Yachting: The quiet man behind the scenes

SUZANNE McFADDEN talks to the highly successful American co-ordinating the business side of the America True syndicate.

This is the first interview Chris Coffin has given.

He is a private, family man with "no need to toot my own horn."

He is a self-made man, an entrepreneur who owned his first company at 13 and made his fortune inventing the battery-powered portable computer modem.

So why on earth would Coffin want to be so involved with the big, brash and very public America's Cup?

When 41-year-old Coffin offered his business nous to America True, and got their bank balance rolling, he was warned by cup legends Bill Koch and Buddy Melges what he was getting himself into.

"They told me 'look out!'" he laughs heartily. "They said 'it's full of a lot more pitfalls and challenges than you could ever imagine.' I respect both these men incredibly."

These are some of America's finest businessmen speaking. You get the impression they are telling you the politics surrounding an old silver ewer are more fiery and complex than in any corporate boardroom.

Coffin was not deterred. He moved his family - Donna, his wife of 18 years, and their three sons - to Auckland in January. They have bought a home in east Auckland - the 12-year-old, who is 1.88m (6ft 2in) tall, is trying his hand at rugby, and the nine-year-old twins are playing soccer.

This is not a story about a man who did not know what to do with his money. Chris Coffin has been in love with sailing since he was seven years old and this is his next big challenge.

"My first business, when I was 13, was scrubbing boat bottoms in Newport," he said. "As a kid, I always watched the America's Cup and thought 'wouldn't that be neat?'

"As I got older I knew I wouldn't be on a boat. I've been a businessman far too long - I don't have the body those guys have got.

"In '95, my wife and I watched the women's team in the cup, and we thought 'wouldn't that be neat?' Then an opportunity came in my career to have a break."

For a man in his early 40s, Coffin has already had a very rewarding career, thank you very much. He dabbled in the "rock'n'roll business" in the seventies as chief engineer on Bob Dylan's world tour - he's still got the tour jacket.

But he wanted something closer to family, so he founded Touchbase Systems in 1985, who invented the World Port modem. Six years later he sold the company to US Robotics and became vice-president. In another six years he was ready for something else.

"I'd spent 13 years working my behind off. I wanted to do something fun," he said. "Donna and I decided we wanted to get involved in a cup programme. We wanted to bring the cup back.

"It was a 'we' not a 'me.' This thing can break up marriages and wreck families.'"

In 1996, Coffin went to see the woman behind America True, Dawn Riley, and their business partnership began. Coffin is the chief operations officer, co-ordinating the business aspects of the syndicate.

"I did make some financial contributions. I provided the capital to get it off the ground and launch the technical programme before we could get more sponsors," he said. "But this is no one-man-band - we are a team.

"In business your return on investment is normally cash. This is cash negative. Your return of investment is bringing a big piece of silverware home.

"And as much as I want to be on the boat, my line is drawn at the dock."

Coffin has also helped to work with the challengers' association, giving him a true insight into the politics of the cup. He has often found it frustrating.

"The sport has a lot of blemishes - it needs to have its image polished. It shouldn't be an exclusive event. That's why we went for a grassroots, co-ed programme that was going to give back to the community.

"The event needs restructuring, and there's a concerted effort to do that."

But there are already rich rewards, 100 days out from the first race.

"Seeing the boat arrive at the pier was worth everything. Every day is a big heartbeat, and the pulse is quickening."