Francesca Rudkin: I've got an idea for the next Netflix hit

Have I got an idea for Netflix - although I’m unlikely the first to have it.  

The shock announcement late this week that Peter Burling was leaving Team New Zealand made me wish Netflix would take us inside the world of match racing and the America’s Cup.  

It’s got everything that’s made F1 such a TV hit - big money, big personalities, big egos, big competition - with a solid dose of life-threatening risk thrown in.  

Who wouldn’t watch it? You would, right?  

I don’t really give a flying hoot whether the America’s Cup comes back to New Zealand. I don’t think a lot of Kiwis do, even if they have cherished memories of past Cups. I think we all now understand the nature of this sport. It’s driven by a wealthy few, and paid for by aspirational brands. It will do whatever it needs to thrive as an event.  

It doesn’t stop us getting behind the sailors and the incredible design teams when racing begins. But we don’t feel attached in the same way we once were. 

But back to my point - it would make for great TV. There’s always some kind of potential ‘blowup’ lurking near the running of the America’s Cup and Team New Zealand -  location negotiations, rivalries and disputes, and fascinating characters all over it.  

In January, skipper Sir Ben Ainslie and INEOS chef Jim Ratcliffe suddenly split - and in the last couple of days, INEOS Britannia announced it was abandoning its challenge for the next America's Cup after failing to reach a settlement with Ainslie's team Athena Racing.  

Can’t you just see Jimmy Spithill being the resident expert talking us through it all? What good fun!  

The parting of Peter Burling and Team New Zealand is probably as simple as it sounds. This is what Team New Zealand Chief Executive Grant Dalton told Ryan Bridge on Drive on Friday when he asked what happened…. 

AUDIO: We just ran out of time basically….. we couldn’t get going… we’re in new territory trying to win it for the fourth time…  We got to get going.”  

Who knows if Burling was aware of the time constraints on him to make a decision. Dalton says money and time were issues. Burling is apparently surprised it has come to this. But they both claim to be parting on good terms, and I believe it.   

Burling stepped up when he was 26 with a bunch of cyclists and his trusty sidekick Blair Tuke to win the America’s Cup in Bermuda. He then went on to defend it twice more. It’s an incredible record for such a young athlete, and it’s no surprise that in-between the four-year America’s Cup cycle he’s gone on to lead the Black Foils Sail GP team and set up an environmental charity. I wish him well.  

But once again, isn’t it fascinating to watch a team do whatever they have to do to win? If you hate participation certificates, you’ll love the cut throat nature of the America’s Cup. Just like we do with F1. Except when it comes to Liam Lawson of course.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks. I'd be right.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Have I got an idea for Netflix, although I'm unlikely
the first to have it. The shock announcement late this
week that Peter Berling and Team New Zealand were parting
ways made me wish Netflix would take us inside the
world of match racing and the America's Cup. It's got
everything It's made if one such a hit. It's got
big money, big personalities, big egos, big competition with a

(00:36):
solid dose of life threatening risk thrown in. I mean,
who wouldn't watch it? You would, right? I don't really
give a flying hoot where whether the America's Cup comes
back to New Zealand, and I don't think a lot
of keywis do, even if they have cherished memories of
past Cups. I think we all now understand the nature
of the sport. It's driven by a wealthy few and

(00:58):
paid for by aspirational brands, will do whatever it needs
to thrive as an event. It doesn't stop us getting
behind the same and the incredible design teams when racing begins,
but we don't feel attached in the same way we
once were. But back to my point, it would make
for great TV. There's always some kind of potential blow
up lurking near the running of the America's Cup and

(01:21):
Team New Zealand location negotiations, rivalries and disputes and fascinating
characters all over it. In January, Skippers have been Ainsley
and Ineos chief Jim Ratcliffe suddenly split, and in the
last couple of days, Eneos Britanna announced it would be
abandoning its challenge for the next America's Cup after failing
to reach a settlement with Ainsley's team. Can't you just

(01:45):
see Jimmy Spittle being the resident expert talking us through
it all? What good fun. The parting of Peter Burling
and Team New Zealand is probably as simple as it sounds.
This is what Team New Zealand chief executive Grant Dalton
told Ryan Bridge on Drive on Friday when he asked
what happened, Well, we.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
Just ran out a time basically women talking since Basili
and need certainty pet out an offer in front of
him from us, and honestly we never really got to
the point of rejecting or either way on the offer.
I ended up pulling the offer because we just couldn't
get going, And yeah, it's a sad day, but teams

(02:23):
one hundred and twenty people were got on an America's
cart where a new completely uncharted territory final won up
for the fourth time and we're going to get going.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Who knows if Berlin was aware of the time constraints
on him to make a decision. Dalton says money and
time were issues. Berlin is apparently surprised it's come to this,
but they both claim to be parting on good terms
and I believe it. Berlin stepped up when he was
twenty six with a bunch of cyclists and his trusty
sidekick Blair Chook to win the America's Cup in Bermuda.
He then went on to defend it twice more. It's

(02:53):
an incredible record for such a young athlete, and it's
no surprise that in between the America's Cup cycle he's
gone on to lead the Blackfoil Sale GP team and
set up an environmental charity. I really do wish him
well once again. Isn't it fascinating to watch a team
do whatever they have to do to win? If you
hate a participation certificate, you'll love the cutthroat nature of

(03:15):
the America's Cup, just like we do with F one,
except when it comes to lam Nawson, of course.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
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