Yacht club: Royal New Zealand Yacht
Squadron.
Country: New Zealand.
Established: 1993.
Syndicate head: Grant Dalton.
Helmsman: Dean Barker.
Team New Zealand has been the leading America's Cup syndicate for the past decade.
The late Kiwi sailing legend Sir Peter Blake, helmsman Russell Coutts and his team of Kiwi stars challenged and won the 1995 America's Cup in America before defending it in Auckland in 2000.
But once Coutts and otehr leading members of the squad left after the defence, the magic seemed to disappear and the 2003 campaign turned into a nightmare.
Sailing maestro Grant Dalton took over at the head of the syndicate and put together a package that Kiwi sailing fans hope can bring the Cup back to Auckland.
Dean Barker will once again be at the helm of the Kiwi challenge and is backed by a team of smart sailors and innovative designers.
