Saturday, October 6, 2007

Daubney back to his 2.4 million NZ home

Alinghi sailor Simon Daubney has arrived home with his wife and children after quitting the Swiss America's Cup-winning team following positive drugs tests.
Daubney, aged 48, and his Scottish wife and children flew into Auckland this week and were yesterday in the throes of moving into a palatial $2.4 million Milford home, on Auckland's North Shore.
The sailor-under-a-cloud is the first contestant in America's Cup history to fail a doping test and is awaiting decisions from the Swiss national sailing body and the International Sailing Federation, due in four to eight weeks, on whether he will be banned from the sport he has devoted his life to.

Daubney was holed up in the plush Spencer on Byron Hotel in Takapuna during the week and began moving into his sprawling new home just five houses from Milford Beach at the weekend.
He was determinedly mute, refusing to say a word to the Herald on Sunday about his plans to relocate to New Zealand.
Daubney's new home is a luxurious two-storey stucco Italian-style villa. It is landscaped, has a 10 metre pool, 30 palm trees and schist fireplaces. A near neighbour in an adjacent street is a former rival - the 2007 America's Cup Oracle skipper, Chris Dickson.- http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Who said you can't get rich off of sailing! Must be nice! - SK