America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup - Come on Emirates Team NZ

[HeathDavisSpeed]

A quick search on trademe will reveal a selection of trailer-sailers for a few hundred dollars. The costs of karting are obviously heaps more - not just the initial purchase price of the kart, but the fuel and tires, and also repairing any damage incurred in accidents, etc.

As I've said, I know nothing of the equipment requirements for yachting. Could you reasonably race in these cheapies for sale on trade me?? If so, then I would take back my words on price exclusivity.

Lewis Hamilton has made numerous references to the sacrifices his father made to keep him racing - I can't recall hearing any famous yachties telling similar stories.

But his father was still able to afford it, albeit with great difficulty. You probably can't recall any yachties telling the same story as they wouldn't want to look like paupers in front of their rich, upper class yachtie friends. At least that would have been the case in Southampton. Not much of a yachtie community in Wellington that I can see. Rowing, kayaking etc. but not yachting that I've seen?

 

[Dick Rockett]

But his father was still able to afford it, albeit with great difficulty. You probably can't recall any yachties telling the same story as they wouldn't want to look like paupers in front of their rich, upper class yachtie friends.

Well I guess anything can be afforded with great difficulty - that's really beside the point, which is that motor racing is hugely expensive yet not generally seen as elitist (F1 is the big exception for obvious reasons) as yachting is. That's really just a stereotype.

Not much of a yachtie community in Wellington that I can see. Rowing, kayaking etc. but not yachting that I've seen?

Sure there is. There's yachts out on the harbour nearly every day in the summer. Russell Coutts is a Wellington boy who started out at the Paremata Boating Club.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Sure there is. There's yachts out on the harbour nearly every day in the summer. Russell Coutts is a Wellington boy who started out at the Paremata Boating Club.

Haha. Shows how restricted to the Hutt Valley I am. I see loads of people out rowing, the old Dominion Post Ferry. In fact, I can see pretty much all of Wellington Harbour from my window and hardly ever see a yacht, let alone any racing!! Does make me chuckle

 

[Dick Rockett]

Yeah, they do tend to sail a lot further out.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Still, today we have learnt that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Yachting is still the preserve of the upper classes though

 

[Dick Rockett]

Alright then, so long as we agree that such things as golf, air travel and inbreeding are as well

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Alright then, so long as we agree that such things as golf, air travel and inbreeding are as well

I don't necessarily thing inbreeding is the preserve of the upper classes. Much more common, maybe... I have met some non-upper class types with double barrelled surnames... though they may have had aspirations to be nouveau-riche?

I played a round of golf once... I scored 79... on the front nine. I got great exercise that day. Must have walked about 20km.

 

[Perm]

2-1 to Team New Zealand, I'm getting quite excited. Fair bit of discussion around it at school TBH.

 

[JASON]

Damn the race officials for letting Alinghi get away with a man up the Mast in race 4 !!

Damn the Spinnaker that broke in Race 5 !!

Damn the Wind that changed directions after the second leg last night in Race 6 !!

Alinghi at Match Point 4-2 !!


Team NZ needs to win 3 in a row to win the cup....IIRC only Australia did that once to win 5-4 in the 80s ...When Alan Bond's Yacht won the America's Cup....Bertorelli's money is winning the Damn Cup here.....Annoyed !!

 

[Perm]

Not looking too flash for Team New Zealand here.

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Anyone catch the last race? Awesome finish - heartbreaking though.

We'll be back in a few years Alinghi, you'll see!

 

[JASON]

Want to hear opinions of other New Zealanders on this forum.

The tax cuts you and I should've got for over 4-5 years is being gifted to Team New Zealand again. Already 10 millin dollars gifted and the promise of more ...(possibly topping the 35 million dollars gifted for this last challenge by easily another 20 -30 million...at a guess. ie total to exceed 50 million one guesses...)

I am really pissed off about this... because Tax cuts that Aussies and others are being given readily (by their Governments)are not being passed on to us (by the NZ Government ), but Trevor Mallard and Helen Clark are generaous in gifting this Team...Every other Team at every other America's Cup ever is funded by private syndicates, who take all the Glory and the profits...not in this instance it would seem...there are lots of Kiwi Mums and Dads doing 2 Jobs and 3 jobs to keep their families well provided while these losers get funded time after time - so they relax and take it easy for 3 and 3/4 years and then come back to Sail around for 4-5 months..

It seems highly likely that Russell Coutts and /or Brad Butterworth are now headed towards Oracle with Larry Ellison... Even otherwise Alinghi will field a strong defence again... My personal opinion is that next time it could be Oracle challenging Alinghi..

Why are we wasting our taxes when this should be funded by private funds...when it seems extremely difficult to forsee all the money guaranteeing any success in return..

I also have another issue - if another group of New Zealanders formed a syndicate with a view to challenging for the America's Cup will they also get funded by the NZ Govt. Why then is this private syndicate being funded by Tax cuts we (as Tax payers) have been long denied by Michael Cullen and Helen Clark ?

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I agree Jason, its as good as Helen and Trev going down Christchurch Casino and putting $30m on Black. Governments should be in the 'Gambling' business, though I may write a letter to the Problem Gambling body to request that they get in touch with our esteemed government in this regard.

Furthermore, the whole Kiwisaver is a watered down pile of crap. This is only going to benefit a very small percentage of NZers as the ones who really could use it won't be able to afford it and those who can afford it will already have enough savings. Instead of benefitting the whole country through tax cuts, or benefitting the poor with moving income tax thresholds by a decent amount, this Labour government are showing themselves up to be a bunch of poxy skinflints only interested in their own image.

If they keep going along with policies like this, as one of the British newspapers once said about an election, "Would the last person to leave the country please turn out the lights"

 

[JASON]

I agree Jason, its as good as Helen and Trev going down Christchurch Casino and putting $30m on Black. Governments should be in the 'Gambling' business, though I may write a letter to the Problem Gambling body to request that they get in touch with our esteemed government in this regard.

Furthermore, the whole Kiwisaver is a watered down pile of crap. This is only going to benefit a very small percentage of NZers as the ones who really could use it won't be able to afford it and those who can afford it will already have enough savings. Instead of benefitting the whole country through tax cuts, or benefitting the poor with moving income tax thresholds by a decent amount, this Labour government are showing themselves up to be a bunch of poxy skinflints only interested in their own image.

If they keep going along with policies like this, as one of the British newspapers once said about an election, "Would the last person to leave the country please turn out the lights"

I am glad you agree. You are absolutely right this is like gambling away public money ....

I support Team NZ, but not to be funded by taxes ....

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Completely agree. 50 Million dollars so 20 or so guys can work for a month or so every four years, and still fail to take the cup? It's madness. Surely there's some businessman in New Zealand willing to support team NZ financially? Don't get me wrong here, I support team NZ fully, but they shouldn't be paid for with NZ tax money.

Agree on the kiwisaver thing too. It makes no sense.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

The government should absolutely invest money in Team NZ.

 

[Perm]

The government should absolutely invest money in Team NZ.

I agree, they pour a lot of money into other sports so why should the America's Cup be any different?