An Aussie who wants NZ to win

By JULIE ASH

He comes from a famous Australian sailing family, so it probably came as no surprise when Adam Beashel crossed the ditch and joined Team New Zealand.

Without an America's Cup team in Australia, Beashel jumped at the chance to join the boys in black.

"Dean [Barker] contacted me in October 2000 and asked my thoughts on joining the team.

"I thought Team New Zealand would be great, and now I am more than happy I made the move."

Beashel's father, Ken, is a two-times world 18ft skiff champion and brother Colin is an Olympic Star class bronze medallist and world champion.

"I didn't really have a choice," Beashel said when asked how he got into sailing.

"I started out in the dinghy class and just went from there."

When he was five or six, the family sailed a cruising yacht from New York back to Australia through the Panama Canal.

Later he took to dinghy sailing in Flying Ants, then Lasers, and completed a boat-building apprenticeship at his father's yard in Sydney.

In the early 90s Beashel moved into keelboats, sailing in the Admiral's Cup.

He was offered a job with One Australia in 1995.

It turned into an experience he will never forget because he was on the boat when it sank off San Diego.

Beashel did not wait for an order and was the first over the side.

"I made my own call," he says. "I knew there was no point hanging around, and the others were quick to follow."

As an Australian in Team New Zealand, Beashel cops a fair bit of flak from his team-mates, but says it is bearable ... just.

"It is such a fantastic team. It is really enjoyable now we are doing more racing. But it is amazing how fast time has gone."

Name: Adam Beashel.

Age: 34.

Place of birth: Sydney, Australia.

Position on the boat: traveller/afterguard.

Nickname: Beasho.

Cup experience.-

1999: One Australia.

Career highlights.-

2001: Transpac 1st; NZ 3.7 Nationals, 1st. 2000: Farr 40 World Champs, 1st. 1999: Australian Olympic Trials, 49er, 1st; 49er Worlds 2nd, Fastnet Race, V60 class, 1st. 1997: New Zealand World Cup, Tornado class, 1st. 1996: Kenwood Cup, Hawaii, 1st; New Zealand Olympic Class World Cup, Laser, 1st. 1993: Admirals Cup, 2nd, team event. 1988: Tasar World Champs, 1st. 1984: Flying 11 Nationals, 1st. 1983: Flying Ant Nationals, 1st.