No P-class memories for Peter

By JULIE ASH

Peter Evans, sailing in his fourth America's Cup, is a rare breed -- a Kiwi sailor who didn't spring from the nations's fleet of P-class dinghies.

Evans started sailing when he was 11, joining the Wakatere Boating Club on Auckland's North Shore and crewing on a Frostbite dinghy before getting a Sabot.

"I am probably one of the few sailors that never sailed in the P class."

He moved on to Starlings, winning the nationals before changing to one of the first wooden Europe dinghies.

His international career began with a trip to Denmark for the world Europe championship, where he finished fourth. He moved on to the 470 class where he finished third in the 1984 world championships, and competed in two Olympics, where his best result was fifth in Korea in 1988.

He was working on a Maxi refit in France when David Barnes asked him to join the New Zealand Challenge for the cup in San Diego.

He went there in 1990 and helped to put the boats together before the sailing began in 1991.

He then sailed as tactician alongside Kiwi skipper John Cutler on Nippon in 1995 before joining Team New Zealand.

He returned to Team New Zealand in 2000 as tactician and a member of the weather team and decided to stay on for the second defence.

"There is a good bunch of guys here and we are making good progress."

The Louis Vuitton finalists - Oracle BMW Racing and Alinghi - do not faze him.

"They are both strong teams. Alinghi has certainly shown some good form and if they continue that, you would expect them to be the challenger.

"We have raced against a lot of the Alinghi guys in match-racing so it won't be the first time we have faced them."

Peter Evans - tactician, strategist

Age: 41

Place of birth: Devonport

Nickname: Pistol Pete

Cup experience:

2000: Team New Zealand, Auckland, tactician, weather programme

1995: Nippon Challenge, San Diego, tactician

1992: New Zealand Challenge, San Diego, strategy.

Career highlights:

1996: China Taipei Olympic 470 team, coach; 1992: Match-racing world championship 1st; 1988: NZ Olympic 470 team 5th; 1984: NZ Olympic 470 team; Other: 470 worlds, 3rd and 4th three times, keel boat titles including Corum Cup, Kenwood Cup (2), Keil Week (2), European Mumm 36 circuit and the ILC40 world championship. Numerous Grade 1 match-racing events, plus Starlings, 470s, and Stewart 34s titles.

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

Racing schedule, results and standings