Team NZ change afterguard for Race 4

By HELEN TUNNAH

Team New Zealand this morning called up Frenchman Bertrand Pace in a bid to grab their first America's Cup win in their vital fourth race against Alinghi this afternoon.

Skipper Dean Barker has dropped his long-time sailing partner Hamish Pepper to make way for Pace in the afterguard.

Pace, from Dunkirk, will sail in a tactical role, rather than in his more accustomed position as helmsman.

Team New Zealand are 0-3 down in the best-of-nine series against Alinghi, and desperately need to win today's fourth race, due to be raced in southwest winds of 15 to 20 knots.

Pepper, 31, appears to have paid the price for two tactical errors which cost Team New Zealand the second and third races against Alinghi.

In the second race, Team New Zealand was passed on the run home after failing to protect the left hand side of the course.

In Tuesday's third loss, the cup holders were left stranded at the start line after "confusion" between the afterguard and weather team meant they chose the weaker side of the course.

Barker has made no other changes to his lineup.

He and Pepper have sailed together since they were schoolboys, and during the last Cup raced on the backup boat for Team New Zealand against then-skipper Russell Coutts and his tactician Brad Butterworth.

Pace skippered and helmed the French challenger Le Defi in the last Cup, and is a former world match-racing champion.

He enjoys a reputation for aggression, and three years ago was docked a point after a mid-race collision with Dennis Conner's Stars and Stripes.

Syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg said Barker would keep the helm for today's race and Pace would act as a tactician.

"It'll be Dean sailing the yacht and Bertrand talking in his ear. He's very very experienced. He's been sailing in the team solidly.

"He's also been a tactician for us in in-house racing."

Team New Zealand and Alinghi were due to leave the dock for the fourth race around 10am.

Continuous coverage of today's America's Cup race will begin on nzherald.co.nz at 12.30pm.

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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