Shoebe rejoins Team New Zealand

News from the men in black

Kevin Shoebridge is the latest recruit to Team New Zealand. Under the new regime led by Managing Director Grant Dalton, Shoebridge has been taken on as Operations Manager. Shoebridge and Dalton are old sailing buddies and have raced together in three Whitbreads (on Lion New Zealand, New Zealand Endeavour and Merit Cup), while in the Volvo Ocean Race they raced against one another, Dalton as skipper of Amer Sports One while Shoebridge was leading Team Tyco.

For Dalton, who has had no direct experience with the America's Cup previously, Shoebridge will be a useful conduit into the world of the Auld Mug. Shoebridge has taken part in an impressive six America's Cup campaigns. He was with Team New Zealand in 1995 and 2000 but due to his Volvo Ocean Race commitments was unable to be part of New Zealand's latest defence. Instead he was signed up by OneWorld.

In his new role Shoebridge will co-ordinate the activities of Team New Zealand's challenge, the same 'loyal lieutenant' role he held on both New Zealand Endeavour and Merit Cup leaving Dalton to handle the business side and overall management of the campaign.

Former Wolfson Unit boss Andy Claughton has been appointed Team New Zealand's design team co-ordinator. Directly or indirectly Claughton has worked on Team New Zealand's campaigns for 13 years first in his old job, before moving to New Zealand to become full-time on the Kiwi design team for the last Cup.

The appointment of Claughton has surprised Cup pundits who expected former Team New Zealand head Tom Schnackenberg to return to the position he is good at - steering the Kiwi design team. Schnackenberg does appear to have an integral role within Team New Zealand, but at present it is unclear exactly what that is.

Meanwhile there has been a major spring cleaning among Team New Zealand's board members. Out are Ralph Norris, Peter Menzies, Kevin Roberts and John Risley whose reputation has been tainted in some quarters for not being able to hang on to Coutts and Butterworth after the successful Kiwi defence in 2000. They have been replaced by Kiwi electronic appliances guru and businessman Gary Paykel, who was a major sponsor of Dalton's Fisher & Paykel Whitbread campaign and leading Auckland barrister, Jim Farmer, QC.

Interestingly Farmer's own boat 16.1 Farr design Georgia is currently racing at Hamilton Island Race Week and leading his crew in that regatta is none other than Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth. Considering that Coutts and Butterworth tend not to jump on board boats these days unless they are owned by Ernesto Bertarelli or there is some sort of major financial or political benefit, one wonders what their motivation is on this occasion - to be allowed back into Auckland's polite society or simply to rebuild some bridges now that in America's Cup terms they and not Team New Zealand are wearing the trousers.

Team New Zealand have also announced that the lease has expired on their familiar premises on Halsey Street. The team have moved into the former OneWorld base down the road while the land occupied by the Team New Zealand base is absorbed into the on-going re-development of the Viaduct Basin into hotels, offices and residential housing. As a result their shed is now for sale - this is a 'meccano' affair as it can be unbolted and disassembled. Measuring 26 x 29m it can take two boats and contains a built-in workshop, sail loft, joinery shop and administration block.

While this has now been formally announced by Team New Zealand, there is also considerable action taking place in the wings. Recently Team New Zealand were in negotation with America's Cup tactician John Kostecki, only to lose him to Oracle BMW Racing. That Kostecki has signed up with Oracle indicates that the prospects of an illbruck-sponsored German America's Cup campaign are looking increasingly thin.

Meanwhile strongly in recruiting mode, Oracle BMW Racing have also scooped up Team New Zealand's rules and legal adviser Russell Green. In a distinct change of role Green will be responsible for recruiting and running the American campaign's sailing team alongside Chris Dickson and Gavin Brady.