Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, So the big dances upon us comes Sunday morning,
the start of the thirty seventh America's Cup. Team New
Zealand take on the British team of Niosprtania, with the
first to win seven races crowned champions. Mark Aoram's is
a sailing professor and commentator from aut and he joins me, Now,
good evening. Do you think people are genuinely excited about
(00:21):
this event or not?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, certainly the sailing community is, but I think it'll
take a little bit of time to build up for
those people who perhaps are a little bit late to
get on board. As we move through this America's Cup
and we start to draw towards the conclusion, I think
the excitement will pull people in.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
You Well, now we're at the exciting end of the tournament.
I'm definitely being pulled in. And I don't really care
where it's held, how it's run, what the boats are.
I'm just kind of I'm just sort of getting on board.
Why should Kiwi's care about it. It's not here in
our backyard as the defense normally is, and I know
that's a bit of a sticking point for.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Some Yeah, I can completely understand that. I don't think
anybody would be sort of in favor of having it
out of New Zealand. Really, this is the city of
Sales and Auckland and it would be wonderful to be
having it here, but it isn't, So we just have
to get our heads around that. I think the thing
(01:22):
to really focus on is that this is New Zealand
competing in a very high technology and an extremely high
end sport that has a massive history that goes back
over one hundred and fifty years, and what we are doing,
as a small maritime nation is competing at the very
(01:42):
top end. In fact, dominating to New Zealand has been
this century the most dominant team in this game. And
remembering we're competing against nations that are not only much
larger than ours, with deeper pockets, but with a lot
of technology that we don't have access to. So thinking
(02:03):
about the United States and outfits like NASA and companies
like Bowing the UK and how they're drawing on their
Formula one expertise with any Ospritania and so on. So
a little old New Zealand here piecing together an amazing
legacy in the sport of sailing, and when I talk
to people from outside of New Zealand in the sport
(02:23):
of sailing, they just shake their heads. They think, how
do you do it? How can you do something that
these really large superpowers are not able to do? And
so it's something really special to be proud of that
we're able to not only compete, but to dominate in
this kind of way.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's a great perspective on it. Mark, how much of
an advantage do you think Embrit's Team New Zealand have
They haven't raced intensely for weeks, like any ofs I
suppose it's got its pros and cons having that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Break, Yeah, absolutely, And of course the Brits are raced hardened.
They'd eighteen races over the last month and hard close
races too, so they are certainly very battle hardened, very
race ready. Meanwhile, Emirate's Team New Zealand's had no racing
at all. But what they have been able to do
is to watch very very carefully, to analyze all of
(03:14):
the data coming off the boats, particularly with a focus
now on Aniospritannia, and to continue to develop Tai Houdos
so that it can be as fast as possible and
what they know is that in the history of the
America's Cup, the fastest spot always wins. So their focus
is going to be certainly preparing as best they're able
for the racing, but making sure they're optimizing Taihuto to
(03:36):
be as quick as it possibly can be. And they've
actually broken out some new equipment just in the last
few days that they'd be working on and kept back
in the shed until now, and some of those I
think are big steps forward. So the team will have
a lot of confidence in the preparation they've done for
the boat, and then they'll build into the regatta as
it gets underway.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So Ben Ainsley versus Berlin, do you think we'll see
some nigger here?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
I don't think. From Pete Berlin, he's a very very cool,
calm character, fighter pilot like sort of calm and that
it doesn't seem to matter what's happening around him. He's unfazed.
So Ben Ainsley's quite different. You know. He's an enormously
experienced and very very talented sailor, the most successful Olympic
sailor in history. But he's also somebody who I wouldn't
(04:24):
say he's a hot head. But simmering under the surface
of that huge determination can sometimes be a bit of
frustration that boils over into the if he doesn't get,
for example, umpire calls that go his way, or a
mistake that's made, particularly if it's a mistake that he's
made personally. So they're quite different personalities. Equally talented sailors,
(04:45):
no question, but quite different personalities.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Mike Alms, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciated.
It is twenty three past five News Talks that'd be
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