By TERRY MADDAFORD
If Harold Bennett is under pressure, then the principal race officer for the America's Cup is doing his best not to show it.
Frustrated again by weather which kept the America's Cup yachts at their bases yesterday when a scheduled fifth day of racing was canned, Bennett simply
shrugged and adopted his "wait-and-see" stance.
For 59-year-old Bennett this is all-too-familiar territory.
Three years ago, nine days were needed to complete Team New Zealand's 5-0 win over Italy's Luna Rossa.
He is, he agrees, seen as the villain, a Team New Zealand "mole" who wants racing only when it suits the defenders.
Nothing could be further from reality.
"It is not up to me to make any such calls," said Bennett who in his "day job" is the assistant general manager for the cup's custodians, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
A long-time North Shore resident, Bennett has always been close to the sea.
He has been heavily involved in youth training programmes and was coach of the New Zealand Olympic sailing teams in 1988 and 2000 but not, he says, 1984 when Russell Coutts won Finn gold.
His involvement through the squadron has extended to the national match-racing series in which he has also often called the shots.
That role has had its moments, but without quite the profile the biggest of all yachting contests brings.
"The protocol and match conditions were signed off a year ago.
"I'm bound by them. The protocol for this cup was written by Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts before they left Team New Zealand."
In part, they say "We shall not race in shifty conditions... "
"The object has to be to provide fair racing," said Bennett.
Bennett is not about to be bullied by one syndicate or the other just to get quit of the cup.
"To race on Wednesday, Friday or any day after Saturday, the last scheduled race day, I need agreement from both syndicates," said Bennett.
That, surely, opens up all kinds of possibilities. Bennett, understandably, refuses to be drawn on issues like that.
"I'm really noncommittal on issues surrounding the match conditions."
What then does he see as the ideal conditions?
"To have nine races in nine different conditions would be great," said Bennett.
"More realistically, the best racing on the Hauraki Gulf would be in nor'easterly sea breezes. Unfortunately we haven't seen them yet. Probably they won't come in until sometime in March."
Again, though, he does not want to become entangled in an ideal time to sail the regatta.
"I get the terms and conditions and go with them."
But, he says, he and his race committee have been "unfairly bagged" by some people.
"Take today as an example. Some would say there was no reason not to go out.
"Simply, we would not be talking fair to do that. It is a safety issue.
"The MetService issued a gale warning early this morning," Bennett said. "Who are we to fly in the face of that and go sailing?"
Even if the crews had been given the okay to head out, the last say would have been with Harbourmaster James McPetrie who could have made a call if he felt safety was an issue.
"It hasn't come to that," said Bennett. "We have made the calls after talking to the syndicates. We, and they, are happy to continue doing that."
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule and results
By TERRY MADDAFORD
If Harold Bennett is under pressure, then the principal race officer for the America's Cup is doing his best not to show it.
Frustrated again by weather which kept the America's Cup yachts at their bases yesterday when a scheduled fifth day of racing was canned, Bennett simply
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.