Yachting: Rising star too good for Barker

Adam Minoprio has a share of the lead in the Omega match racing series. Photo / Richard Robinson

Rising talent Adam Minoprio has proved what a class act he is, beating Dean Barker by eight seconds during competition in the Omega match racing series in Auckland.

Minoprio is seen as a real challenger to Barker as the future helmsman of Team New Zealand.

The 24-year-old now tops the standings with Torvar Mirsky, both men with three wins and a loss.

Minoprio and his BlackMatch racing crew last year won the world match racing tour, and Minoprio believes the other teams will be gunning for him during the regatta.

"We're world champions, so they'd love to be able to claim our scalp as much as we'd like to take theirs with them being the old hands and sailing legends themselves," he told the Herald yesterday.

"We want to show the New Zealand public that we're top sailors and we can beat the world's best," he said.