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AC Rumour Control: Waka Wackiness

Posted 1 year, 2 months ago

AC Rumour Control: Waka Wackiness
Rumour Today New Zealand websites and newspapers are full of stories to the effect that Ernesto Bertarelli has banned the traditional maori canoe, or waka, from accompanying ETNZ to the the starting line on Saturday. For example, here is an excerpt from the article in today's New Zealand Herald.... Rotorua Deputy Mayor, Trevor Maxwell, led the waka delegation to Valencia where he said they put on a dazzling display at the start of the Louis Vuitton challenger series. He confirmed he had had verbal notification of Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli's veto. And this from the NZ City website.... The bad blood between Team New Zealand and America's Cup holder Alinghi has just gone up a notch. Paddlers on the Te Toi Maori waka in Valencia have been told Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli is refusing to allow them to accompany the New Zealand boat to the start of the final. Even NewstalkZB got into the act: Plans for Waka Sunk -- Ernesto Bertarelli has decided against the Te Toi Maori Arts waka accompanying Team New Zealand to the start line when it takes on Americas Cup holder Alinghi on Sunday. Reality Get a grip on reality, folks. And check your facts. Ernesto had nothing whatsoever to do with it. A statement just issued by ETNZ: Managing director of Emirates Team New Zealand Grant Dalton said Toi Maori, Tourism New Zealand and the team had discussed the return of the waka but decided not to proceed. ?It was a decision jointly arrived at by the parties involved. Alinghi and AC Management had no part in it.? ?At the back of the team?s mind was the restrictions AC Management had put on the waka?s operations before the start of round robin one. ?Had the same sort of issues been raised before the start of the America?s Cup it could have become a major distraction for the team at a time when we need to be focused on the racing.? ?It was great to have the waka involved at the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup. They were a big hit with the public and the media.? Full marks to ETNZ for quickly and clearly setting the record straight. Be interesting to see how many NZL media run corrections, or leave the story -- and Ernesto -- out there slowly twisting in the wind. The Te Toi Maori waka accompanying ETNZ during the LVC. Photo: Chris Cameron/ETNZ. Full Story »

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