Well that was pretty devastating. You know what I’m talking about. If you are a kiwi you do. So many New Zealanders got up, stayed in, stayed home, didn’t get to where they should have been and if they got there, they weren’t paying attention to work or school. They, we, were watching Emirates Team New Zealand busting a gut to realise their and our dream of winning one of the worlds great sports trophies. The America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in world sport. Think I’m making that up? Look it up.
We took it to the last race. Little New Zealand took one of the richest men in the world and his ‘hired guns’ to the wire. The very last race in the America’s Cup Regatta. We nearly won it. We didn’t though and that’s all our crew will be thinking about. Think of them now.
This is where we New Zealander’s come into our own. We will welcome them home. We will line the streets and we’ll cheer them from every part of the country. We love to see our people out there competing on the world stage. Let’s remind them of that when they get back.
Our crew on our boat, Emirates Team New Zealand will be welcomed home as heroes as that’s what they are. They made us proud.
Thank you so much for forwarding my letter to them. It was amazing to see the support of the crew and your messages got to them. That’s pretty cool. We willed our team on, personally.
Welcome them home now. Let’s give New Zealand’s boat crew the heroes welcome they deserve. Remember, we are Team New Zealand and our name is on the boat.
Lola and Gizzy watched every race!
Image courtesy of Laura Tait Photography
Categories: General views
Sandysview 
Beautifully put. You say it so well.
I have a very heavy heart but am so proud…
Thanks Marlene. So close but so far. Team NZ were awesome though. It’s a nice day outside. x
Well said. We are so proud of them. It won’t be easy but they need to hold their heads high. They did an amazing job. No match for endless money and technology.
Too true. On an equal and fair playing field, we would have smoked them. Our guys are winners; make no mistake. Ok, we know disappointment and ‘what ifs’ are probably all that are on our guys minds right now, but we all know that in time and with Dalts’ calm and steadying influence, and our continuing support, our boys will look back and know that they did everything they possibly could, left their all out there on the water, and there was absolutely nothing more they could have done to change the outcome. Decisions by organisers and directors who clearly had, I believe, their own weird agenda, took it away from us in those days preceding the final day, and then, when they took away from the equation the need for the sailors to use their raw mental and physical skills and allowed technology to do the work … Hello! we were never going to be able to compete! Pure and simple! For now, however, let’s just ensure that our guys know that we understand how this regatta was raced and won. Let them know we stand by them and are truly proud of them. Let us all stand shoulder to shoulder as a nation, one last time to show them how we feel. See you all at Auckland airport whenever they arrive back, and make the parade in Queen Street and other parades around the country, the biggest and loudest we have yet seen. Hey Sandy, are u up to pulling New Zealand together just one more time to make this happen? Kiwi Pride for our Team New Zealand. We’re counting on you! No pressure! 🙂 Oh, and from someone who knew nothing about sailing, and still knows nothing, but am now totally hooked, a huge big THANK YOU for your part in verbalising what so many of us were feeling for the boys, and uniting New Zealand with your ‘We are Team New Zealand, and our name is on the boat’ slogan. Thank you.
I need to stop being a sore loser and follow Dean & Dalts example, and just say – for now anyway 🙂 – that in the end, “the faster boat won”. Oh boy, why is it so hard to just say that? I’m sure the two D’s must know so much more than anyone else about the opposition, yet they were ever so gracious in defeat, weren’t they? Ok, from now on, that’s gonna be me? Taking a leaf out of their book. No more, “They (the opposition) did this” or “they did that!” Rather, I’ll start saying, “They had the faster boat, and they kept the Cup.” Hmmm, that really does feel easier to say already; even therapeutic! Says she, choking a little in the process. 🙂 But no, time to move on. Standing tall n proud with TNZ.
Well said, AsKiwiAz1CanB!! This race was win by bug budget technology. They played their postponement card when they realised ETNZ was virtually at the winning post and they came back turbo-charged. Pah! In my view oracle does not come out of this looking good.
And Sandy…yes once more! Draw the throngs into the streets (but hey, don’t forget to mention the south island too this time:) )
Hey AzKiwiAz1CanB
That’s an epic comment from you. Thanks so much for that. Thanks for your kind words and support. I’d love to do something more but I reckon people will just get on with it now. Get out there when they come home. I will be. Good on you! x
Agree with you Sandy – this is where and when our support really matters. Let’s welcome our boys (and girls) home with the biggest cheers – they are still our champions.
My friend has taught me to make swan towels to take my mind off it. These things are important.
I am a kiwi living in Australia, but I wish I was there in NZ to welcome them home and tell them
I am proud of them for going up against the might of America. We should all be proud of the achievement of Team NZ
Well done to ETNZ, gave it there all and that’s all we can ask. But I would love to know what the Yank/Aussies/Poms did to that boat the day after playing their card? Hard to believe it managed to go up wind that much faster.
Totally exhausted, sailed every race with them and now share the disappointment ….but what a ride!
Once again, you have put into words what so many of us are thinking Sandy. There is no shame in getting beaten by a better team if you give of your best, and that is what ETNZ did today. I hope that New Zealanders can be as gracious in defeat as we would have been delighted by an ETNZ victory.
I shared your last post with English family back home so they could understand. Thank you.
I’m really disappointed…but didn’t they do well!
I feel so proud to be a kiwi. Not the result we hoped for but maybe in the big picture we will see great results as a country in many ways. Well done Dean & the team!
DEAN PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT APOLOGIZE TO US FOR NOT BRINGING THAT UGLY Auld MUG BACK HERE!!!. Honestly Dean, you did a BRILLIANT job today and you have nothing to be sorry for !!!! NO ONE can fault you SO PLEASE DO NOT carry unnecessary weight on your shoulders!!! You cried today and you made us cry with you when you went to Mandy after your brilliant speech on stage !!! It’s not over for you and the guys and what happens next will be what was meant to happen next. We know you and the boys gave it your all out there today AND YOU DID US PROUD FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE LV CUP, THIS CUP AND TO THE FINISH! YOU ALL DESERVE A HEROES WELCOME HOME !!!!
SO FROM DEEP WITHIN OUR HEARTS WE THANK YOU SIR DEAN AND THE REST OF THE TEAM FOR INSPIRING US AND KEEPING THIS WHOLE REGATTA TRUE AND REAL. WE SINCERELY LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely, they are heroes and not one of them should feel that they let themselves or any of their supporters down. What a great bunch.
I concur 100%. Thanks for putting it so well, WIC. Cheers! !
You have given your very best. Well done Team NZ. We are really proud of you all
You bloody old bugger. I have been away from New Zealand for many years. I live in the USA and I was one of those who found a way to watch every single race, with my red socks and my munted NZ flag. There were tears every single day,,win or lose, They weren’t homesick tears, I suppose they were proud tears and then towards the end they were sad tears. Then I came across your bloody letter and for 12 hours I have been crying real homesick tears.
My American husband thinks I have become unhinged..I showed him your letter..he didn’t get it, he had a kind of clueless look about him when he went to work. Having said that he was smart enough to take me red sock shopping so he’s not completely useless.
So thanks for that, thanks for making me wonder why the feck I left NZ all those years ago..oh, that’s right it was the clueless American.
You and ETNZ have changed my mind about becoming an American citizen…bloody buggers the lot of you. http://amanda-stadther.artistwebsites.com/
Old! Haha, Thanks! I’m not feeling so old just yet. I feel a lot younger now I’m back home. Must be something to do with being in a young country. I know about the homesickness though. I spent years telling myself I was happy in England. Now I know I wasn’t. It’s great here Mandy. Thanks for your support and kind words. Amazing images on your website. Very cool
wow you have a way with words……you put into words what we feel 🙂
Thanks Ida. I love messing about with words. It’s getting them in the right order that keeps me on my toes. Glad you like them x
Well Said Sandy!
Has to be one of the longest weeks… like most kiwis I was breathless watching it all unfold, and daring to mutter the odd, “goodbye Oracle”. We are the the real winners on so many levels… and Oracle with a kiwi ceo and maybe 8 kiwi crew.
I was sorry to hear of it this morning… and the statuses on my FB newsfeed really reflected what you write here. 🙂
Beautifully written, again! It’s a shame to see that we have more than a few bad sportmen though…
Thanks Emma. We can’t shut them up. That would be censorship, I prefer to think that by letting them have free speech, we know who the idiots are who walk among us. We can then take steps to avoid them. 🙂
Genius!
It’s very true, just sad to see.
Fantastic skipper, crew, team and support ! It was so close, but it’s gone … you should be proud of your Team !! Regards from Spain !! a ETNZ suporter !!
Sandy: Thank you for your interesting, insightful and elegantly expressed essay. Until my wife showed me your essay (she is an x-pat who bleeds Kiwi still), the race for the cup was, for this American, mainly annoying.
While I cannot pretend to rival your disappointment, Oracle’s victory has left me feeling embarrassed and sad. The fact that one man could spend several hundred million dollars on his dream at the same time that our elected leaders have voted to cut expenditures that provide much-needed assistance to children who come from millions of households officially designated as poor is simply outrageous.
While your boat had Team New Zealand written on the side and carried the hope and pride of an entire nation, Oracle is symptomatic of much of what is currently wrong with the United States. Yes, both boats were engineering marvels, but the one that took the cup was nothing more than the best boat money could buy. Your essay proves that Team New Zealand was, and I suspect is, so much more.
Russ in Virginia
That’s a great reply and really touching words Russ. At least we can take something from the fact that the other boat, the Oracle one was also full of New Zealanders in the crew….and made in New Zealand. If it was a better boat on the day, it was also our boat. Cheers Mate.
I am an American but not proud of it at all now. Really, all America thinks about is money and I’m so ashamed of that. Besides, they are cheaters!! I am so disappointed that New Zealand didn’t win ..
I was cheering for you the whole time. Dean Barker was amazing as was the rest of the team .. You come from a wonderful country who I know is so proud of you .. I hope someday to be able to visit New Zealand as it seems like such a wonderful place to live. Surrounded by water and all that beauty .. this is what should be important in our daily lives .. I will miss the New Zealand feel when you leave the Bay Area …
Hat dies auf Sweden Spy rebloggt und kommentierte:
what more can you say?