Farmer says 'a number' of fellow members said they would resign if AC37 is hosted outside NZ.
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron member Jim Farmer QC is “not involved in any litigation that others may or may not take” over the club and Team New Zealand’s decision to hold the next America’s Cup regatta in foreign waters.
The decision to award the hosting rights to Barcelona was announced this morning, seemingly bringing closure to a national debate over whether the renowned sailing competition could or should be held in New Zealand waters.
Farmer did threaten last year that he would personally undertake litigation if the regatta was awarded to Saudi Arabian contender city Jeddah, given that kingdom’s “appalling” human rights record, but told NBR today that he is not involved in any legal action.
He also clarified that he is not aware of any legal action being contemplated by anyone.
The long-time squadron member said the decision to host the Cup overseas is an “absolute betrayal to the people of New Zealand who have supported Team NZ, financially and otherwise, in winning the Cup on the clear premise that it would be defended here”.
He also led a campaign garnering support for a special general meeting of RNZYS members which could potentially have forced the club to include a rule requiring the regatta to be raced in New Zealand, but eventually withdrew the requisition after Team NZ boss Grant Dalton lobbied against it, "undermining" the process.
Farmer said he had heard of “a number” of squadron members who said they would resign if the Cup was hosted overseas.
“There is widespread disappointment in the Squadron leadership and a (correct) belief that they have let Dalton walk all over them,” Farmer said.
Farmer today continued to argue that it was “a nonsense” to say that there was not enough money available to secure a successful local defence.
“When the Protocol was announced, Dalton said that a new entrant with a budget of $81 million would have a good chance of winning the Cup. Given the fact that the facilities are all here now – courtesy of the NZ Government and the Auckland Council – Dalton’s $200m figure has no credibility, but in any event was achievable.”
He believes any hope being held out for the following, 38th America’s Cup to be held in Auckland would be “hypocritical”.
Kiwi Home Defence
The main proponent of alternative funding, NBR Lister Mark Dunphy’s Kiwi Home Defence campaign, expressed regret at today’s announcement but ultimately wished team New Zealand well in its Cup defence.
“Kiwi Home Defence joins Mayor Phil Goff and many New Zealanders in expressing great disappointment at the news that Mr Dalton and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron have executed their plan to sell the next defence of the America’s Cup to an offshore venue,” the campaign said in a statement.
“In doing this, Mr Dalton and the Squadron are giving away the team’s home waters advantage and denying the people of New Zealand all of the opportunities which come with the defence in New Zealand.
“New Zealand taxpayers have dug deep to support Team New Zealand over the years. Well over half a billion dollars has been invested by our government bodies in this team and the Cup events. It is a travesty that New Zealand is not receiving the dividends it is entitled to from this investment. What should have been an exciting platform to showcase New Zealand’s reopening to the world is now Spain’s opportunity.”
The statement finished by saying that, should the Barcelona event not be possible, Kiwi Home Defence would “do all that it can to help with a defence on our beautiful Waitemata waters.”
