An international look for 2007
On June 14 2003, Emirates Team New Zealand
announced a challenge for the America’s Cup with Dubai-based
airline Emirates as the lead and naming rights sponsor.
At that time Toyota New Zealand, a long-time
supporter of New Zealand America’s Cup teams announced
that it would be on board for the fifth time.
The announcement was the official start
of the team’s challenge for the 2007 America’s
Cup. For the previous 12 months team managing director Grant
Dalton had been painstakingly building the foundations for
the 2007 challenge unsure if it could go ahead.
New Zealand, population 4 million, had
neither the financial nor people resources to launch a credible
America’s Cup challenge against the resources of the "billionaire
campaigns".
Dalton travelled the world securing financial
support and gaining commitments from a world-class team of
yachtsmen and designers.
Finding the money took the team to corporate
board rooms in Europe, the United States, Japan and the Middle
East. Securing the design and sailing team. Where local talent
was lacking the team looked overseas.
It's a measure of New Zealand's pride in
its yachting achievements that the government has also supported
the 2007 challenge with a $NZ33.75 million investment. The
America's Cup is viewed as a strategic marketing opportunity
for New Zealand's tourism and marine services industries,
according to America's Cup Minister Trevor Mallard.
The Auckland-based 2000 and 2003 America's
Cup regattas pumped an estimated $NZ1 billion into the New
Zealand economy and provided the impetus to revitalise Auckland's
waterfront with the development of world-class facilities
at Viaduct Harbour. |
