AMERICA'S CUP VANDALIZED : CHANTING NEW ZEALANDER SMASHES WORLD'S OLDEST SPORT TROPHY.Byline: Associated Press A chanting Maori man attacked the America's Cup in its display case at a New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. yacht club Thursday, bashing the prized yachting trophy again and again with a sledgehammer See Opteron. . The attacker was ``in a frenzy,'' said John Heise, commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is New Zealand's premiere yacht club, and the club behind New Zealand's America's Cup campaigns, under the guise of Team New Zealand. . ``The America's Cup has been very, very badly beaten up,'' Heise said. Police arrested the 27-year-old man, who was cut by flying glass from the display case, but did not immediately release his name. The attacker walked into the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron clubhouse dressed in a suit, shirt and tie and made his way unchallenged to a first-floor room where the America's Cup, the world's oldest sporting trophy, is displayed. He carried the sledgehammer inside a bag slung over his shoulder, Heise said. Abruptly, the man pulled out the sledgehammer, smashed open the display case and attacked the trophy, later trying to wrest it out of the broken cabinet, witnesses said. He chanted in the language of New Zealand's indigenous Maori people during the attack, police said. Afterward, he tore off his jacket and shirt to reveal a T-shirt that police said bore Maori slogans. Building workers finally grabbed the man, holding him until police arrived. Police said the exact nature of his protest was not clear. Police said the man may face charges of criminal damage and willful damage with a maximum penalty of two years in jail. The center of the 3-foot-high silver cup was flattened, Heise said. The cup will probably have to be sent back to the manufacturer, Garrards, in England, for repairs, he said. The company apparently still has the original drawings of the trophy, made about 1850. On May 13, 1995, Team New Zealand Team New Zealand (TNZ) is an America's Cup sailing team which is based in Auckland and represents New Zealand. The team officially represents the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and they have become a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the became only the second foreign crew in 144 years to take the America's Cup away from the United States. New Zealand beat Dennis Conner's Young America syndicate 5-0 off San Diego. New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club is a private yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1844, it is one of the world's most distinguished and influential yachting institutions. Its members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. Vice Commodore George Isdale said, ``We're just deeply dismayed. We are extremely sorry for the Royal Yacht Squadron The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom[1]. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. , Commodore Heise and the New Zealand people.'' The New York Yacht Club, based in New York and Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. It is the home of Naval Station Newport, housing the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and a major United States Navy training center. , held the cup for 132 years until 1983, when Allan Bond won it for Australia. |
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