Volvo Ocean Race 2001/2002 zurück zur Übersicht Tagesberichte TWO OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST SAILORS, RUSSELL COUTTS AND GRANT DALTON, OPEN UP ON THEIR WORLD OF SAILING von Jonathan Tudor Datum: 25. Jan 2002 02:32 TWO OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST SAILORS, RUSSELL COUTTS AND GRANT DALTON, OPEN UP ON THEIR WORLD OF SAILING Photos available from: - Associated Press (AP) - Fotopress - www.fotopress.co.nz - Hill and Knowlton, New Zealand - jtudor@hillandknowlton.com or skurte@hillandknowlton.com - Hill and Knowlton, UK - tmanger@hillandknowlton.com (Auckland, NZ - 25th January 2002) - Two legends in world sailing met on home soil when UBS, one of the world's leading financial institutions, hosted a historic press conference with Russell Coutts and Grant Dalton, in Auckland, New Zealand. The huge interest in the breakfast meeting, which overlooked the Viaduct Harbour where the America's Cup syndicates and the boats competing in the Volvo Ocean Race are based, reflects the continued growth in sailing among the public and business worldwide. Coutts, winning skipper in the last two America's Cups with Team New Zealand and now chief executive and skipper of the Team Alinghi Challenge from Switzerland, says the involvement of UBS, as a index partner to the campaign, illustrates that growth. "Having a strong association with a company like UBS is huge for us," he says. "With the added promotion and all the intangible benefits, it is a major advantage. The interest in Switzerland is growing rapidly. We have a six-minute magazine-style programme shown on the major television network every two weeks. People are really starting to know what the Alinghi Challenge is all about." UBS is also involved in the Volvo Ocean Race as a index sponsor for the Nautor Challenge which has two boats, the Dalton-skippered Amer Sports One and the female crewed Amer Sports Too. "Yachting is definitely in a boom period. It's getting its fair share," says Dalton, a two-time winner of the Ocean race and on his seventh round the world race. He is currently lying second on the table. "One of the keys helping it is the better exposure it now gets in the media, particularly through the internet, which gives so many people around the world access to it. "For example, a friend of mine living in Hong Kong, says they don't get any television coverage of the event, but he has absolute access to it at any minute of any day." The Auckland stopover ends on Sunday, January 27 as leg 4 begins with the eight boats heading for the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, some 6700 nautical miles away. Having finished second on two of the three legs so far, Amer Sports One lies second on the leaderboard with 18 points, just three points behind the illbruck Challenge. The winner of each leg receives eight points, runner-up seven, and so on down to the eighth-placed boat which receives one. Dalton suffered cracked ribs during the second leg from Cape Town to Sydney and has since worn a brace while racing. He says that is one of the reasons why he has brought Paul Cayard on board. The American won the last race in 1997-98 on EF Language and is a two-time skipper in the America's Cup Final. Dalton thinks it is a sign of his own maturity in a sport where egos are alive and well. "Eight years ago I probably wouldn't have made this call, even with my injury. Not many skippers would. But what matters to me is winning. I know he can help us with that," he says. "I don't feel threatened by Paul's presence. He'll be a great asset to the team." With limited preparation compared to his competition Dalton believes Amer Sports One has performed better than expectations. Cayard's presence is vital to ensuring his team can indextain its challenge for overall honours. "In second we are artificially too far up the tree. I expected us to be around fifth at this stage. "That's not being negative. It's just the realisation we didn't have as much time to prepare as the others. It would be easier for us to slip backwards than it would be to get to No 1. That's a huge climb. That's what Paul is here for, to give us a boost." As Dalton and Coutts boarded Amer Sports One for a photo shoot, the massive Alinghi base shone in the morning sun behind them. The New Zealand home for the Swiss campaign occupies the space of two challengers at the last regatta in 1999-2000 and is right next door to Team New Zealand. The close proximity doesn't worry Coutts in the slightest. "We're still very good friends and I still have a yarn with them." There are reports the Alinghi Challenge is the biggest, in terms of budget, in America's Cup history. While the impressive structure at the Viaduct Harbour may add weight to the belief, Coutts insists it is far from the case. "We've got a $US55million budget which, I don't think, is anywhere near the biggest in this campaign. We've had all the start-up costs, we've had to establish all our companies and so-forth. And we had no boats. "Others did. They had boats, they had an infrastructure to build on, which is quite a large cost saving. And being in Europe makes it more expensive as well." Coutts knows biggest doesn't always mean best. The Team New Zealand budget for its defence ranked it amongst the middle of the challengers. It was a similar scenario in San Diego in 1995. "Yet we won it comfortably. History shows money doesn't guarantee success. Since 1983 the teams with the most money haven't won the America's Cup." History also shows how difficult it is to win at the first attempt and the glaring fact that a European challenge has never been successful, two factors providing plenty of motivation for syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli. "The Cup appeals to him for a number of reasons. Those two are among them. The America's Cup is the biggest and best out there. It's a complex event and he's attracted by the complexity," says Coutts. I think the most important thing for him is that he can enjoy his passion for sailing. He loves the competition and he has the technical ability to sail on the boat." And the motivation for Coutts? Where does he start. "I look back now and see quite a few of us spent 15-20 years of our lives campaigning with New Zealand teams in the America's Cup. We provided two fantastic teams, but it was time for a change," he says. "I feel re-motivated again. I look across the fence at Team New Zealand and I think they're happy us old guys are out of there (laughs). I look at other guys who were part of Team New Zealand sailing for other challengers. They're doing something different, they're experiencing life in another country, as I am. For me, it's been a shot in the arm. I'm really enjoying it for the first time in a while." And, as Dalton and Coutts look across the splendid facility at Auckland, they acknowledge the likelihood of it never existing without the drive of another New Zealand sailing legend, the late Sir Peter Blake. "Nobody can forget the contribution he made to sailing," says Coutts. "We're not talking about New Zealand, we're talking about the world." - ends - Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE