The Story Behind the Picture
While on a sailing adventure in Italy, Jim rang me up: “Come work for me have some sails I need you to help build for me.” At the time, I had had enough of superyachting, so I asked, “Where and when?” New Zealand and the TAG Heuer 1995 Americas’ Cup campaign. We had a great team led by our fearless leader, Chris Dickson and Jim was in charge of sails. (sail co-ordinator)
Back in NZ, working with the two Jims—Lidgard and Close—we built the sails. Jim Close and I had an after-hours job while this was going on, which was to build the sail bags as light and as economically as possible. We set up camp at Tony Stevenson’s warehouse in Auckland to conquer this project. Due to our really low budget, we couldn’t have done it without Tony.
Next stop: San Diego. Get there, get an apartment, go to the base with the right people, tent is up, we need a floor—off we go. That’s how you did things in the old days, just grunt up and get it done. One day off a month, hanging out with mates, and getting the job done with only the resources available to you. Sometimes it like trying to make a one piece suit, out of a ball of string…
I remember while we were there, Louis Vuitton put on a party. Nothing to drink but Moët & Chandon! It was at the Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego. We were allowed to go sit in the fighter planes, and on stage was a band called The Beach Boys. Wow, Louis Vuitton, you know how to throw parties. I’ll always remember the good times.
Our boat in San Diego was pretty good. Not the fastest, not the slowest, but better than all the European teams by a long way. As a one-boat team, you are always looking for training partners. The most interesting one was PACT 95, who was leading the defender trials by a margin. We knew America was in trouble with this event then, as we couldn’t beat Team New Zealand.
Our main competition was One Australia. Their best boat came to an unfortunate end—it literally snapped in half and sank. They hastily rebuilt their second boat for the semis against us, and unfortunately for us, they prevailed.
The night after we got eliminated, we had a party. Chris, our leader, said, “We’re going to take the shore crew out for a sail, is anyone keen?” Jim looked at me, I looked at him. Armed with a bottle of rum, we headed to the sail loft. Getting creative, we grabbed an old gennaker and put “GOOD LUCK TEAM .NZL” on it with rough stencils we’d created with the help of the rum. Job done, sail bagged, rum bottle empty, homeward bound.
Sailing the next day, all went to plan. A nice day of sailing for all, the sail was hoisted… What’s this? GOOD LUCK TEAM NZL on the sail?! Of course as history show Team NZL ended up winning the cup with Black Magic.
We had a leader who was a bit dark about it to start off, as he was still a bit raw from being eliminated, by One Australia and not making the finals……but after the great press from the suprise helicopter photo shoot, that Jim had pre-organised with Peter Montgomery and TVNZ—where the reporters had nothing but good things to say about us fellow Kiwis suporting the other local NZL home team—he changed his mind. Chris ended up lending them our deckman computer and other items and that Team NZL needed desperately, as theirs was broken, all thanks to an Aussie, my mate Jim.
For this challenge, even though you are disappointed not to win, you are also proud of your achievements. We couldn’t have done it without a lot of great friends and good people. People to thank, starting at the top: Chris Dickson, all the sailing team, Pete, Gavin, Jon, Louie, Salty, Brooke, Moose, Tugboat, Jim Lidgard, Dianne, Sue, and all the others—too many to name. And especially Jim, my partner in crime.
— Radar (Neville Goldsbury)
What can I say….Radar is one of my best and most unique friends……. A blood brother for life!!!
One Australia sinking:
