20 Years of Louis Vuitton and the America’s Cup

What would the Cup be without this French luxury-goods global company? No other sponsor could bring such distinction, elegance and class.

Skippers from the 20th Anniversary of the LV Cup, Princess Wharf, Auckland.

As if Vuitton hadn’t had enough of pomp and ceremony (or late nights partying until dawn), an exclusive dinner to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Louis Vuitton’s partnership with the challenger series of the America’s Cup was next on the social calendar. Millionaires and billionaires, skippers and tacticians of the last 20 years all descended on Auckland to enjoy a night of commemoration and celebration. Present were names such as Alan Bond and John Bertrand from the 1983 victory, Sir Michael Faye, Russell Coutts, Dennis Conner, Thomasso Chieffi, Yves Carcelle, Ernesto Bertareli, Peter Montgomery, Francesco de Angelis, and in form true to the style and manner of a reunion, this one was a mix of reminiscing, camaraderie, good times shared, arguments revisited, triumphs and losses relived. It was a night of champions celebrating an extraordinary two decades of Louis Vuitton’s involvement with yachting’s premier regatta.

As Sir Michael shared a dining table with Dennis Conner, recollections inevitably went to Conner’s attacks on the “plastic fantastic” Kiwi yachts: “Why would you build a glass 12-Metre yacht unless you wanted to cheat?” To roars of laughter, Conner remained unrepentant, saying he still hadn’t had an answer to his question. Each skipper told and retold stories of the last 20 years – and as they did, each was presented with a limited edition Louis Vuitton chronometer to mark the occasion (worth a rumoured NZD$16,000 each).

	Fireworks display celebrating 20 years of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Auckland.

A superb menu was in order: natural rock oysters with kiwifruit, lamb cutlets, aubergine and raisin caviar with mint sauce, pumpkin and blue cheese galette, pineapple and kiwifruit tarte tatin – matched with a different vintage of Moet and Chandon’s champagnes.

To finish off the night was a display that all of Auckland could enjoy. A barge-full of fireworks lit up the Auckland sky from the middle of the inner harbour. Spectators who wondered what it was in token of, would have been aghast that the display was in honour of 50 guests at a private party.

If only such elegance could be bottled and sold…