Team New Zealand can defend the next America’s Cup outside New Zealand

Defense coming from America’s Cup The sail outside New Zealand can be held after the defending champion, and Emirates Team New Zealand, will not be able to reach an agreement with national and local governments on the financing of the Auckland Regatta.

The New Zealand government and the Auckland City Hall They offered the federation NZ$99 million (€63 million) to organize the defense of Auckland’s oldest sailing trophy. But Team New Zealand, who defended the cup in Auckland earlier this year, is looking for nearly double that amount to keep the event going in New Zealand.

General Manager Del Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton, spoke to members of the Royal New Zealand Yachting Squadron, the cup’s official host club, on Tuesday evening in Auckland to explain the implications of the funding shortfall.

In a statement issued this Wednesday, he said Team New Zealand He said the failure to reach an agreement with the government and the council “does not eliminate any possibility” that the next America’s Cup will take place in Auckland. But he added that the team will study the possibility of accepting foreign offers to host him.

The president of the America’s Cup team in Britain offered to endorse the exclusive boating championship between the two countries Team New Zealand And the British Challenger I
NEOS UK Team off Cowes on the Isle of Wight next year. Dubai and the Irish city of Cork have also expressed interest in hosting the event.

The Team New ZealandThe New Zealand government and Auckland Council spent three months in “exclusive” negotiations, a period that ended on Wednesday. “Of course, the end of the exclusive trading period does not eliminate the possibility of an event or event occurring in New Zealand,” he said. dalton. “If resources allow for an event in New Zealand, we will remain open to that. But we must explore other opportunities to ensure we can deliver another successful defense. No matter where we are in the world, we will always be Team New Zealand.”

RNZYS Dean, Aaron YoungThe club also hopes to keep the America’s Cup in New Zealand, the club said. But he said it would be “wise to explore other options now as well, with the main objective of ensuring we keep the trophy in the cupboard here at the club”.

Grant Dalton He understands that the decision to defend the America’s Cup outside New Zealand could trigger a backlash from the taxpayers who massively funded cup defenses in Auckland in 2000, 2003 and again this year.

Minister of Cuba America, Stuart Nash, described the government’s offer as “very generous” and “highly credible”, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on New Zealand’s economy. Nash He said he accepted a decision Team New Zealand To consider other options. “We want to hold the next America’s Cup in New Zealand,” he said. Nash. “Tens of thousands of die-hard fans who supported the historic defense of the cup in March want it to take place in New Zealand. It is disappointing that we were unable to reach an agreement during the period of exclusive negotiations.”

The America’s Cup He said it was a global business operation, and “an international trade as much as it was a sporting competition.” “The team is now free to look for commercial sponsors, private sponsors, or other ways to fund the operation,” he added.