Peterson has good vibrations

By SUZANNE MCFADDEN

Under a mop of red hair and a wild strawberry beard, Doug Peterson looks like a Californian surfer. Even at 54.

It shouldn't be a surprise, considering he grew up on the beaches of southern California, and he once started up his own America's Cup syndicate backed by 60s pop icons the Beach Boys.

But it is, because beneath the shock of hair lies one of the most astute design brains in the yachting world.

The Beach Boys gig never got off the ground, but it's probably just as well. Peterson was adopted by Kansas billionaire Bill Koch, and went on to become one of the most successful Cup designers in modern history.

Peterson is on a roll. After drawing up the winning boat for America3 in 1992, he moved on to do the same for Team New Zealand, and is now responsible for the Italian boat in the cup final against the Kiwis.

Peterson, drawing up boats since he was 15, once kicked off his own Cup campaign for the '92 defence.

"I thought it looked like the foreign efforts had a lot of money, and the US were stalling - so I started my own syndicate," he said.

"We went ahead and started testing our own five models - we were well down the road in the design process. But then the recession came in and the Gulf War started.

"We thought no one would give money to the America's Cup, so we dissolved the syndicate. We'd spent about $US550,000.

"Then Bill Koch came along and he graciously offered to absorb us. He very generously refunded our money - 70 cents to the dollar."

With John Reichel and Jim Pugh, he created Defiant, America3 and Kanza - and toppled, of all people, the Italians in the cup match.

It may seem strange everywhere else, but in the America's Cup your enemies one year can become your partners the next.

In San Diego in '92, Peterson rented a house next door to the guy who designed the Italian boats, Argentine German Frers.

Frers invited Peterson to work with him on an Italian challenge for the 1995 cup, but he accepted a job with Team New Zealand instead. Five years later, he is finally working with Frers on the Prada campaign - who are sailing against his old New Zealand buddies.

So why did he pick New Zealand for '95?

"I got a call from Russell Coutts, and I flew down before I went to Italy," Peterson said.

"I was very impressed. They wanted someone with a track record, and they were afraid I would go to Italy, so I stayed.

"It was a very good decision. The fact is everything went like clockwork. There was a great open-door policy."

With his insider knowledge of America3, Peterson joined Kiwi design legends Laurie Davidson and Tom Schnackenberg at the drawing board. The end results were the Black Magics - the breakthrough Cup boats of the era.

But it was a partnership that was not to last. Peterson moved across the world, hired by Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli.

"Things didn't come together this time for me in New Zealand, so I went elsewhere," Peterson said. "But I'm very happy where I am."

Peterson has watched the new black boats further down Syndicate Row with eagle eyes. At the first keel reveal in January, he reckoned he could see some of his work in one of Team New Zealand's keels.

He believes Luna Rossa, ITA45, will match the black boat for speed on the Hauraki Gulf.

There are those who say Prada will be faster in light airs, while the Kiwis will pull away in the stiffer breezes.

"I think we are certainly equally prepared for heavy weather," Peterson says.

"Anything can break on these boats in strong winds, but we are as ready for it as Team New Zealand is.

"We were the only challenger who was up to that level. So we're not going to go out there and blow stuff up."

A photo of Peterson 25 years ago is a mirror of the man you see today. Hardly a grey hair in sight.

"I don't have much stress," he laughs. "Designing boats is a great job."