MATT SHEAHAN

THE AMERICA’S CUP IS RETURNING TO EUROPE: WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN FOR THE EVENT?

It’s easy to see why Barcelona was not a popular choice for the next America’s Cup with much of the New Zealand public. Having won for a second time they were expecting another home defence and another opportunity to welcome the visitors and wallets that weren’t allowed in last time thanks to the global pandemic. In their eyes, the 37th America’s Cup should have been payback time.

But the harsh reality is that money, or in this case a lack of it, is at the very heart of the decision to take the Cup offshore. In simple terms there was not enough to host the event in Auckland.

There will be those that take issue with this at once, pointing to the Government’s financial offer along with private funding to bulk up the kitty. But from what I understand, the figures that were being bandied around were not what they seemed and didn’t stack up.

According to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, who were at the centre of the negotiations, the Government’s offer of NZ$99M only amounted to NZ$31M in cash, the remainder being in kind. They also say no confirmed private funding was available.

While the sense of disappointment and frustration is understandable, there is no getting away from the fact that the cash on offer wasn’t sufficient to run an event that is estimated to cost around three times as much.

Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton is taking the flak, but as you might expect he’s robust in his response. I spoke to him on the day of the announcement.

“We have no argument with the [NZ] Government. They put what they thought was the right number based on the climate and I think the number was right because there are bigger priorities for the world and New Zealand,” he said. “But that wasn’t going to help us defend the Cup.

“The priority has always been the team. You’ve got to make sure not only that the team is secure, but also that the team can win. You often hear people say that in 2003 the team had enough money. The fact is, they had enough money for the talent they had, but they didn’t have any talent and they lost. So, in fact they didn’t have enough, nowhere near.”

He also believes the idea of a home advantage for a defence is a misnomer. “Staying at home is a complete disadvantage because I think it drives complacency.

“We’re at our best when we’re in raid mode. We’re at our best as a challenger, not as a defender. We’re at our best when we’re angry.”

Having said that, Dalton is more excited than angry right now and clearly upbeat about the core relationships with both the venue and the Challenger of Record, the Royal Yacht Squadron.

He believes Barcelona is a perfect location, the harbour ready made for hosting the Cup and teams could pretty much start building a base there right now. The near proximity of deep water means racing could happen close to the shore, while autumn conditions will meet the weather criteria.

So, is Barcelona a good venue for the Cup? To my mind, yes. Sure, I’d love to be planning another trip down under for 2024, but I was at the heart of the 32nd America’s Cup in Valencia for the full three year cycle and remember well the outstanding impact that the Cup made in Europe.

For starters, placing sailing’s most prestigious event in the middle of Europe makes it easily accessible to a huge potential audience. Be it casual spectators or corporate guests, a weekend at the races becomes a real possibility for many in the northern hemisphere.

In Valencia in 2007 one of the biggest concerns was whether the light sea breeze that the coastline is famous for would be sufficient to power 25-tonne monohulls and deliver decent racing. As it turned out, it was, and we had several days of pretty punchy conditions too.

Today, we have Cup boats that weigh 7 tonnes, will foil in just 6 knots of true breeze and will deliver well over 30 knots in just 10 knots of breeze. If ever there was a time when the wind isn’t the issue it is surely now.

So, while things are a bit different today with far better online coverage and arguably less need to travel to watch, the bottom line is that the Cup is a big crowd puller wherever it is, but especially in Europe.

And for New Zealand that could turn out

to be good news too.

‘We’re at our best when we’re in raid mode’