McKay eager to put experience to the test

By JULIE ASH

Competing in his fourth America's Cup, Barry McKay is raring to go.

A member of the New Zealand team since 1992, McKay says it will be interesting to see how his side fare against Alinghi, who include at least six of his former team-mates.

"It is good we are coming up against them," the pitman said. "We know them well, and it is always good knowing your opposition.

"Alinghi have performed well and we know we are going to have to be at our best to beat them."

When McKay was eight his father started building a 13m cruising yacht, which became the family home during a two-year cruise of the Pacific.

When the family returned, he took up P-class sailing before moving on to keel boats when the family shifted north to the Bay of Islands.

McKay trained as a boatbuilder before securing a job at the Southern Pacific boatyard.

Two of the yard's more high-profile commissions involved the building of the trimaran Steinlager 1 and the maxi ketch Steinlager II for Sir Peter Blake.

When Steinlager II was complete, Blake asked McKay to sail with him in the round-the-world race.

"It was a case of all my dreams coming true."

Since then McKay has worked on several prominent campaigns.

He was project manager for the building of Chris Dickson's two yachts for the Tokio round-the-world campaign in 1993-94, and was part of Blake's crew on the catamaran Enza which smashed the record with a 74-day sprint around the world, winning the Jules Verne Trophy.

McKay joined the New Zealand Challenge in 1992 as boat captain and mastman, and has stayed with the syndicate since.

"When you look back at the work that has been done it seems like we are ready. We have had to work hard to raise the bar. There has been a lot of good work done, but it's time."

Barry McKay - pitman

Age: 35

Place of birth: Dunedin

Cup experience:

2000: Team New Zealand

1995: Team New Zealand

1992: New Zealand Challenge.

Career highlights:

Crew on Steinlager II in Whitbread round-the-world race
crew on Enza in Jules Verne Trophy round-the-world record
sailing master/campaign manager on Morning Glory in the Sydney-Hobart bluewater classic.

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