but for whatever reasons, it appears he has become superfluous to their requirements.

"They have got to use their dollars in the smartest way possible. I can understand how and why they have arrived at this decision. Nobody is indispensable."

"Team New Zealand is completely different certainly to the Team New Zealand of 1995 and quite different to the Team New Zealand of 2000.

"Dalts has to do it his way and if that way doesn't include Tom this time around that is a bit unfortunate. But maybe Tom welcomes it. Maybe he wants a break."

Sefton said Blake did a similar thing when he created Team New Zealand in 1995, taking over from Sir Michael Fay's New Zealand Challenge.

"Looking at the way Dalton has travelled so far ... One, he has got the money and two, they had a very impressive European campaign - you have got to say right now he is going forward and he is doing it his way. More power to him."

The Facts

NAME: Tom Schnackenberg
DATE OF BIRTH: May 11, 1945.
FAMILY: wife Annie, sons Carl and David.
CUP CAREER: 1977 - Enterprise (US), sail designer.

1980 - Australia, sail designer.

1983 - Australia II, sail co-ordinator.

1987 - Australia III & IV, sail co-ordinator.

1988 - New Zealand Challenge, sail co-ordinator.

1992 - Spirit of Australia, sail co-ordinator.

1995 - Team New Zealand, design co-ordinator, navigator.

2000 - Team New Zealand, design co-ordinator, navigator.

2003 - Team New Zealand, syndicate head, design co-ordinator.