By Suzanne McFadden
Ex-pat Kiwi sailor Ross Halcrow had his homecoming spoiled by an American thief.
Halcrow, a trimmer on Black Magic in the 1995 America's Cup, flew into Auckland yesterday with minutes to spare for the Steinlager Line 7 matchracing regatta with his crewmates from Young America, New York's cup challengers.
While
trying to fill in a day in Santa Monica before his flight, Halcrow had his tickets and passport stolen from a rental car.
He was stranded for the weekend before he could get a replacement passport, and finally arrived in Auckland at 5 am yesterday.
Before he could join his crew at the Westhaven Marina, Halcrow had to line up at the US Consulate to get a new work visa.
"I drove down, jumped on the boat and we were sailing," he said.
Without missing a beat, the Young Americans, with Ed Baird at the helm, won the opening race. They ended the day with five wins from seven, one point behind leaders Paul Cayard, of AmericaOne, and Team New Zealand's back-up helmsman Dean Barker.
While eight America's Cup helmsmen are battling on the Waitemata Harbour today, the King of the Cup, Dennis Conner, is sailing a few miles further down the Hauraki Gulf in the international Etchells regatta at Pine Harbour.
