Andy Green interview - part 2

Today Andy talks about picking the crew and his other responsibilities for GBR Challenge

One of Green's other roles is as a rules expert, a position he had for Aloha Racing last time. In addition to Peter Harrison's daughter Julia, who is a trained lawyer, the team have taken on other legal expertise in George Clyde who worked with America True in the last Cup. Green enjoys the shoreside cat fighting that has been taking place - it should be remembered he has a degree in political theory. "I find it fascinating as it is all part of the intricacy of the America's Cup and to a large extent is that is what makes it - it is very complicated, it is very expensive and you've got to abide by the rules and if you don't you've got to expect to have your knuckles wrapped."

And what are his expectations for the team? "We are a first time challenge and our performance should be judged as that. I think when you see other first time challenges that have gone at previous America's Cups we need to be judged on that form. And while we'd love to emulate Prada that were first time challengers and eventual winners of the Louis Vuitton Cup, they did spend $100 million doing it and had four years to do it. I think all credit has got to go to Peter [Harrison] for embracing the passion of the America's Cup and stepping up to the plate and agreeing to spend this kind of money in the face of Larry Ellison, Ernesto Bertarelli and Prada and he's still passionate to do as well as we possibly can on the budget we've been given.

"And this is a first time challenge. I'm pretty optimistic about our prospects but at the same time we've got to keep those things in perspective. We'll be scrapping there as long as we possibly can and learning all we can for the future. My bottom line of how well we do at this next America's Cup is I want us to do well enough to make Britain proud and well enough to roll into a second campaign. Then I will feel that our job for this America's Cup has been a good one."

He thinks this Cup will be the best ever. "There's big money, there's big egos. And a lot of people who are used to only winning will not win - and that will be the most interesting thing to see. We saw it a little bit in the America's Cup last time when Bertelli issued a press release about Prada. I think we may see a bit of that in other teams, when people who spend $100 million expect to do well and you can't have everyone do well. Fortunately we have a really really good team spirit and I think that will help enormously because we have pretty much only Brits involved.

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