Yachting: America's Cup contenders boxing clever

Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker takes on the punching bag during a fitness session in Auckland this week. Picture / Greg Bowker

Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and David Tua posters line the walls, punching bags hang from the roof and skipping ropes are scattered across the floor.

Not exactly the kind of setting you would expect to see a bunch of yachties working out but here Team New Zealand are smashing away at each other like they are arch enemies.

As part of their vigorous fitness programme, the team have one boxing session a week with Ken Reinsfield, who is the Warriors' wrestling coach and a member of the Shayne Cameron boxing team.

"When they first started it was probably a bit new for them," Reinsfield said. "These guys are yachties, they are not used to throwing punches.

"But they have come on in leaps and bounds and certainly are not scared of smacking one another when they get the chance."

Team New Zealand fitness trainer David Slyfield said the boxing sessions, which also include laborious press ups and situps, aimed to improve the sailors' aerobic fitness, upper body strength, balance and co-ordination and improve their ability to make decisions when tired.

Tactician Terry Hutchinson said the boxing sessions are hardest "by far".

"The push-ups are the killers. Without question it is competitive, I have a couple [of punches] stored away in the memory bank that I will get next time."

If the boxing isn't gruelling enough the team, who complete at least four physical training sessions a week, will split into two next weekend - half will compete in the 100km Rotorua to Taupo bike ride and the others part of the Coastal Challenge.

"You don't win an America's Cup because you are the fitness team but you can lose an American's Cup because you are over tired or not in the shape," Slyfield said.

On shore NZL82, the yacht that was damaged in Marseille during last year's pre-regattas, has been repaired and is expected to be back sailing in early April.

The boat, now hula free, has been completely modified into the new version of the deign rule. It will undergo a vigorous testing programme before it is shipped to Europe at the end of April for the next cup pre-regatta in June.

* Team Capitalia have become the third Italian team to challenge for the America's Cup, taking the number of challengers to nine.