NZ party starts but eyes on America's Cup
VALENCIA, Spain: The party started as soon as Team New Zealand crossed the line to win the Louis Vuitton Cup 5-0 against Luna Rossa with champagne corks popping all over the place and Kiwi fans hugging and cheering.
Knowing Valencia, a city where sleep is for wimps, the celebrations will not end for a while but Team New Zealand already have the next goal in mind - how to get the America's Cup back from Alinghi.
New Zealand slumped into a national depression in 2003 when the Swiss syndicate - with a core crew of Kiwis - snatched sailing's oldest prize away from them in a 5-0 rout.
Four years on, Team New Zealand face a tough job to "bring it home", as their slogan says.
"We'll enjoy being through and celebrate with the team but we know we have another big step to take on Alinghi," said Dean Barker, the helmsman who had the unenviable task of defending the Cup in 2003 against his old mentor who had moved to Alinghi.
"We don't expect anything except that we'll be racing a very quick boat. We haven't really seen (new boat) 100 yet but we know 91 is no slouch," said 34-year-old Barker.
Alinghi dominated April's last warm-up act in SUI91 and had been tuning up SUI100 off to one side while the 11 other teams battled it out for the right to challenge them for the Cup. They meet New Zealand on June 23 in the first race of a best-of-nine.
New Zealand practised against Alinghi before the LV Cup final but this time will joust with their own B team and could take on other ex-challengers, including LV Cup loser Luna Rossa.
"It's not like dancing with your sister anymore. It's always more competitive to race other teams," said strategist Ray Davies.
Team New Zealand came into the LV Cup as favourites and steadily improved through the playoffs, showing themselves mentally strong to bounce back from losses, tactically prepared for new challengers, and phenomenally neat in their manoeuvres.
"We are fundamentally different to the team that lost ... in the dark days of 2003," said Barker, putting their defeat of Luna Rossa down to good weather calls, excellent tactical decisions and top-class crew work.
"The 2003 loss bruised the pride of a nation, certainly, and it was a terrible loss for our country but we've turned it around and built a strong team," he said.
Agencies
(China Daily 06/08/2007 page23)
