The Auld Mug is "going on the road," as Team New Zealand is taking the America's Cup on a "national tour of the regions" to give New Zealanders the chance to see the trophy, according to the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. From Oct. 6-8, the trophy will "tour the country," starting in the north at the Taipa Sailing Club and working its way to the Bluff Yacht Club in Bluff. Team NZ Manager Grant Dalton said that he "hopes the tour will attract a new generation" of young girls and boys to sailing. Dalton: "We want to get as many young kids interested in sailing as we can. What we are seeing now with today's stars like Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Andy Maloney and Josh Junior is that they are the generation of kids that were inspired by winning the Cup in 1995 and 2000 and have emerged as the best in the world that have won the Cup again." The other key objective is to "help raise funds" for the local clubs for them to be able to strengthen their programs, "none more so" than the Pleasant Point Yacht Club, which is fundraising to build a new yacht club following the Christchurch earthquakes (NZ HERALD, 10/3).
