Another view of Team New Zealand’s exit

While New Zealanders feel abandoned by their America’s Cup team, this report by Duncan Johnstone and Todd Niall of STUFF media offers another view:

Kiwi team boss Grant Dalton has accused Kiwi rich-lister Mark Dunphy of “destroying” Auckland’s chances of hosting the 2024 America’s Cup.

Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron confirmed their long-held intentions of taking the next defense offshore by announcing the 37th edition would be sailed in Spain’s glamour city Barcelona.

Dunphy hoped to prevent that with his Kiwi Home Defense organization aimed at raising the funds to provide Team New Zealand with the finances to stay in Auckland.

But in a campaign that started by threatening to sack Dalton if his supposed consortium gained control, Dunphy quickly fell offside with Team New Zealand who refused to engage with the Auckland businessmen and his proposal of a $40m – half his original estimate – cash injection to boost the $31m on offer from the New Zealand government and Auckland council.

In a war of words Dunphy even served legal letters on Dalton and Team New Zealand, “requesting certain inaccurate statements be corrected and that apologies be given”.

The Cup defenders didn’t back down and accused Dunphy of an attempted act of intimidation.

As Team New Zealand struggled through a venue selection process that required a six-month extension, they didn’t write off Auckland if appropriate funds could be found.

That never eventuated and as Barcelona stumped up with a $128m winning bid from a shortlist of four international options, Dalton couldn’t resist another shot at Dunphy who instigated an aggressive social media and advertising campaign in recent weeks, desperate to get public support.

“Dunphy pretty much torpedoed Auckland all by himself,” Dalton told Stuff from Barcelona. “He poisoned the well so badly with his antics and naivety that nobody would dare touch it because of the risk of being stained themselves. So the irony is that he actually destroyed Auckland himself.” – Full report

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on by March 30, 2022.