Yachting: Barker seeking speed clues in fleet-racing

MALMO - Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker says there is plenty his crew can take from the fleet-racing regatta which starts in Malmo tonight.

A new addition to the America's Cup, the fleet-racing is a little less serious than the traditional match-racing regattas, with the priority for most teams being to avoid collisions.

Despite that, Barker said teams could learn plenty from the three-day regatta.

"It is just a good opportunity to learn about our speed in relation to our competitors," he said.

"We are still learning what the strengths and weaknesses of NZL 82 are relative to Alinghi, Oracle and Team Luna Rossa.

"What we are trying to do is end up with the fastest boat we can for next year, and anything we can learn and apply to the new design is crucial."

One thing the fleet-racing does seem to do is even up the playing field. While Alinghi, Oracle, Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa tend to dominate in match-racing, in recent fleet races some of the lesser fancied teams have risen to the forefront.

Sweden's Victory Challenge would have won the last fleet-racing regatta in Valencia had they not had a protest upheld against them while Mascalzone Latino sailed to a victory.

The conditions in Malmo could also make for some interesting racing. The wind isn't expected to blow as strongly as it did during the match-racing, but the strong current makes the venue a slightly different challenge from Valencia.

"Being fast in fleet-racing is a pretty nice thing to have, but it is not going to be the be-all and end-all," Barker said.

"I think if we start well and do a good job with getting the sides right, then we will be reasonably confident we can do well."