By SUZANNE McFADDEN
Britain is finally returning to the America's Cup after a 16-year absence.
A new British challenge is ready to launch next week and unlike previous efforts that since 1987 have failed to make it to the startline, this one looks to be a solidly financed syndicate.
There promises to
be a New Zealand flavour to the challenge. Former Kiwi cup helmsman David Barnes is set to run the day-to-day operations of the team, and other New Zealanders are expected to follow.
Barnes was skipper of KZ1 in the infamous cup of 1988, then coached foreign syndicates OneAustralia and America True in the last two regattas.
The new British syndicate is backed by computer millionaire Peter Harrison, who bought the two Nippon boats after the last cup.
The British have already booked a site in the America's Cup village, which is now a full house.
A second British team rumoured to be making a challenge appear to have faded away.
Ten challengers have voiced their intent to race in the Louis Vuitton Cup series starting in October 2002, but only five have so far paid the $US150,000 entry fee to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Squadron commodore Peter Taylor expects to have all 10 entry fees by March 1.
Representation from across the Tasman looks doubtful and if there is no entry, it will be the first time in 40 years the Australians have not sailed in the regatta.
Four Syndicate Row sites are occupied, with eight boats on the Hauraki Gulf this week.
The Swedish Victory Challenge are doing it a little differently, training in the Canary Islands because their home waters are icy.
They will spend their summer on the Italian island of Elba - not far from Italian syndicates Prada and Mascalzone Latino.
The Swedes intend to be in Auckland in September with their boat the Cristina, formerly known as Black Magic II, NZL38.
Herald Online feature: America's Cup
Team NZ: who's in, who's out
