America's Cup: Brad Butterworth backs Team NZ to win back Auld Mug

With Burling at the helm, ETNZ have a real chance of winning the America's Cup. Picture / Ricardo Pinto

Brad Butterworth believes Team New Zealand will beat Oracle and return the America's Cup to our shores - a scenario the famous sailor claims is needed to save the event.

In Bermuda to watch the Cup final unfold from tomorrow morning's opening two races, Butterworth was critical of a number of elements of the current regatta being run by his former teammate and fellow New Zealander, Sir Russell Coutts.

In a radio interview with Newstalk ZB sports host Matt Brown to be aired this morning - on the eve of the finals series - the four-time Cup winner (twice with Team NZ and twice with Switzerland's Alinghi) fires a number of interesting salvos while backing Peter Burling and his team to secure the Auld Mug including:

• The other Cup challengers don't want Team NZ to win the final and have broken with America's Cup tradition in not helping the Kiwis.

• Team NZ has Oracle's measure and could go even faster than previously seen in the first-to-seven-wins showdown.

• Team USA's helmsman Jimmy Spithill is wasting his time trying to out-pysche his ice-cool Kiwi opposite Peter Burling.

But in perhaps his most telling commentary on the Bermuda regatta, Butterworth said he believed the Kiwis need to win the Auld Mug to save it.

"It's more than just a yacht race, this thing - it's actually the future of the Cup," said Butterworth, the tactician onboard Team NZ when the Kiwis won the Cup for the first time in San Diego and then defended the Cup in Auckland in 2000.

"It's either going to go one way or the other. And believe me there are a lot of people around who would like to see it go back to New Zealand. I think it would be a better event down there."

Butterworth, who in 2009 published an open letter commenting on the extensive litigation surrounding the America's Cup, praised Team New Zealand for their courage in refusing to sign the framework agreement, presented by Coutts and signed by the other challengers and which binds those syndicates to a definitive future regatta format.

"Team New Zealand has been very strong in not signing that agreement," he said. "I don't think the agreement is good for any of the challengers.

"This has been a massive fight for Team New Zealand. They are definitely on their own here. All the other challengers don't want them to win which is quite against the way in the past you tried to get the strongest challenger to go up against the defender. And they have gone just the other way.

"Team New Zealand has done a very good thing, although it's cost them dearly I think. It's been tough for them but they've been tough, they've hung in there and now they're the challenger of record and now they're going to go up against Oracle."

Butterworth was full of praise for Team NZ's on-water efforts.

"It was a close contest but Team NZ looked like they had the measure of everybody," he said of the challenger rounds.

"It was a little bit disappointing that they had to race on a windy day where they hadn't raced before ... that made life pretty difficult when they tipped over. I think they were forced to race that day.

"It wasn't a great thing for the challengers as a group but they got through with it, they've got a good team, they put the boat back together and they wound up winning. They're sailing very well."

Butterworth said his confidence of a Kiwi win had been buoyed by Burling's display and his high confidence in Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby.

"Overall, if you look at both teams man-for-man, Team New Zealand has a very strong crew. Peter Burling is doing a fantastic job with the rest of the guys onboard the boat. He's special, that's for sure. He looks very mature in the way he is dealing with things. I have high hopes."

Butterworth now splits his time between his plush Waiheke Island property and stints overseas where he acts as a consultant for wealthy clients of privately-funded racing boats.

He said Burling would not be fazed by Spithill, on or off the water. And nor did Team NZ supporters need to worry about Burling's poor record in starts.

"Psychologically, I don't think Spithill should go anywhere near Peter Burling," he said.

"I think he (Burling) is pretty strong in what he believes, what he can do and what he can't do. I think he's pretty comfortable with all of that.

"And the starting . . . the last start that he had in the final of the Louis Vuitton was an excellent start. I think in the end he's going to be starting pretty strongly."

Asked if he was confident of a Team NZ victory, Butterworth was unequivocal.

"Totally, yes for sure . . . I think New Zealand can get there," he told Brown.

"The crew they have at Team NZ are instrumental in making the boat go fast. They will wind up with a fast boat and I think the fastest boat will win. But it will be because those guys have kept modifying and developing.

"They haven't been sitting still. I'm here in Bermuda and they've been out today. They've been out most days and they're trying hard."

Butterworth said the weekend conditions in Bermuda would suit the Kiwis.

"Under 10 knots, or maybe under 9 knots, they look really strong, really strong. Light air breezes would be best and the forecast for this weekend is quite light."