While the signs are looking good that Team New Zealand will be involved in the next America's Cup, syndicate head Grant Dalton says it will take a "minor miracle" to be able to mount a Volvo Ocean Race campaign.
Dalton has given himself until March to find the $27 million needed to compete in the 2014/15 round-the-world race. The Auckland Council has signed a deal with race organisers to host a stopover in the next two races, with the involvement of a Kiwi boat one of the factors that helped them secure that deal. But as the deadline for race entry draws near, Dalton is becoming less hopeful of being able to mount a campaign.
"The Volvo is personally something that I love ... I'm try to fund it, it's a 17 million problem at the moment and I'm not getting very far," said Dalton, who has competed in five round-the-world yacht races.
"I've given myself to early March and I say myself because while it will come under the Team New Zealand umbrella it's my kind of personal crusade at the moment, but we're going to need a minor miracle at the moment to find the money."
Although the start of the race is only nine months away, Dalton said the team will be able to get up and running quickly if they can find the money in the next eight weeks as they have a crew all but lined up. With the next edition of the race to be sailed in identical boats built by the race organisers, there are no design and build times to factor in.
Dalton said Spanish footwear company Camper, who sponsored Team New Zealand's first Volvo Ocean Race campaign, have committed to renewing their sponsorship for the America's Cup but not the round-the-world race.
