America's Cup: BAR bring Macbeth out of his hibernation

British Americas Cup team 'Land Rover BAR' sailing director Jono Macbeth with guest sailor and New Zealand 'All Black' Dan Carter. Photo / Getty Images

With racing abandoned yesterday because of light winds on Bermuda's Great Sound, it was a chance for the sailors to recover from their exertions in what has so far been undoubtedly the most intensive, aerobically demanding America's Cup in history.

These foiling catamarans are power-hungry machines, with the sailors providing the power to drive the hydraulic systems that trim the sails and lift and drop the daggerboards. They are, in the words of Land Rover BAR's sailing team manager Jono Macbeth, "relentless beasts".

It takes one to know one. At 44, you might think Macbeth needs more recovery time than most. And it is true he is not as fit as some of the youngsters on the British team.

But the Kiwi sailor, nicknamed "The Bear" by his teammates, is still fit enough to show the young pups how it is done every once in a while.

On Wednesday, Macbeth - a three-time America's Cup winner - was called on to the BAR boat as a grinder for his first race in this year's Cup and his impact was immediate as he helped halt a run of four consecutive defeats with a morale-boosting victory over Artemis Racing.

Macbeth played down his contribution yesterday, insisting his arrival merely "coincided with the team really coming together and sailing a good race". But his teammates were unanimous in talking up his impact. Freddie Carr spoke of a presence and attitude that got the entire team in the right frame of mind.

"His temperament blew me away," Carr said. "He brought an attitude on to the boat that resonated across the crew."

Ainslie was pleased with Macbeth's impact, saying he'd wanted a big-game player for what was a big game.

Macbeth knows all about those. He's not a sailor by training. He was 22 and working part-time in a kayak shop in Auckland when legendary Kiwi sailor Sir Peter Blake needed help lifting a fridge-freezer. That led to Blake giving him a job as a grinder with Team New Zealand.

Macbeth was Ainslie's first signing for BAR four years ago. The British skipper talks about his teammate's integrity and strength of character and it is those qualities he brings, managing the BAR team of sailors on and off the water.

Macbeth knows this game inside out. He was part of the New Zealand team that successfully defended the Cup in 2000, then won it again with Oracle Team USA in 2010 and 2013.

While he does not hit the same numbers in tests as, say, Neil Hunter, who at 22 is half his age, he brings something else to the party; experience and presence.

"I'm in the autumn of my career," Macbeth said. "But we've got an incredible strength and conditioning team [led by Ben Williams] and they have managed to keep the old boy rumbling along, and got me to a level where it's not a disadvantage physically to have me on the boat."

It looks as if BAR will continue to bring the Bear out of hibernation as and when required at this Cup.