Ernesto Bertarelli, on the 32nd America’s Cup: “Valencia has been a perfect venue for this first America’s Cup in Europe, surely team new Zealand helped, but I don’t think anyone can remember a more exciting match. Every single race was unbelievable. We will be thinking about the future shortly but right now its time to celebrate this victory.”
I've really missed the hype and television saturation that goes with the America's Cup now that I live here in Belgie. It was always delicious to 'take part' back home in New Zealand ... to be one of a population that held its collective breath as Team New Zealand fought it out on the waterways of whichever country was hosting the race.
It sounds like 'we' didn't do too badly ... country for 4 million people, with very little in the way of cash to invest in sailing. Passion takes people a long way and I like where it has taken New Zealand in America's Cup history.
Considering that over half of Alinghi were also Kiwi's we've done well Di. You may not know this but we beat off all the challengers to win the right to race Alinghi in the best of 9 final. The Swiss won 5-2, but there were some close 50/50 calls. In fact the last race was won by Alinghi by only 1 second - a race in which we had to perform a penalty turn on the last leg.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like we'll be there in 2009 tho - I think we'll win it - believe me the country were right behid them like in the red socks days :)
We have done well ;) us kiwis.
ReplyDeleteA Belgian recently asked me in stunned tones, 'You New Zealanders really imagine yourselves to be special, don't you?'
And I replied with a smile 'Well yes.'
I still play Dave Dobbyn's 'Loyal' and remember those heady 'red sock fundraising days'.