America's Cup - Is Auckland set to repeat past Cup venue errors?

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz on 17 Nov 2017 The 19th century line “two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud, the other saw stars” seems to characterise the current debate over America's Cup base options for Auckland.

The lesson from previous America's Cups is that if a city, or port, is going to host an event then the best long-term legacy is to maximise the return on investment by making the best facility possible.

A look at the images from Valencia and Bermuda along with the scattered bases option that is on the table for Auckland shows the former City of Sails is poised to repeat the mistakes of previous Cups.

Bermuda was intended to be a fully 'integrated' model with spectators able to walk along Freeport Drive adjacent to the bases located on the South dock. While the former Royal Dockyard area had been superbly remodelled to retain the features of the buildings and area that dated back to the 1850's, the same could not be said for the walk behind the team bases to the America's Cup Village on Cross Island.

As with the scattered base proposals in Auckland, the bases for Oracle Team USA, Softbank Team Japan, Groupama Team France and Land Rover BAR were sandwiched into a mix of derelict silos and associated gear.

Images that went out to the world of teams working on boats and the daily dockouts had an ugly backdrop creating a disappointing initial impression of a venue and country renowned for its idyllic beauty.

To compound the waterfront eyesore, some fortifications and buildings dating back to the 1850's were not restored (even to the point of just being safe to walk around). Instead, ugly fences and chained gates were installed. Not so much as a sign indicating the history, as was done at numerous other points around the Royal Dockyard.

All this is viewed by visitors are passing twice each day heading for the VIP lounges and boats. It was not a pleasant walk.

For photographers, it is near impossible to take any wide shot of two bases without picking up a silo.

In Bermuda, there were only two significant silos. In Auckland where three of the bases are proposed for the Wynyard Point, there are over 50 (counted from the 2012 image above).

The Bermudians tried covering the silos with America's Cup-themed graphics. Regardless of what you do to a silo, they still look like silos, and views across the water to Cross Island and the America's Cup Village would inevitably pick up the dockside junk and silos.

Removing the Wynyard silos by Auckland Council seems to be off the table - given the remedial work that will have to be undertaken by the current lease holders, and is a task that Auckland authorities are understandably reluctant to undertake.

But that is not to say that images of the America's Cup bases should have the backdrop of rusting silos, and the bases should not be located in these positions.

The same dead-hand of an ugly backdrop applies to other proposals to place bases on the Westhaven marina sites.

The preferred location is a not particularly nice piece of water. Piles are being sunk into toxic mud, not a pristine coral reef. There is no reclamation proposed - tidal flows such as they are will not be affected.

Regardless of how they are calculated the economic return from hosting an America's Cup all seems to come out to a common figure - regardless of whether it was hosted in Bermuda 2017 or Auckland 2000/2003.

What is not included in those figures is the 'advertising that money can't buy' value that goes hand in hand with the America's Cup, over the two years that international teams and media are in Auckland and New Zealand.

To reap the maximum benefit from the free promotion the City needs to be seen at its best - not as a venue that either won't deal with its issues or one that takes shortcuts.

It's like trying to sell a valuable piece of real estate with the household garbage, in the foreground, spilling over into the street.

Valencia for all its local political issues did it right and was able to develop a facility that tidied up a very messy waterfront and integrated stunningly with the established buildings and architecture on the other side of the street.

The America's Cup teams played their part too, erecting bases that weren't the austere steel sheds that were permitted in Auckland in 2000 and 2003. Their street facades were attractive and unique making a statement about the team and its surroundings.

The point that seems to be lost in the current debate is that America's Cup teams need to provide a very positive and stylish image for their sponsors and VIPs. They don't cut corners or scrimp on expenditure.

So why would Auckland want to host a Series backed by Prada, one of the world's leading fashion and luxury goods houses, and then locate team bases and hospitality into a clutter of rusting silos?

Early in the exercise to host the America's Cup in Auckland, civic leaders were quick to coat-tail off Emirates Team New Zealand's strategy of 'throwing out the ball as far as possible'.

Now those fine words and aspirations seem to have given way to politics and appeasement and repeating the mistakes of others who preceded Auckland.