Burns Fallow -- sailing along at sharp edge of technology

By JULIE ASH

"The thing about this event is so much hinges on it. You really do live and die for it."

That's how Team New Zealand's head of sails, Burns Fallow, sees the America's Cup.

Fallow, who has worked for Team New Zealand since 1995, is confident the syndicate have created fast enough sails to give the black boat an edge over Russell Coutts' Swiss syndicate Alinghi in the America's Cup match this month.

"I feel we have got sails that hold their shape better in different wind strengths and have better control. The sails are generally faster than they were last time but they have to be.

"Just as the boat has to be faster, the crew has to be better and the tactics have to be better. Every part of the boat has to be excellent - anything less could cost us the cup."

Born in the South Island, Fallow and his family moved to Auckland when he was 14.

He dabbled in sailing as a youngster but never really pursued it.

"I did engineering at university and then decided I didn't want to be an engineer. It was a matter of luck that North Sails were looking for a training designer just after the KZ7 days and I started working there. I had my job interview with 'Schnack' (Tom Schnackenberg) and that is how I got into the industry."

Now Fallow is a partner in North Sails New Zealand, along with Schnackenberg, Tom and Rick Dodson and Mickey Ickert.

Working at North Sails, he was involved in projects such as Sir Peter Blake's Steinlager II and Admiral's Cup teams before embarking on the America's Cup.

"When the 1995 Team New Zealand campaign was forming I had had a bit of experience by then and I thought it was time to give the America's Cup a go. I was lucky enough to be able to join the team at that time."

Now, eight years later, Fallow is lining up with Team New Zealand to defend the cup for the second time.

"I enjoy designing for the America's Cup. You just concentrate on one event. You have more time and more resources and you just do a much more thorough job which makes it more enjoyable."

Fallow said sails had come a long way since 1995.

"We look at the stuff we did in the last campaign and that looks like quite antiquated stuff. The stuff we did in 1995 looks prehistoric, but you say that about every campaign.

"Right now we are working on stuff we are proud of but in three years time we'll probably turn around and say 'what were we thinking?"'

Team New Zealand were one of the first to introduce carbon fibre into the sails and the 3DL technology which is a process using moulds to create downwind sails.

Fallow said this time the challengers had been particularly innovative.

"The quality of the fleet is a lot better than last time. I think the teams are throwing more money into their sails.

"The thing about sails is that they are very visible. You can't hide them like the hull and appendages. There are subtle differences which are hard to pick up like a little change in shape here or there."

Burns said Alinghi had provided one of the breakthrough developments - squaring off the top of their mainsail which helped reduce drag.

"They showed that very early on. We saw that in August I think, so we started our own development path. That was pretty revolutionary.

"You'd look at it and think theoretically there was no way it could work but they obviously found a way of doing it and it ended up not being that hard."

The drag off the sails is a significant part of the drag of the boat. Although the sails are there to make the boat go forward, they can produce up to 15 per cent drag of the boat.

"If you just shake a little bit of drag off the boats it is going to make a big difference."

Team New Zealand are allowed 30 sails for the regatta and so far have created more than 100.

Each of them has been created by Fallow, with input from the design team and the sailing team, especially the trimmers.

"That is one of the things which is so great about this team - everyone is thinking not only about their own departments. Sometimes we have ideas from all over the place. Sure half of them can't be done but we still have a few little gems from people who have little interest in the sail programme."

Fallow is happy with Team New Zealand's development.

"Everything has got to be excellent. This event means the earth. And more."

Just the facts:


Name: Burns Fallow, Head of sails department

Born: Riverton, December 17, 1965

Career highlights:

2000 - Team New Zealand

1995 - Team New Zealand

Other - A partner in North Sails and has designed sails for a variety of Grand Prix and superyacht projects including the Kenwood Cup, Admiral's Cup and Whitbread round-the-world yacht race.

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