Basin of sinking dreams

By ALAN PERROTT and ANGELA GREGORY

A subdued and grim-faced crowd did their best to give the broken Black Boat a rousing cheer as it returned to the Viaduct Basin, but nothing could dispel the gloom.

Even the haka that welcomed the crew home sounded muted as the boat was towed back to base, its broken mast tied to the deck.

One middle-aged man choked back tears as the crew waved to supporters lining the Viaduct.

Dedicated supporter Sarah Gordon, 19, of Auckland, wearing a "loyal" hat, said it was hard to know what to say.

"I don't want to say it, but I think that's probably it," she said. "It's just so disappointing."

Two hours earlier, the collapse of the black mast hit the Viaduct like a collective punch to the stomach. Everyone in the Viaduct Basin sucked up a huge gulp in disbelief - again.

In race one, NZL82 all but sank within metres of the startline, in race two she lost within metres of the finish, now race four and her mast succumbs to the battering of the Hauraki Gulf.

Apart from the frantic tones of Peter Montgomery, the basin was silent. Ngaire Roebuck spoke for many of the fans who had held tight to the winning dream.

"I feel so sorry for the crew," sighed the black-clad Princes Wharf resident. "I feel the boat has let them down. All that time to work on the boat and it's let them down again. It's let all of New Zealand down."

A man walked past with his hands on his head. "Did I just see what I think I saw?" he said and walked out into the rain.

Watching the race on television with colleagues at his printing company's Newmarket office, Swiss-born Marco Blum could only throw his hands up in horror as the mast snapped on NZL82.

"It's a bloody disgrace ... embarrassing," he said.

The managing director has put up with considerable ribbing from his Kiwi workmates over recent weeks.

But despite winning $20 and bottle of wine after race four went to Alinghi, Mr Blum took no pleasure from the result.

A New Zealand resident for 23 years, and a citizen for 20 years, he has played up to the rivalry but quietly supported the local side.

That was until the mast toppled.

"We don't deserve to win. We should have known about the conditions. It's our harbour."

While not a sports fanatic, Mr Blum appreciates what the America's Cup has done for Auckland.

But now he is looking forward to the event winding up.

"Business has been really patchy while it's been on. Everyone is distracted and all the advertising and marketing people are out on the harbour day after day."

At the Viaduct, the on-water shambles drew a reaction of stunned anger from three Devonport fans.

"The air's purple around here mate," said Dennis Hale.

"How can you design a boat that can't even cope with our own conditions?" asked Andrew Deerness.

"I just can't believe it," said Sydneysider Roger Deerness. "I'd like to say what they were saying on board, but you couldn't print it.

"And they looked like they were taking on a lot of water again. Maybe they should fit a periscope."

John Hebberd, a charter boat skipper, was just as gutted, and not just because it could mean the end of his golden summer.

He stood outside the emptying bars in his Team New Zealand shirt and hat conducting a post-mortem with some friends.

"It's a disaster," he said. "I didn't think we going to claw the lead back, but I never expected that.

"Well, it's been good while it lasted, but that could be the end of an era."

The neutrals were just as disappointed.

"You guys are smarter than this," said Scott Burkhardt from Colorado, USA.

"At this level, there shouldn't be equipment failures.

"I just wish the racing had been tighter - the boats seem to be very equal.

"But it comes down to engineering and tactics, and no doubt about it Coutts and Butterworth are better."

- additional reporting, Anne Beston


Continuous coverage of today's America's Cup race will begin on nzherald.co.nz at 12.30pm.

Race 4: Pictures of the dismasting | Commentary

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