Former idol now the man to beat

By HELEN TUNNAH

When Chris Dickson, barely out of his teens, led New Zealand's first bid for the America's Cup, a youngster called Hamish Pepper was running around trying to get his autograph.

Now, 16 years later, Pepper is the frontrunner to call the tactics for Team New Zealand in next month's battle for the prized yachting trophy, and it is possible that it will be Dickson whom he lines up against.

Like skipper and long-time friend Dean Barker, Pepper is the new face of the defenders and the two good-looking young men have the weight of public expectations on their shoulders.

Barker, 29, has yet to say who will call tactics alongside him in the black boat, or how the crucial decision-making afterguard will be configured.

But whoever it is will have to be good.

Team Alinghi or Oracle BMW Racing will challenge Team New Zealand, and they have two of the finest afterguards in world sailing.

Dickson, who led New Zealand's famous first challenge at the helm of KZ7, is now calling the tactics for Oracle, alongside helmsman and the world's top-ranked match racer Peter Holmberg.

Alinghi's talent is frightening. The old Team New Zealand pairing of Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth has added triple Olympic gold medallist Jochen Schuemann, of Germany, to their brains trust.

Pepper, 31, says that after spending the last cup with Barker on the back-up boat, he hopes to sail out on February 15 as tactician for the first race of the America's Cup.

"The team hasn't been decided yet and we're working on the tactical, afterguard team. The chances are I will be tactician, but we've got an extremely good afterguard team."

He lists Peter Evans, Tom Dodson, Daniel Slater and Adam Beashel as among those providing strategic input, aided by designers and navigators Tom Schnackenberg and Mike Drummond.

With Dickson, Coutts and Butterworth growing up on the Hauraki Gulf, Pepper says any advantage Team New Zealand had sailing on home waters has disappeared now local expertise is spread among the challengers.

"I don't think there's going to be an advantage this time, obviously Russell and those guys know the waters just as well as Dean and I and Peter. It's going to come down to starting, and who gets the favoured side and who's got a faster boat.

"I'm excited about taking on Russell and Brad. They're an extremely good team, they're regarded as the guys to beat. And having been in the team last time and raced against them a lot, we know a little bit about how they think.

"On the other hand, Oracle are also still sailing well, and Chris Dickson's reshaped that team pretty well."

Raised in a North Shore sailing family, Pepper began competing as a nine-year-old, first with his father and later with Barker through the Murrays Bay Sailing Club and their school team, Westlake Boys High School.

Pepper says it is his long friendship with Barker that has made their on-the-water relationship so successful.

"We just have fun together. Sailing together we trust each other. Friendship in all teams is important - you've got to get along because you spend a lot of time together, so it's pretty crucial to any team."

The pair travelled by van around Europe, competing on the international Laser circuit a decade ago, and by 1995 Pepper was ranked the world's top Laser sailor.

A year later he sailed for New Zealand at the Olympics, finishing 10th. He has also picked up two world match-racing titles, one with then Team New Zealand sailing coach Ed Baird in 1995 and with Barker in 2000.

Pepper says one of the highlights of his career was sailing through the Viaduct Harbour three years ago to the roar of the crowd as Team New Zealand defended the cup.

He knows they will have intense support again next month, but says he is not concerned about facing the pressure of a nation's expectations.

"To be honest, I don't get that nervous. I get a few butterflies, but you've got to just settle down and do what you do best, the result will take care of itself.

"We can only do the best we can and there's some good things happening inside these walls.

"I'm excited, I can't wait."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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