Editorial: Let's keep spirit of the Cup alive

That was the end of an era, not only for this country but possibly for the America's Cup too. Its new, and thoroughly deserved, custodian Ernesto Bertarelli has plans to make it a different kind of event. If he succeeds it could be more like Formula One motor racing, with more events spread more regularly between the cup matches and possibly at different venues around the world. It will be designed to give sponsors better exposure for their ever-increasing outlay and it will be less of a contest between nations.

All of that will make the cup less accessible to New Zealand and probably less attractive. This country's tenure has been an intensely national experience, albeit not unanimously appreciated. The wealth and, in some eyes, the waste invested in the event has been offensive to many but it has undeniably brought added excitement and lustre to the nation's life.

It seems to have been a fixture of our lives for more than the eight years since Team New Zealand brought it home from San Diego. The quest to win the cup began more than 10 years earlier and we seem to have been living on the fortunes of tall yachts for the best part of a generation.

The magic could not last forever, though we would have hoped to lose the cup in better circumstances. New Zealanders watching at the Viaduct as Alinghi crossed the line yesterday were torn between resignation to the superiority of Russell Coutts, Brad Butterworth and crew, and lingering hurt that the men who won the cup for us have been the ones to take it away.

Perhaps in time that will be a source of pride. New Zealand sailors now dominate yachting's premier event to a degree we could not have dreamed of 20 years ago. We dreamed then of finding one team good enough to emulate Australia's success. To have New Zealanders helming both the Louis Vuitton finalists this year speaks volumes for the progress we have made. And not only in sailing but in designing too.

The America's Cup has projected our boat design and building industry as a world centre of excellence. It is a reputation that may have been a little dented by the boat that was put out for this defence, but not seriously so. The task now is to see that the momentum gained from our tenure of the cup is maintained and widened in the years ahead. If Mr Bertarelli's plans for the cup make it a bigger and better event, New Zealand's experienced yacht-servicing industries are well poised to ride that wave.

Certainly our sailors will ride it. If there is no flag-bearing New Zealand entry in the next America's Cup, our helmsmen will be there and we will be following their fortunes with interest. If sponsors' brands come to eclipse national emblems, as Mr Bertarelli seems to intend, we will probably call our helmsmen's boats our own.

If they win for a big-brand sponsor, though, they will not necessarily bring the cup back here. It is not clear how the cup holder would decide the venue under the Bertarelli scheme. Indeed, it is not yet clear where he might defend it next time. If national associations count for little, the venue might be chosen for the maximum television audience and the most reliable weather. Auckland would not bid strongly for the event on those criteria.

Yet we have, thanks to the cup, a splendid small boat harbour at the Viaduct and in the Hauraki Gulf we have an inshore sailing venue now well known to international yachting. The next challenge is to devise an event worthy of the facilities. It cannot match the status of the America's Cup - nothing in maritime activities does - but it should be an attraction that can capitalise on the national investment and keep the spirit alive.