KZ 7

Kiwi Magic-KZ7 (also known as "New Zealand") was New Zealand's first America's Cup Challenger during the summer of 1986/1987 in Fremantle, Western Australia. This boat was part of an armada of boats that formed the "New Zealand Challenge" constructed by Bruce Farr, commonly referred to as the "BNZ Challenge".

The boat competed in the Louis Vuitton Cup, which was staged on Gage Roads, Western Australia, which is a part of the Indian Ocean and is the main gateway for shipping vessels going to Australia from parts of Asia, Europe and Africa.

Enter: New Zealand

In late 1984, a Belgian businessman named Marcel Falcher shocked New Zealand (and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) by entering New Zealand at the Eleventh-Hour as a challenger for the America's Cup. No sooner did he leave New Zealand after being investigated by the New South Wales government on counts of fraud, the pieces that were left behind were picked-up by Michael Fay, merchant banker & co-owner of Fay-Richwhite to lead the challenege. His generosity to New Zealand was so unknown, due that it was not revealed publicly until 2009, and even then he himself was rather modest about the whole incident.

Together with experienced offshore racers and match racers in Chris Dickson and Brad Butterworth, a team was assembled to compete in the 1985 12-Metre World Championships on-board the former US yacht, Enterprise (now registered as KZ1) for training the assembled crew. During this time, planning & construction of the World's first fibreglass yacht, New Zealand-KZ3 was already underway as the first of an armada of yachts to be sent to Fremantle with a view to the 1986 12-Metre World Championships. Just shortly after KZ3 was launched, KZ5 was nearing completion and would be christened in Fremantle as that was shipped straight from Auckland bound for Fremantle and ready for its baptism of fire. Later on, some magic was gathering for its Ultimate Weapon.

1986 12-Metre World Championships

During the 1986 12-Metre World Championships, its sister boats, KZ3-New Zealand (the world's first official fibreglass 12-Metre) and KZ5-New Zealand, competed where KZ5 finished runner-up behind the Bond Syndicate's Australia III, that alone made everyone stand-up and take note that this challenge was serious. Boats KZ1, KZ3, KZ5 and KZ7 was constructed by Farr Yacht Design. It was the first success of Bruce Farr in America's Cup Races.

Magic Gathering

During that event, "The Weapon" as some had dubbed was being constructed by Auckland boatyard, McMullen & Wing (also constructed NZL 32 - "Black Magic" 1995 Americas Cup Winner) was building the boat that Michael Fay was quoted as telling the signwriter to add, "Kiwi Magic" as the final touch to the stern of the boat. This was then shipped to Fremantle for pre-testing with KZ5, while KZ3 was consigned to an early retirement.

The Kiwis First Americas Cup Skipper

The selection of skipper was down to the two men that helmed KZ3 & KZ5 during the 1986 12-Metre World Championships, Graeme Woodroffe and Chris Dickson. Eventually it was Chris Dickson that got the nod to lead New Zealand into uncharted waters, waters that became calm when KZ7 won on its debut during Round Robin 1 on October 1986 by defeating Heat of America, they would later go on to go 1st equal with America II with one loss to eventual winners, Stars and Stripes 87.

Continuation of the Round Robin Series

As for Round Robin 2 & 3, KZ7 went through undefeated and ranked as top qualifier, with Stars and Stripes 87 followed by USA and French Kiss. KZ7 defeated French Kiss 4-0 while Stars and Stripes 87 defeated USA 4-0.

Plastic-gate & The Magic fades away

During the Louis Vuitton Cup, in an attempt to put-off the Kiwis in their charge to the Americas Cup Match, protests were lodged by Dennis Conner as well as the French Kiss team, who originally supported the use of fibreglass on their vessel. Core samples of Kiwi Magic were provided for inspection by Lloyds of London for the teams to inspect. This prompted the infamous quote from Conner, "...why would you want to build a glass boat...unless you wanted to cheat". In a move that would repeat during the 1992 Challenge in San Diego, this distraction would put the Kiwis off balance and they would only win 1 race to exit from the regatta and thus, Kiwi Magic's spell was broken.

Kookaburra not laughing anymore

Yet their greatest hour came two weeks before the start of the Americas Cup match. The Kiwis were offered the opportunity of money and exercised with political muscle to reveal secrets to the Australian selection, Taskforce 87's Kookaburra III (after defeating the Bond Syndicate's Australia IV 4-0 in the Defence Trials). The Kiwis were keeping their own interests in mind when they accepted an invitation by Taskforce 87 to test against Kookaburra III.

Taskforce 87 claimed that their boat was faster however, the awful truth confirmed that if the Kiwis had won against Stars & Stripes 87, the Americas Cup could've headed to Auckland sooner than many thought. Kiwi Magic demolished Kookaburra III upwind and downwind, while not revealing any technical data collected during their battles with Stars & Stripes 87 to the Taskforce team. In this case, it kept both the Australians and the Americans reasonably satisfied. even then Prime Minister of New Zealand, David Lange was reported as quoting on the matter, "...ANZAC blood is thicker than North American water..."

Aftermath & Changes

In the end the Kiwis would bear witness to Stars and Stripes 87 defeating Kookaburra III, 4-0 to reclaim the Americas Cup. The Kiwis meanwhile would regroup and venture to the 1987 World Championships in Sardinia, Italy.

With this saw a raft of "changes" including the demotion of Chris Dickson & Brad Butterworth from the afterguard and David Barnes (back-up helmsman for KZ7 and skipper of KZ5) as skipper with Rod Davis (1992 Skipper of New Zealand-NZL 20) as tactician.

The Kiwis would win in the protest room with victory over Bengal (previously Australia III) as a Japanese entry from the Bond Syndicate.

After the Americas Cup

KZ7 would later be chartered by various people, most notably Bill Koch (Skipper of America 3 1992 Americas Cup winner) and Patrizio Bertelli (Luna Rossa syndicate head) to win World 12-Metre titles on-board Kiwi Magic. Both men were tempted to change the name of the boat but resisted because they respected its place in history within the America's Cup and the impact it had on all of New Zealand.

KZ7 would go down as the boat that created controversy everywhere it went but for those that sailed her to glory, a boat that made history even without the greatest prize of all. Although that would change come 1995 of course.