Yachting’s TV army

By LOUISA CLEAVE

The man responsible for bringing the America's Cup to television wants viewers to be as familiar with the yachties as they are with the All Blacks.

Denis Harvey has the job of turning the traditionally elite world of yachting into a television sport embraced by the common couch potato.

It is his third America's Cup, and having already chartered the waters of television racing coverage for TVNZ in 1992 and '95 makes his job that much easier.

The challenge this time around is the fact Harvey is wearing two different hats for the state broadcaster.

As head of sport at TVNZ he determines the yachting coverage on TV One - both live and in news bulletins - and heads the small army of technical experts operating as the host broadcaster for the America's Cup.

TVNZ provides the exclusive pictures to television companies which have paid for the rights to broadcast the America's Cup, including TV One.

That is where things can become tricky for Harvey.

"Before I go into a meeting I sometimes have to stop and get it clear who I am representing.

"Part of it is ensuring that all the host broadcast staff [which includes TVNZ employees and independent contractors] understand TVNZ has been contracted to provide a service and all the clients should be treated fairly."

Part of keeping the two interests separate is the creation of the International Broadcast Centre [IBC] adjoining TVNZ's city headquarters.

A car park has been converted into the nerve centre of the host broadcaster and also provides offices for the international clients, including America's ESPN.

It is here that the pictures and sound come to, from the Hauraki Gulf via their destination of television screens in France, Japan, Italy, Spain and America.

Harvey says talk of a worldwide television audience of two billion people is not unrealistic.

Countries in areas such as South America and Asia which do not have a station with exclusive rights to the cup racing will be able to access it through ESPN International.

What they see will be images from five cameras on each racing yacht, two helicopters and two chase boats.

Eleven microphones will send back the sounds from the skipper, tactician, a member of the afterguard and a crew member.

The microphones are not optional extras, says Harvey. It is written into the sailing instructions that they will be worn by the crews.

The IBC provides the pictures and sound and it is up to each client broadcaster, including TV One, to provide its own commentary team and any additional graphics.

This is where Harvey puts on his TV One hat and talks about what is in store for New Zealand viewers.

The animation extras are in the same format as 1995 and graphics play one of the most important roles in making yachting viewer friendly, he said.

While a rugby game has a field, goal posts and a 22m line there are no such boundaries, other than the marks, to map out the race course.

"The America's Cup is one of those events where you can't really be there so we need to create the environment," Harvey says of the TV One coverage.

"While it's about a yacht race it's also about the event. Part of the coverage is trying to capture that atmosphere and feeling that is around town."