Yachting's America's Cup is headed for choppy political waters after French nuclear company Areva's announcement it will sponsor one of the challengers for the trophy.
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace today condemned Areva's involvement in the elite competition and warned protests were inevitable. "There will be quite a few New Zealanders who will want to express their feelings," Greenpeace campaigner Bunny McDiarmid said.
Greenpeace said Areva was inextricably linked to French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific and the French secret service bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985. One person died in the bombing.
The challenger series will coincide with a general election campaign, increasing the risk of a political row over Areva's involvement.
Areva, which was created last year as part of a restructuring of France's nuclear assets, has said it cannot be blamed for the tests or the Rainbow Warrior incident. It has expressed confidence New Zealanders will recognise its activities are of a civil rather than a military nature.
The company is backing the French challenge with €15 million in a bid to boost its global image.
The challenger series for the Louis Vuitton Cup begins on October 1st, with the winner challenging Team New Zealand for the Americas Cup in the best-of-seven races in February next year. There are 10 challengers, including three from the US, two from Italy and the French Defi Areva challenge.
AFP