Emirates Team New Zealand bt Alinghi
Race 3:
Emirates Team New Zealand bt Alinghi
Race 4:
Emirates Team New Zealand bt Alinghi
Final Score:
Emirates Team New Zealand: 3
Alinghi: 1
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Winner: EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND!!!!
What a day, what a day. Today, the 14th of February 2009 will go down in my memory for many reasons, not only because it was the day I was born all those years ago, but for the day the New Zealand public rejoyced in the winnings of our favourite yachting team, Team New Zealand.
It was a murky, stingy, cloudy, rainy day, similar to the conditions on the Waitemata in 2003 when we had our dismal mast breaking event in the 31st Americas Cup.
The odds were stacked against the home team. A weird performance yesterday in the first race against Alinghi, coupled with the fact that Team New Zealands performance was not really that great in Round Robin 2 saw many kiwi's doubting the team, but hell, someone must have done something last night to get the boys in focus as Team New Zealand surely came out kicking.
The common notion that LVPS races are won in the pre start is pretty spot on, so therefore that is an area that Dean Barker focused on. In each of these races, he not only managed to call himself correctly on course in the pre start but the afterguard, in particular Ray Davies did a fantastic job in calling the tactical shots. One after another, Alinghi were denied entry, Team New Zealand covered, and attacked and backed themselves all the way.
This thrilling racing had be on edge for the whole 3 races, sometimes I could not sit still and had to pace back & forth with anticipation, even through our leads were over 150m at points in the races, anything could happen as we saw yesterday as a halyard clutch for the kite gave away on the Team New Zealand boat in high winds.
The final race, Team New Zealand crossed the finish line and all you could hear was horns from all the surrounding boats, this could have been the Americas Cup!
The scene was set in the Viaduct Harbour for the teams return later this afternoon. A small stage in front of the Emirates Team New Zealand base was set up with magnums of Moet Chandon ready and waiting to be sprayed on anyone within shot.
There was around 200 people when I arrived, that quicly swelled to a few hundred by the time the boats came in, perhaps even over 1000? Alinghi were in first and did they get a massive applause. Im not the biggest fan of the team but you got to hand it to them, they are a great team with some fantastic sailors. The 2 best teams in the world at this point of time are Alinghi & Team New Zealand and I do think Brad Butterworth is worth his rather larger weight in gold. What a fantastic sailor, maybe his ego needs to be in check but hey, hes won every Americas Cup match since 1995.
Before the teams arrived in the harbour the Royal New Zealand Army Band were on hand to give some fanfare music, how awesome was that? We were all kept waiting, 'only a few more minutes before the boats arrive' we were told over a period of 45 minutes!
The MASSIVE New Zealand flag that graced the flag pole in Valencia was bought out and strung in front of the Team New Zealand base ready for the teams arrival.
Bruno Trouble arrived off the media boat, suitably soaked but it took him no time to get himself looking VERY sharp indeed and he was back out ready to MC the prizegiving.
Alinghi docked and were applauded as they came, along with some laughter as the Royal NZ Army band played the National Anthem of Switzerland which some people were confused, was this a joke or not? Anyhow the team arrived on stage, Brad Butterworth looking a little sheepish & uncomfortably with all his countrymens gaze upon him. It took him some time to get on stage, everyone egging him on quietly "dont be shy Brad" someone said beside me, much to the delight of the immediate crowd.
Bruno introduced the team, and the Commodore of the RNZYS presented Brad with the RNZYS Best International Team award & Challenger Fianlist award which was a weird looking spastic trophy made to look like the real LVPS trophy except made out of blue acrylic plastic.
Brad then got to say a few words to thank everyone but before he managed to say a sentence, a lone, gruff, directive voice from way back in the crowd yelled "BRADS A WANKER....!". Some awkard laughing followed before Brad took it on the chin repliying "Theres one in every crowd...", but not before a second guy piped up and said "Actually there is 2" which I found quite amusing and so did everyone else.
Brad did the normal thank you this and that etc but you could tell his was quite un happy, awkward and uncomfortably being the center of attention now that they had lost in the 'faster' boat so he put it a few days before.
After Alinghi had exited the stage, Team New Zealand had come in by now and had docked. The Viaduct had not been so alive with boat horn fanfare since the 2003 Americas Cup and was I so glad I was in the thick of it. The atmosphere was amazing. Bruno kept the crowd rolling by saying things like 'The Winners of the LVPS, Team New Zealand, We will be back here again one day when Team New Zealand bring the Americas Cup back to Auckland!!!' and with that the crowd went wild!
This was Team New Zealands moment to savour, this was for us fans to savour, a proud, sweet moment.
Dean & the boys got up on stage and with that, Bruno annouced the winners of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND!!!!
The trophy in all its sparring glory was presented to Dean Barker who held it high for all to see. Grant was next to say a few words to thanks to all invovled along with Alinghi and most of all the public for coming along.
Next...the Moet waterfall as the boys cracked open the Moet and put it over all the team members. What a great sight with Bruno saying "Its better if you drink it!" in his lovely French accent.
I managed to get some photos of Brad and Ed Baird as they were close to where I was, some fans had some pictures but you got that feeling Brad was not feeling at all that confident now, maybe a pay cut was coming his way?
With all this the focus now was down on the Press Conferance where Bruno said in a sarcastic tone where some "Serious Disccussion" would take place.
Everyone made their way down for the Press Conferance down the end of the Village outside the old Team NZ base from 2003 where Ed, Brad from Alinghi where present, Dean & Grant from Team NZ, Yves from LV & Bruno.
First there was a question from someone that Bruno asked to Brad about his fellow countrymen in front of him or something to which Brad put on a stunned 'who me?' look on his face much to the laughter of the many gathered. He also commented that they obviously did not sail very well in the rain, once again the man was full of jokes.
Ed did his part to explain the situation, they just sailed bad and Emirates Team NZ sailed well, simple as that.
Grant had a smart comment to pass by which he could not resist, by saying 'It was a hard job trying to make (NZL) 84 sail slower', not that that impressed Brad very much. I dont think I saw them shake hands either.
Dean make a cool remark relating to if he had an advantage on home waters, how back in the late 70's, early 80's he watched Brad sail off North Head in regattas, as a compliment but Brad jokingly said 'oh thanks' or something like that, sort of rubbing it in but you could see it was total respect between Brad & Dean and long after the press conferance had finished, they were on stage, just themselves having a chat.
A question directed at Burno but answered by Yves regarding if this event was coming back next year, which got a applause by all the crowd, was one that I was waiting to hear, since Bruno said at the prizegiving 'We will be back!'.
The answer as a short one...'not sure' would sum it up. It all depended on the current Americas Cup court case and what the outcome of that was, so Im afraid for all of us wanting this back next year, we will just have to wait. I do think it will be back again, but I just do not know when.
Near the end, Bruno presented Greek Challenge with an award for 'Best Up & Coming' or something like that, which they accepted and said their thanks to all and most of all, they respected all their fellow competitors, for me speaks volumes.
At the end, Bruno got all the skippers on stage for a last photo, before anouncing...'Thats it' and with that, the official part of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series 2009 was over.
All the players in the Americas Cup could be seen. Coutts, Butterworth, Barker, Dalton, Baird were all hanging around chatting with friends and fans alike.
I wandered up outside Team New Zealands base where Rob Waddell was on his phone talking away, Mandy & Dean Barker were with their kids watching the boats get lifted out, the whole atmosphere was chilled out.
The Skycity Pacific bar was packed but still room to get a drink, which I passed up, quite dumb if your by yourself is it not?
What a fantastic afternoon/evening, my only regret? Not bringing my 1995 Team New Zealand jacket to pose in photos with all the team members, plus not bringing anyone to take my photo!
This event has blown me away. With all the races, some great, some not so. Some awesome new teams, Team ORIGIN, Greek Challenge, and the newly restructured China Team coming through and making their presence known has just been amazing.
The mind games from Alinghi did not help them and I think have backfired on them. Alot of kiwis got sucked into their trap doubting our home side but it shows if you have faith and determination like Team New Zealand had today, anything is possible, even overthrowing the current Americas Cup holders Alinghi in the so called 'faster boat'.
This event has bought the sailors back, working, sailing but most importantly,minus the crew of Alinghi, having FUN, bringing people back to a time in the history of sailing & regattas where sure, it was about winning, but it was also about enjoying yourself too, not playing stupid games with other teams minds and all that, just a chilled friendly regatta and what better place to stage it that Auckland, the City of Sails. Im proud of what my city has done, what my Team has done, what we as Kiwi's have done, not only for this event, but for sailing. As Bruno pointed out with Alinghi on stage 'Oh there must be a kiwi on this team'.
This was a tricky tight rope for Emirates Team New Zealand to walk on in this regatta. They were still trying to restore public faith in the sport, after the failed defence in 2003, we all thought we were gone, had beens, sell outs. 2007 and the 32nd Americas Cup bought out fans back, the public interest up after we won the Louis Vuitton Cup to go to the Americas Cup match against Alinghi, only to loose out slightly, but given that we did not bring home the cup with the fact all the AC races were on at 2AM in the middle of Winter in NZ, the public were not too enthralled to support the team to bring the cup home.
What this event has done has proved to EVERYONE in NZ that we CAN win, We HAVE won and we WILL win again, this event has proven that & has re-engaged the public of New Zealand back into sailing and supporting Team New Zealand.
As Bruno said, The Americas Cup WILL come home to Auckland, and come home it will.
On Monday 16th of February, Emirates Team New Zealands TP52 boat will be launched and I will once again be there to capture the moment. The build has been undertaken by Cookson Boats, builders of the 2003 & 2006 Team NZ AC yachts and has been launched for sea trials ready for the Med Circuit come this season given the success of Emirates Team New Zealand crew on various TP52 yachts in the last seasons regatta.
This now gives even more power to Emirates Team New Zealand to be the ULTIMATE yachting team ever in the history of the sport, but to get that status, we have to bring the cup back home.
My thanks goes to everyone who has been reading this blog, whether that be one of you or none, I have enjoyed covering this regatta, from the moment I heard about it in August 2008, to the final day today, I knew it was going to be something special.
For this day will forever remain in my memory as one of the best days since our AC Defence in 2000.
Haere Ra, Farewell & Thank You
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