IF ANY ONE CAN, A KIWI CAN
It has been an exhausting – near overwhelming – day at Port America’s Cup.
But while struggling away from kiwi corner en route to the No 19 bus your agent, and hundreds of others, could not miss the irascible and amusing Sooty McMillan from Tauranga strutting up and down yelling:
“If any one can, a kiwi can.”
“If any one can, a kiwi can.”
“If any one can, a kiwi can.”
Again, Alinghi won a race they should have lost.
So, ETNZ is only one race back from being eliminated from the 2007 America’s Cup.
Yesterday the torn spinnaker sealed the deal. Today NZL-92 was in front and it looked like victory was imminent. But they were out-sailed.
Here on the night before it could all end, it is tempting to recall other times kiwis were down but stood up and flailed the enemy.
There is a Hawke’s Bay contingent (including your agent) at the Port and today we discussed difficult days immediately after the earthquake.
Gallipoli comes up in almost every sentence and young New Zealanders are intensely interested in this appalling event in kiwi history.
Most families have endured fires, floods, accidents, drownings, and other seemingly hopeless situations where people had to prevail against adversity.
We would like to go on. But, although Grant will say something in the morning, they don’t need a speech.
Many of them have been at sea when sails split, keel bolts fractured or mighty waves brought tons of water aboard.
They do not have to be told what’s needed tomorrow.
But, having said that, Sooty is not as crazy as he seems. He is right.
“No one can like a kiwi can.”
Kiwis are used to having their backs to the wall and there have been extraordinary moments in New Zealand history when they came out fighting.
It ain’t over until it’s over and we are looking for Dean to clean Baird out at the start and for ETNZ to take the race tomorrow.
In 1983 it was Big-Bad-Dennis = 3 and Australia II = 1 (not 4/1 as said yesterday). From a single victory, the Aussies went on to win.
So sir, you point is?
Tomorrow is another day and sailors don’t need speeches. They know what has to happen.
FAMILY HEART BREAK AT THE WOOLSHED
The woolshed has become more important than Te Papa for enacting New Zealand cultural practices.
It is an extraordinary scene – not adequately captured by steady-cam shots dropped into television broadcasts.
Sailors have families.
That means there are wives, husbands, mums, dads, aunties, uncles and a lot of kids in Valencia.
Today the gloriously pregnant Mandy Barker brought their little one to kiwi corner where the plan was to wave the flag and let Dean see his daughter during the tow out.
Fortunately, Billie Barker and other team women (such as Joan Cowie) were there to ensure this would happen (and to keep little ones back from the edge).
But with NZL-92 on final approach to kiwi corner, a private security guard placed himself right in front of Mandy.
People asked him to move but, with no knowledge of English, a minor was quickly becoming a major annoyance. As well, Mandy didn’t have a flag (but was handed one by your agent).
By making “helming” movements, the otherwise alright (and handsome) security man came to understand the situation and moved over.
Here’s the boat, Dean is scanning the shore, makes eye contact with his wife and mum, smiles, waves and points at his daughter.
Mission accomplished !
Widely-shared understandings shape kiwi corner exuberance. These are the rules:
· All ETNZ boats – not just NZL-92 - get cheered (one day your agent was rebuked for being silent when a weather boat went past!).
· Official ETNZ spectator boats (mostly carrying sponsors) get cheered
· Italian millionaires who have supported ETNZ get cheered (by those knowing the inside information).
· Commentator P.J. Montgomery gets a special “P.J.,” “P.J.” “P.J.” cheer and reciprocates by bowing, waving and throwing kisses.
· Any Oracle boat gets told “Bring Back Chris,” “Bring Back Chris.”
· South African boats have to listen to “All Black,” “All Black,” “All Black.”
Grant makes himself visible and acknowledges those on shore. According to exceedingly well informed sources – such as the man himself – he is moved by the nature and level of support. He is genuinely moved – in the most authentic way possible – by ETNZ supporters in Valencia. He said so when accepting the Vuitton Cup.
Today’s race was a heart breaker and, amongst wives, families and others, there were tears and distress.
The woolshed is a noisy, boisterous and mostly wonderful place. But, there was an uncharacteristic silence during the down wind run to the line. Today the problem was aggravated by fatigue.
But what happened after the race was telling. Even your agent momentarily considered heading for the bus so as to get this missif off and be in bed before midnight (for a change).
Team wives and women with kids must have also been tempted to bolt. But they didn’t. Led by the redoubtable Billie Barker (Dean’s mum) they all went out into the heat and back to kiwi corner – along with an engorged tribe of enthusiastic New Zealanders.
After the race team kids had a new one-word chant.
“Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow!”
Don’t whine if surf knocks you down. Stand up and do it again!
WHAT ARE BUTTERWORTH AND COUTTS THINKING?
Brad. Butterworth showed no emotion on the tow out or in today.
Even though cow bells were clanging and Alinghi supporters bellowing on the north shore, Brad never looked there. Nor does he look at kiwi flags to the south. Instead, he talks on the phone, scratches his head and looks straight ahead.
We talked with TVNZ’s John McBeth about this.
“Brad, yea well, he’s always like that.”
Now we hear Butterworth is building a $2 million house on Waiheke Island “to get away from the rat race.”
And although his buddy Coutts has a fat offer from Oracle he is buying property in Queenstown and Whangaparoa and wants to start a 2nd New Zealand defender syndicate to go against ETNZ.
Are these guys on drugs? Or off their medication?
The one person who will never land back in ETNZ is Russell Coutts. And nor will be find sponsors for a new syndicate.
Has he ever heard the saying “once bitten, twice shy?”
As for Brad, he is clearly discomforted by kiwi passion in Valencia.
Coutts says he is weighing his options but, because he will be unable to find sponsors for his own syndicate (and lacks energy for the chore of fund-raising) he will end up with Larry.
Within minutes of the announcement saying Coutts and Ellison are engaged, you will hear a hullabaloo in Auckland.
The noise will be cheers from Emirates Team New Zealand.
THE BIG RED SAIL
The NZL-92 spinnaker is the size of two tennis courts and yesterday’s hole about as big as a 25c coin.
Sometimes, it is possible to complete the leg (or even the race) with a hole in your sail.
But yesterday the hole was on a pressure point and, as the world saw, bob is not your uncle !
RACE SIX
It was beautiful on the Mediterranean today and, at the start, there was a long dial-up with Alinghi to the right and NZL-92 to the left.
The dial-up ended 1 minute, 50 seconds from the gun.
With 1 minute to go NZL-92 was leading away from the line. Alinghi called for a penalty and the woolshed erupted !
At the start line, NZL-92 crossed at 11 knots and SUI-100 at 9 knots.
Immediately after the start, NZL-92 was 6 metres ahead.
For a while it looked like Alinghi might take the kiwis to the layline (in a mirror image of yesterday’s start).
There was flatter water today and, in the post-start drag race, NZL-92 was pointing high trying to squeeze the competitor.
Eventually Alinghi tacked away and the woolshed again erupted. However, three quarters of the way up Leg 1 they were even.
The kiwis got a shift and, at Mark 1 were 14 seconds ahead.
NZL-92 retained her lead on the run and was still 11 seconds ahead at Mark 2. After the rounding there was a big separation between the boats (why ???).
Two thirds of the way up the beat, NZL-92 was pointing higher and getting better pressure. On Alinghi Brad had Murray Jones up the mast saying good pressure was coming. SUI-100 started a tacking duel and, when NZL-92 attempted a slow-speed tack, the “Swiss” slid into the lead.
There were cheers and then silence in the woolshed. SUI-100 extended to a 26 metre lead and that was the race.
By Mark 3 Alinghi was ahead 16 seconds but soon extended to 100 metres.
There was an exciting gybing duel on the run home but SUI-100 retained their composure and won the race by 28 seconds.
Conclusion? The boats are even but today Alinghi sailed the better race.
PASSION AS COMMODITY
On the tow-in Ernesto waved, Brad looked ahead.
Over at the Alinghi compound they exploded fireworks.
Whereas New Zealand passion in Valencia is authentic, whenever Alinghi celebrates it involves “paid-for” partying.
Ernesto hires everything – even passion !
However, we should not be mean.
Today we saw a Swiss flag!
ELENA WEARS KIWI COLOURS
We are trying to set-up 20 year old Elena, the Spanish (Galician) commentator, measurer and race official to meet an ETNZ designer who can tell her how to launch a career in this game.
And here she comes – dressed in ETNZ gear – and accompanied by her father and brother – also match-racing umpires, judges and measurers.
“Your family must be unique. You all do it.”
“No,” she says (and the father agrees) “there are many Spanish families where everyone is a race official.”
The entire family are hiking over to kiwi corner to show solidarity with the good guys.
So much for the “Cup must remain in Europe” discourse!
It is not just the Iglesias family from Galicia. Certain policemen, the hotel cook, the bus driver, all the guys on Desafio Espanol, most Italians and thousands of other Europeans (particularly Spanish) want New Zealand to win.
Or, “Switzerland” to lose.
No wonder Butterworth and Coutts are sniffing around for a trail that leads to what used to be their home.
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