Another view of Team New Zealand’s exit

While New Zealanders feel abandoned by their America’s Cup team, this report by Duncan Johnstone and Todd Niall of STUFF media offers another view:

Kiwi team boss Grant Dalton has accused Kiwi rich-lister Mark Dunphy of “destroying” Auckland’s chances of hosting the 2024 America’s Cup.

Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron confirmed their long-held intentions of taking the next defense offshore by announcing the 37th edition would be sailed in Spain’s glamour city Barcelona.

Dunphy hoped to prevent that with his Kiwi Home Defense organization aimed at raising the funds to provide Team New Zealand with the finances to stay in Auckland.

But in a campaign that started by threatening to sack Dalton if his supposed consortium gained control, Dunphy quickly fell offside with Team New Zealand who refused to engage with the Auckland businessmen and his proposal of a $40m – half his original estimate – cash injection to boost the $31m on offer from the New Zealand government and Auckland council.

In a war of words Dunphy even served legal letters on Dalton and Team New Zealand, “requesting certain inaccurate statements be corrected and that apologies be given”.

The Cup defenders didn’t back down and accused Dunphy of an attempted act of intimidation…

Full report

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