Gone but not forgotten ... halcyon days at Viaduct

By HERALD STAFF

Remember the dream. Remember the moment.

Remember the tension breaking from waiting till the last leg, the punching the air, the screams, cheers, sheer euphoria - that feeling we just knew we'd go all the way. It was our time.

At Auckland Airport hundreds of people were watching a huge multi-screen TV as New Zealand won. Arriving passengers walked in on a frenzy, a joyful frenzy, that lasted for days and weeks.

Remember the whole country saying "we" won the America's Cup.

Remember Unbelievable.

Remember wagging school to go to the parade. The feeling of joy and pride in the crowd. There were people hanging out of every office window and clinging on to trees for a look at the team.

Remember the ticker tape, and the boys and Peter Blake ... how it made you feel happy, proud, and glad to be part of it, to see it yourself.

At Devonport crowds of people going to the parade waited patiently for the ferry. The line stretched for miles from the wharf and people were just having the party where they stood, talking to everyone else.

Remember the days when the house prices were inflated and rents extortionate, a good meal cost twice the price and you could not find a carpark to save your life.

Remember the Viaduct before it all happened? Nobody else does either.

During that summer of the first defence, most of the office went straight down to the Viaduct after work and you could smell the champagne from blocks away. The high spirits were just infectious, it made you want to be there in the midst of all the craziness, even if you didn't know anything about yachting - it was enough to be a Kiwi.

Remember trying to ignore the whole circus because it was simply a bunch of ridiculously wealthy people competing in a yacht club competition for the sake of their own egos? Why didn't they give their millions to charity instead?

Remember visiting from out of town, having a glorious sunny day in the Viaduct Basin, drooling over the superyachts and, to our surprise, getting a lump in our throats when Team NZ came in. We waved to them and they waved back.

Remember the children waving flags and making pretend boats at kindy.

Remember when we had a winning boat.

Remember that awful "Loyal" campaign? It has just about ruined the song forever.

Remember the shiver of pride at watching the Loyal flag following Team NZ out on the first day.

Remember waiting for wind.

Remember the energy of Viaduct supporters. The haka was awesome. Definitely the Haka. (Even though Bill English took his shirt off.)

Remember the bailing bucket ...

Remember the second verse to Loyal? As the Team NZ jingle, Dave Dobbyn's song became one verse and a long, long chorus. Some of us liked the second verse. We want it back.

Remember the red socks. It all started with a Herald story by Suzanne McFadden about the race they lost at San Diego when Sir Peter Blake wasn't wearing them.

Remember the inflated price for a beer at the Viaduct bars.

Remember the accents, the fashions, the carefree cosmopolitan buzz that made Auckland a little part of Europe for the summer. Why let that die?

Remember the men that gained the America's Cup but lost their country. Where do we deliver the "30 pieces of silver"?

Remember the team that came together like the shards of a broken glass to be filled with the hope, faith and unconditional loyalty of our country.

Remember that awful song and those naff flags.

Remember Dean Barker's eyes mirroring our own struggles: pride, conviction, anger, disappointment, sorrow, frustration and always hope eternal.

Remember the photographs and filming from overhead. Auckland looked like a postcard.

Remember the superyachts. Remember the awful John Banks speeches welcoming the men and their money.

Remember Prada, Francesco and Torben.

Remember the plastic fantastic off Fremantle.

Remember Michael Fay's cheeky Big Boat, the catamaran defender and Dennis Conner calling Bruce Farr a loser who should get off the stage.

Remember when more than 20 people went to the Viaduct.

Remember when those apartments were worth a million.

Remember that second race, lost by seven seconds after leading until the last leg. Remember Dean Barker's face at the press conference.

Remember it? Yes we will, for as long as we live.


nzherald.co.nz/americascup

Racing schedule and results