Top lineup for NZ Match Racing Championships

9:03 PM Fri 21 Nov 2008 GMT

'Dean Barker starts to windward of his coach, Rod Davis, in Race 3 of the Final of the New Zealand Match Racing Championships. Davis went on to win 3-2.' Chris Cameron/ETNZ Click Here to view large photo

The 2008 New Zealand Match racing Championships get underway next week with a lineup of 12 crews including one led by triple Olympic Gold Medallist, Ben Ainslie.

Ainslie is the skipper of the fledgling GBR America's Cup team, Team Origin, and will lead a crew comprising 2008 Gold Medallist in the Star Class, Iain Percy and 2008 Australian Olympic rep in the Finn class Anthony Nossiter. Christian Kemp will be trimmer and Matt Cornwell (bowman). Ainslie was backup helmsman for Team New Zealand in the 2007 America's Cup, while Percy was the helmsman of the Italian challenger +39 in the same event.

Ainslie's main competition is expected to come from Emirates Team New Zealand skipper, Dean Barker - with four of the NZL-92 crew aboard - Don Cowie (main), Ray Davies (tactician) James Dagg (trimmer) and Jeremy Lomas (bow).

Keen to continue their habit of taking some big scalps of the match racing world will be the BlackMatch Racing Team. Skipper Adam Minoprio will skipper along with Tony Rae (main), David Swete (pit), Tom Powrie (trimmer) and Nick Blackman (bow). A product of the RNZYS Youth match racing program this team are now aligned with Emirates Team New Zealand.

Chris Dickson on starboard, catches Rod Davis on port in the 2007 event. - Richard Gladwell Click Here to view large photo

The other dark horse will be Rod Davis, with Olympic Gold and Silver medals in his drawer, the match racing veteran and America's Cup skipper was winning match races back in the 1980's as well as skippering America's Cup campaigns in 1987 and 1992. Davis won this regatta last year, to the surprise of some, but showing that his experience takes a lot of rubbing out. He will have Graeme Sutherland (main), Brett Eliot (pit) and the athletic NZL-92 bowman Richard Meacham as trimmer.

Two womens crews will be competing in this open event, with their presence taking on a new interest now that match racing has been added to the the Womens events for the 2012 Olympics.

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World

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