Canty connection in America's cup win

NICK TOLERTON | 18th February 2010

Canterbury yachting can claim a little reflected glory from BMW Oracle's triumph in Valencia that took the America's Cup back to America.

Jib trimmer Ross Halcrow, one of only two members of the Oracle crew to have won the cup before, learned his sailing here at Charteris Bay in Optimists and P class.

Club stalwarts Paul Pritchett, Malcolm Pearson, and John Ramage taught hundreds of youngsters the sport, including Halcrow and his sister Gillian.

"He was one of the middle of the fleet, but he was always keen," said Pritchett. "Some are keen and keep going and make a career out of it."

Halcrow did that, and learned sailmaking when the family moved back to Auckland after eight years or so here.

He first became involved with Team New Zealand as a sailmaker at Perth in 1987 before being called into the sailing team, too.

Halcrow contributed to the design of its famous gennaker for the 1995 contest, where he was downwind trimmer in the Black Magic crew in San Diego that took the America's Cup from America.

Old Charteris Bay yachties remember that when the cup was brought to Christchurch, through a Luney connection at the club they erected a huge "Welcome Back Rosco" hoarding where the builder was constructing the cathedral café extension.

Unfortunately Halcrow was the only crew member not there that day. A few days later came the news he'd defected to Oracle - for which, ironically, he got a hard time from Russell Coutts.

Since then Halcrow has been based in the US working for Oracle.

A second Canterbury yachtie might also have contributed to Oracle's success.

Innovative boat designer Dan Leech worked for Oracle for several months in Auckland five years ago, and was invited to join them in the USA.

However, he decided to stay - and his reward has been success on the water here, culminating in a fourth straight victory in the national Leander Trophy contest at Lyttelton at the weekend.