Mixed emotions over possible Coutts face-off

By JULIE ASH

Growing up in Wellington, Tom Dodson started out in a sailing community that has produced many of New Zealand's stars, including his brother Richard, Russell Coutts, Murray Jones and David Barnes. "At that stage the young guys were not looking up to America's Cup sailors but to Olympic sailors as our heroes," he says.

After moving through the P-Class, Tom stepped up into OK dinghies before going on to compete in the Finn class.

He won Olympic selection in the Finn class for the 1980 Moscow Games, but never got to sail because of the international boycott.

"I had devoted some 10 years of my sailing career to the Olympics. That set me back for a while."

But Dodson got his chance at the Los Angeles Games four years later in the Soling class, in which his team finished 11th.

They were seventh at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

As a partner in North Sails, Dodson worked up an impressive career in keel boat racing.

"I got to know Russell Coutts and all the guys well. I didn't have time for the America's Cup initially because of my work. I was invited to go to Perth, but I was too busy in the sail loft and with my Olympic class."

But in 1996 Coutts phoned Dodson and asked him to join Team New Zealand as part of the afterguard on the testing boat.

"My background is in fleet racing rather than match racing. My speciality on the boat is strategist, who is responsible for getting the boat around the course as fast as possible."

Now lining up for his second America's Cup, Dodson says he is having a great time.

"I enjoy the atmosphere and the team here. Without that I would find the long hours pretty tough. It is a good feeling coming down to the base - you get here and are ready to go."

And his thoughts if Team New Zealand have to line up against Coutts' Alinghi? "I know Russell, Brad [Butterworth], Simon [Daubney] and a lot of the other guys really well. I have done a huge amount of mileage with those guys.

"There are mixed emotions. I see those guys once in a while and enjoy catching up, but I don't want to see too much from now on."

* * *

Jared Henderson has always felt at home on the water - not too surprising for someone who grew up in the Bay of Islands.

"I sailed a lot when I was younger. Ever since I was born I have been on a boat," he says.

From Young 88s he moved into match racing in MRXs in the early 90s, and by 1996, he was a fulltime sailor, competing in offshore regattas such as the Admiral's and Kenwood Cups, the Mumm 36 worlds and Fastnet races.

Henderson also competed in the 1997-8 Whitbread on Grant Dalton's Merit Cup.

"It was really awesome. You learned a lot about yourself ... how hard you could push yourself.

"I loved the round-the-world race. I would definitely love to do more ocean racing.

Henderson's wife, Keryn, was on the all-female Amer Sports Too in the 2001/02 round-the-world event.

"I think the race is in limbo at the moment, but I hope it stays, with decent boats that go faster to make it more exciting."

In the last cup, Henderson was signed up as a pitman on the training boat nine months before the defence.

"It was awesome. It was perfect timing because that was when everything was starting to happen.

"The development period was more or less over and it was all racing."

A builder by trade, Henderson completed his apprenticeship with Team New Zealand stalwart Joey Allen, but had never sailed with Allen until he signed up with Team New Zealand.

When asked how this team compared with the 2000 team, Henderson replied: "They are a little more energetic. I think this team push themselves a little bit more and are a bit more competitive.

"It is an exciting time for us and we can't wait to race."

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