Rachtman fronts the challenge of the enemy

Auckland boating identity Peter Rachtman is the first to admit he used to be known as "the evil importer". The former American created a ripple in the local boating scene when he quit his job in the film industry in Los Angeles and began importing Bayliner boats into New Zealand in the late 80s.

A change of tack in 1992 saw him agreeing to set up and head a joint export group for the marine industry. More recent ventures have included publishing a book aimed at the owners of the superyachts who will be visiting New Zealand for the America's Cup, and organising sponsorship for the Around Alone yacht race which came to Auckland earlier this year.

Now he is back working for the enemy again, as business development manager for the America's Cup Challenge Association. The association represents the 15 syndicates that are expected to challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup. It is Rachtman's job to help existing sponsors promote their wares in New Zealand and to find new sponsors for the challenger series.

"If it wasn't for sponsorship, none of these events would take place," he notes. He concedes his is not an easy job, given that Louis Vuitton already has naming rights to the series. It is also underwriting the media centre and the marketing of the event.

It is well known that the company which runs the America's Cup Village has had difficulty attracting sponsors. "The market is very well sold and very well saturated," he acknowledges. However, he is keen to ensure New Zealand businesses also benefit from the event, and is currently scouting for a location for what he hopes will become the ACCA International Business Centre.

The aim is to provide a media-free zone where the super-wealthy businesspeople who will be attending the cup races, like Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Amway co-founder Rich De Vos, can meet with locals. It is also intended to be neutral ground where syndicates can talk to each other in private.

Rachtman is confident there are companies that will still want to be associated with the races.

"As a New Zealander, I can tell you that I'm the first to acknowledge that if it wasn't for Team New Zealand and Peter Blake and the magnificent job they did over the years, there wouldn't be an America's Cup in New Zealand. But the Louis Vuitton Cup ain't just the warm-up to the America's Cup - it is in itself one of the great yachting regattas of the world.

"In fact if you think about it, there are more state-of-the-art racing yachts, more star-name sailors and more money invested on the water in Auckland for the Louis Vuitton Cup than have ever been assembled before in any yacht race ever."