NZ trailing after one day of matchracing

By Suzanne McFadden

The Young Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker had a turbulent start to the world matchracing championships in Copenhagen yesterday.

Barker should have been third after the first day of racing on Skovshoved Harbour, but he was docked half a point after a collision at the finish line with German skipper Marcus Wieser.

The points penalty pushed Barker and his Team New Zealand crew back to fifth overall, but he was still ahead of America's Cup skippers Chris Law, Jochen Schumann and world No 1 Peter Gilmour.

Barker, who has rocketed to a ranking of fifth in the world this year, could not have started the day better.

He won three out of three before lunch, beating Danes Morten Henriksen and Jesper Bank and Englishman Law.

After the break, he hit Wieser in a tight duel for the line, damaging the boat.

He recovered to beat Swiss America's Cup skipper Schumann later in the day, but fell to Swede Magnus Holmberg and Gilmour, who drives Japan's cup campaign.

Gilmour finished the day with just two wins with his Nippon crew. But like his old nemesis Russell Coutts, he is a man that you should never write off.

He has won world titles after having a bad first day. "It was a mess today, but we will try to come back with a smile on our faces tomorrow," the Australian skipper said.

It is another America's Cup skipper who leads the fleet of 10 - Frenchman Bertrand Pace.

The former world champion was unbeaten after seven races.