By HELEN TUNNAH
Nuclear-sponsored America's Cup syndicate Le Defi Areva are backing a "cleanup" campaign for Auckland's harbour because they want to help keep New Zealand clean and green.
The French syndicate, struggling without a win in the challenger series, said their crew were turning off lights, recycling bottles and giving
up smoking as part of Auckland Regional Council efforts to reduce pollution and waste.
Le Defi sparked controversy when they signed a sponsorship deal with Areva, formed in part from France's nuclear weapons industry which led the testing programme at Mururoa Atoll.
French special agents in 1985 blew up the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, killing a Portuguese photographer, as it was about to sail from Auckland for Mururoa to lead protests against the testing.
Le Defi general manager Xavier de Lesquen said the French team respected New Zealand's nuclear views. He said the French admired the region, and wanted it to stay beautiful.
Le Defi would take part in the cleanup campaign until they left Auckland - which could be as late as March if they reached the America's Cup final, he said.
But without a win in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the French campaign could be over by the end of this weekend. Their current form suggests the race against the Italian team Mascalzone Latino will decide which of the nine challengers are knocked out of racing before the eight-team quarter-finals.
Mascalzone beat Le Defi in the first round, but if the two teams cannot get any other points and Le Defi win at their second meeting, the French would progress to the quarter-finals.
Mascalzone are also Le Defi's rivals in the "nuclear" stakes, with their shipping tycoon leader, Vincenzo Onorato, an outspoken critic of the Mururoa tests before they ended.
The billionaire head of Moby Lines publicly took on the French Government over the tests.
In retaliation, French authorities tried to block his ships entering their waters.
The impasse was resolved, but Onorato remained opposed to nuclear testing in the Pacific. "Why don't they do the testing in their own capital instead if it is so safe?"
Other syndicates who have signed up to the cleanup campaign include Team New Zealand, OneWorld Challenge, Oracle BMW Racing, GBR Challenge and Alinghi.
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