Pepper deals with stress of tactician's role

By JULIE ASH

Rugby, tennis, soccer, windsurfing - you name it, Hamish Pepper gave it a whirl as a youngster.

That was until sailing came along.

"I dropped all the other sports when I was 13 to concentrate on sailing," he said. "When I was 15 I trained hard for the P-class nationals and had a good result there. I finished second in the Tauranga Cup."

Pepper also sailed Sunbursts, 470s and Starlings alongside his good mate, Dean Barker.

"It was a mixed period where I wasn't sure in which direction I would go. I started concentrating on the Laser when I was 18."

Pepper started with Team New Zealand in 1993, but officially joined up in 1996.

"Dean and I were asked to go to San Diego, but we chose to continue our Olympic aspirations. After the Games in 1996 I caught up with Russell [Coutts] again and said I want to do it properly this time.

"I came on and they started to teach me to be the third mainsheet trimmer. So I did that for two or three years.

"During that period Dean started on the match-racing circuit so I got involved with him as tactician after he had been in it about a year.

"Closer to the cup, when people were getting in their final positions on the A boat, they were a little bit short of tacticians. That's when I moved in as a tactician on the B boat."

As a tactician it is Pepper's job to communicate to the helmsman what the team need to do - tack, gybe, cover, and so on. "It can be very stressful, but I think any position on the boat can be stressful if you are put under pressure and things are not going right."

As the America's Cup approaches, Pepper said it was an exciting time for the team.

"There is no one in this team that would want to be elsewhere. There is no more satisfaction than representing your country at the highest level. If we win, it will be huge for New Zealand. I think every team out there is of a good standard. On the day any team could win, so it is going to be a close series."

Hamish Pepper - tactician

Age: 31

Place of birth: North Shore

Nickname: Pepsi

Cup experience:

2000: Tactician B boat during defence.

Career highlights:

2001: Second in Tour de France.

2000: World matchracing champion (tactician).

1997, 95, 94: Fourth in world Laser champs.

1996: NZ Laser representative at the Olympic Games (10th).

1995: Ranked No 1 in world Lasers; world matchracing champion (mainsheet).

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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