Another hot, intense but mostly windless day in Valencia.
Much to their chagrin, Alinghi had no chance to wrap it up.
And, on NZL-92, frustration they could not take advantage of light conditions.
But, on shore, singing rival Cardifff Arms Park.
Grant turned 50 today.
The “word” went from one end of the crowd to the other. Although ex teachers worried about how it could all be done together, there was no problem because the bloke on the microphone on the other side of the canal said one …. two …. three …
After “happy birthday,” there was the most intense cheering ever heard at kiwi corner.
Then, in case Grant didn’t hear the first time, another round of “Happy Birthday.” Sung with gusto and genuine joy.
In the open area at ETNZ there is white board where visitors can write greetings to the team.
Happy birthday Ryan Hunter from Christchurch. He is 30 years old today.
For a while it looked like the seabreeze would fill in but, although it was stinking hot in the woolshed (with more humidity than usual) there wasn’t enough blue sky to do what was needed.
CHEER-UP TEAM NEW ZEALAND
Peter Jackson or Stephen Spielberg could not have planned a clearer scenario than the one in Valencia.
The constipated Swiss (with no banners, few flags and an apparent inability to sing or cheer) are to the north; wild singing and dancing kiwis are to the south.
Orcs to the north (with their mate Butterworth); hobbits to the south. Good versus bad. It’s that simple!
Hence, when the ACM announcer today told kiwis on the south shore to “cheer up” he completely missed the point.
Everyone is cheerful as usual.
Today there was a very positive atmosphere and Spanish staff at the fancy Senzone coffee shop at kiwi corner had kiwi flag tattoos on their shoulders. Because most of them look like they escaped from the cover of Vogue magazine, this was worth seeing.
This in sharp contrast to the atmosphere a few days ago when authorities set limits on the number of yelling kiwis permitted on the deck dominated by Sooty McMillan.
The crackdown followed an incident when, late in the day, three enthusiast gentlemen from parts unknown (but all good swimmers) jumped over the railing and tried making it to enemy territory across the canal.
ACM is a private for-very-big-profits corporation owned by Ernesto Bertarelli who, it is safe to say, has had a gutsful of kiwi exuberance (and may not like the fact most are good swimmers).
Today the security guard who yesterday stood in front of Mandy Barker was back but had that “only-one-more-day-of-this” look on his face.
But kiwis are careful to say “gracias” and, in the end, the guard was on our side. By Tuesday he will have a flag tattoo on his shoulder.
Just along from Senzone is an open-air coffee shop-cum-pub which now plays Crowded House and Split Enz music on a very cool sound system.
Hell, no racing, let’s dance!
Even in 30 degrees !
After all, this is Valenzia !!
BRAD TURNS HIS BACK ON NEW ZEALAND
Today back Brad Butterworth deliberately sat with his back to kiwi corner so he didn’t have to endure the sight of all those New Zealand flags.
But nor did he wave or acknowledge Alinghi fans on the north shore.
Certain advocates of globalisation predict the end of the nation.
Nations are irrelevant in a globalising world, they claim.
Rubbish ! Maybe it helps to be from a small island country surrounded by water. But, ever since arriving here, we have drawn people into conversations about what it means to be a New Zealander in the 21st century.
The results of this investigation are encouraging.
First, the young ones are passionate, patriotic and generally well-educated and able to acknowledge where they acquired skills and knowledge enabling them to perform in a globalising world. Unlike in the Excited States, young New Zealanders, thank god, know something about the rest of the world.
The 60 year olds on their “gap year” are good-humoured, energetic and have fun with people unlike themselves. Racism evident in New Zealand 30 or 50 years ago has, it seems, faded to almost nothing (and people are always looking over the railing for taniwha).
Last night we reported Brad is building his $2 million hideaway on Waiheke Island. Today we heard it is not just Coutts en route to Oracle. Brad and others in the tight-five will also go that way. On the other hand, only a few weeks ago, Jochem Schuemann was headed to the German syndicate when, in fact, Karol Jablonski got that job.
It is hard to read Butterworth but, having watched him for months, a few things are certain.
· The kiwi flags are disturbing. So he doesn't look at them.
· There is no evidence of warmth or joy between him and Ernesto
· The cow bells probably annoy Brad as much as everyone else at the Port
· Brad looks like he wants this to be over as soon as possible
LIZZIE MELVILLE SCORES
For the last five weeks, Dave and Lizzie Melville have been parading around the Port with their monster Buzzy Bee banner.
It was made by 12 year old Lizzie who today sported NZL-92 (AJW .. they are temporary) tattoos.
Lizzie is a student at Baradene College in Remuera who lives in St. Heliers, Auckland.
By now, Lizzie’s Buzzy Bee has been seen several times on New Zealand (and foreign) television. It is carefully done and arouses a lot of attention as it moves through the Port.
Well done Lizzie !
WHO WANTS NEW ZEALAND TO WIN
Almost everyone!
The much-vaunted European solidarity against New Zealand never amounted to much and has now completely collapsed.
There are many ways of ascertaining where supporters reside. But none more important than on the tow out.
For example, here comes the Shosholoza syndicate boat (yes, with black South Africans amongst the whites).
While Sooty and his Waikato extraverts chant “All Black, All Black, All Black”, South Africans dance and wave kiwi hats and flags.
When the Oracle spectator boat arrives, Sooty chants “Bring Back Chris” and those aboard wave New Zealand flags.
The most mysterious are Italian super-yachts and the hush-hush Group of Six.
The leader is Mateo de Nora who lives in Monaco but has a $2 million property in the Bay of Islands. When TNZ nearly fell on its spinnaker pole during a 2003 financial crisis, Mateo came to the rescue.
When Grant needed to fly a boat to Europe, Mateo’s phone was ringing and, in recent weeks, the Italian made sure ETNZ staff understood their efforts are appreciated.
Mateo owns the exquisite Imagine which has been serving as an ETNZ VIP and spectator boat.
Whether Mateo and his other affluent Italian mates had a run-in with (or were ignored by) Patrizio Bertelli is not known. But they like New Zealand and, in all their rigging, there is not a single Swiss – or Alinghi – flag. Only ETNZ flags.
New Zealand is admired and respected. Why? Many reasons. Here’s a few:
· Standing up to the Excited States and declaring New Zealand nuclear free won plaudits in Europe
· Taking France to the World Court for testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere won friends in the rest of the Europe
· Over-the-top creativity (such as in Lord of the Rings) is appreciated by Europeans
· Italians still remember, appreciate and celebrate the friendly Prada – Team New Zealand contest in 2000. A lot of friendships were built then and remain now.
· New Zealanders fought to help rid Italy of fascism. It is not forgotten.
· The Italian fascination with good food and wine is paralleled in Aotearoa.
· Italy is a smallish country with big neighbours. Sound familiar.
When you write your final exam you can do better than this. But, in the meantime, give the Italian benefactors another glass of Hawke's Bay sauvignon.
HOW TO BE A YACHT DESIGNER
Almost every New Zealand youngster would like to helm one of these monster boats and the rest wouldn’t mind the challenge of designing them.
ETNZ designer Nick Hutchins is an interesting example of how to get in the game.
His parents sailed to Europe for the Cup on their 55’ boat. So Nick has the first requirement – a nautical family and childhood messing around in boats.
As a pupil at Christ’s College, he was a math whiz and, for a final assignment did a project on the (not easy to understood) formula for Cup boats.
In this formula there have to be trade-offs. Too much there and there will be cutbacks in other places. The challenge is to get almost all the weight into the bulb and as little as possible above the waterline.
After high school, Nick had a look at Naval Architecture schools in the South Pacific and settled on the University of New South Wales (in the suburbs of Sydney).
Today Nick Hutchins was off Malvarossa Beach, Valencia, watching how NZL-92 behaves in light winds.
GO DADDY GO !
Early arrivals at the woolshed watch video clips from earlier races and “backgrounders” on Cup personalities.
Eventually the broadcast goes live to the race course with a show anchored by Martin Tasker and Peter Lester. Their voices are heard but they are never seen.
Before the ten minute gun goes, they show the amazing Virtual Eye “flyover” of the course, followed by a line-up of sailors.
Pairs of photos pop up – for example, the bowman for Alinghi, the bowman for NZL-92.
Tony Rae has been at this game longer than most New Zealand sailors – having been involved in every New Zealand effort since 1987 with KZ-7.
In Valencia he has solid family support from his mum, dad, wife and kids – all of whom do their share of shouting at kiwi corner and camp in the woolshed during the race.
Tony has young children and, today when his image popped-up on the screen they shouted.
“Go daddy, go!”
"Go daddy, go!"
"Go daddy, go!"
What was Michael Fay thinking when, not long ago, he thought sailors would be distracted by wives and kids?
Not only did the Rae kids tell dad to go, like other New Zealanders in Valencia, they seem unfazed by the fact it is match point.
“It is just another boat race” (Peter Blake), says a poster in the woolshed.
GETTING OFF THE MUSHROOM BOAT
Your agent is preparing to extract a confession and compensation from Lufthansa and the mighty Star Alliance (for a flight cancellation, losing his bag and other cruel and unusual punishment at Madrid airport).
Hence, here we are on the Malvarossa strip with Hans Schuetze, Attorney-At-Law in Hanover, Germany (who also detests Lufthansa).
Spaniards eat, but not at the same time as New Zealanders.
So the only people in the restaurant are your agent, his high-powered German lawyer and an ETNZ navigator with a baby and young wife.
Yep, it’s Ian Moore, the Irish navigator on NZL-84 – the mushroom or “B” boat.
Today in the woolshed we sat next to his parents who live at the head of an estuary about 12 miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Ian went to the University of Southampton where he fell among sailors and met people like ETNZ’s head designer Andy Claughton.
Being on the B-boat is like doing an apprenticeship. But, with a U.K. syndicate under construction and a possible chance to jump from the New Zealand “B” to the British “A” boat, he must think carefully about building a career.
Ian’s dad has a VHF radio broadcasting America’s Cup Radio on Channel 71. He asks why we are taking notes and, once given the reason, insists we listen to his radio.
America’s Cup radio can be heard on the Web (through a link from americascup.com) and would be a valuable adjunct to the television broadcast – particularly for those enduring Versus television commentary.
Mr. and Mrs. Moore have another son who manages a boat yard. Mrs. Moore has her own business sewing upholstery, sail covers and other things for boats. The dad has gallons of saltwater in his veins.
They are proud grandparents and happy with what Ian has learned hanging out with kiwis.
RACING RESUMES TUESDAY
Over by the Veles a Vents building ACM have built a raised platform (on a barge) for the Cup presentation ceremony.
In an example of how counting chickens early, people fussing over it (taking off covers) today.
There is a lay day tomorrow (Monday).
The next race is on Tuesday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANT
Hey Grant, life begins at 50 !
Happy birthday!
