Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

Schnackenberg speaks on Team NZ departure

by Donna Chisholm, Sunday Star Times on 11 Jul 2005
Schnackenberg: 'When we won the cup in 2000 we were all relatively miserable after it because of the difficulty we were having.' Louis Vuitton
New Zealand's leading Sunday newspaper, the Sunday Star Times, has run a major feature and news story on the departure of Tom Schnackenberg from Team New Zealand and his joining Luna Rossa.

An extract from the news story is as follows:

Team NZ design guru Tom Schnackenberg has spoken out for the first time about his sacking, saying it 'didn't seem the right decision'.

Schnackenberg, once described as the best brain in yachting, will move next month to Italy's Luna Rossa syndicate for the 2007 America's Cup after winning a restraint of trade battle.

Luna Rossa asked him last year to join it, but he declined. He made contact again when Team NZ let him go.

He says Team NZ boss Grant Dalton's decision to make him redundant, so the money could be spent elsewhere, came out of left field.

'In hindsight you could say I could have seen it coming - but I didn't. I felt I was getting less useful, because Grant was running a team that didn't ask my opinion, or didn't really enjoy getting it in very many things.

'I was a bit depressed - it's a bit of a blow to one's self confidence. You think 'oh God, now I know how it feels'.

'It's a new feeling, stamped useless. That's a bit of a shock. It's like when you fancy some girl and she decides to go after someone else. You realise you're not the greatest, at least in this person's mind.'

After 10 years with Team NZ, Schnackenberg, 60, says he and his wife, Annie, are now thinking only of a new life in Europe.

One of the couple's two sons, lawyer Carl, is in Rome for six months and Schnackenberg intends to learn Italian and Spanish so he can embrace the lifestyle in Valencia.

Full story on: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/0,2106,3340542a6619,00.html
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterSea Sure 2025Selden 2020 - FOOTER

Related Articles

Clipper 2025-26 Race Stage 2 Finish
Team Yacht Punta del Este receive heroes home port welcome Team Yacht Club Punta del Este has sailed into its home port to the heroes welcome it every bit deserves after completing the first ocean crossing of the Clipper 2025-26 Race.
Posted today at 3:30 pm
Don't miss our upcoming must-watch free Webinar
Tracking and Fleet Monitoring discussion on 22nd October 2025 Yacht tracking and fleet monitoring are essential, yet traditional tracking methods face significant challenges. On October 22nd we are hosting an exclusive and free webinar, with an in-depth exploration of the latest in tracking technology.
Posted today at 2:00 pm
Transat Café L'or village opened in Le Havre
It is a high level fleet which even across the 16 previous editions. The TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR race village opened in Le Havre, Normandie in beautiful Autumn sunshine which blessed the thousands of visitors who took advantage of the start of the French holidays to see the fleet of 74 boats which will race to Martinique.
Posted today at 11:23 am
2025 Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos day 3
Tow-in finals, foilstyle sparks, and a cleanup for the planet Day three at the Freestyle Pro Tour Naxos started off calm once again, with light winds and no chance to kick off the fin eliminations.
Posted today at 9:04 am
Don Trask International Masters Regatta
Raab takes his first victory at San Diego Yacht Club By a narrow margin of just 3 points, the ever-colorful Chris Raab and his team won the 2025 Don Trask International Masters Regatta hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club, finishing with 59 points after three days of racing.
Posted today at 5:36 am
Morris and Meehan shortlisted as finalists
For Young World Sailor of the Year Australia's next generation of sailing talent is making waves on the world stage, with Grae Morris and Rory Meehan both named as finalists for the Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year Award - Male.
Posted today at 5:27 am
Who let the dogs out?
We can tell you who is going to win the 2025 Sydney to Hobart before it is even run! Yes indeed. Who? Now in the canine world there's a thing called, 'Best in Show'. However, right here, right now, out of all the entries, we can tell you who is going to win the 2025 Sydney to Hobart, before it is even run.
Posted on 19 Oct
Rolex Middle Sea Race Day 2
Leaders Raise the Tempo The 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race is now over 24 hours in. On the plus side there has been no repeat of last year's heinous first night, and the fleet is making steady progress.
Posted on 19 Oct
iQFOiL Youth & Junior Europeans 2025 day 1
Promising breeze, top performances and high expectations as racing gets underway in Sardinia The 2025 iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championships officially got under way today in Arzachena, North Sardinia, with 306 athletes from 28 nations ready to battle it out on the pristine waters of this beautiful area.
Posted on 19 Oct
18ft Skiff SIXT Spring Championship Race 2
Also the first race of the Club Championship on Sydney Harbour for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy After last Sunday's opening race of the season had to be abandoned when 30-knot Westerly winds swept across the course, racing finally got underway when the Australian 18 Footers League sailed for the Alf Beashel Memorial Trophy, on Sydney Harbour today.
Posted on 19 Oct