Yachting: Beashel enjoys life of a traveller

By JULIE ASH

Australian Adam Beashel has three big goals in life: to become a professional sailor, to win the America's Cup and to win an Olympic medal.

The first goal he has accomplished, the second he is working on and the third he hopes will come after the second is achieved.

Beashel, aged 33, is a traveller on Team New Zealand. His job is to adjust the main traveller position, call the wind pressure and assist with tactics and relative boat speed.

His decision to join came after Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker approached him in 2000.

"At that time I had a few offers on the go. I spent a couple of months weighing them up and decided that Team New Zealand was team I fancied being involved in.

"I saw the people that were involved in running the team and they were people I knew well and had a lot of respect for.

'Team New Zealand have also been a strong team since 1995."

Beashel has strong family connections with yachting.

His father, Ken, a boat builder, is a two-times world 18-foot skiff champion. His brother Colin is an Olympic Star-class bronze medallist, a world champion, and was on the America's Cup-winning yacht, Australia Two.

When Beashel was aged 3, the family moved to the United States for three years.

"In that time we bought a yacht from the guy Dad was working for, then we sailed that back to Australia through the Panama Canel with the whole family on board.

"Just off New Zealand we had a full-on tornado come past. I only remember a couple of nights on the yacht, even though we had 16 days at sea at one stage."

After a stint in the Tornado class, Beashel brought a 49er and had his sights set on the 2000 Olympic Games.

He won the Olympic trials, but the Australian Yachting Federation chose another crew, and the row went all the way to court.

"The 49ers are such a fun and interesting boat to sail. I still have one over here with me now, so any chance I can I jump in and do a bit of sailing, and I'll see what 2004 brings."

* * *

Team New Zealand's first real chance to test their strength against the challengers comes in a week-long international regatta starting on Monday.

They will compete with Seattle's OneWorld Challenge, Britain's GBR Challenge and Sweden's Victory Challenge in fleet and match racing.

All except Victory Challenge will use older-generation boats.

On Monday there will be two fleet races, followed by match racing on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The match-racing finals are on Saturday, and a fleet race from Tiritiri Matangi Island to the Harbour Bridge on Sunday.

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