Yachting: Coutts holds the aces

By Suzanne McFadden

The America's Cup man-of-the-moment, designer Doug Peterson, reckons there will be very little difference between the silver and the black boats when they clash next week - but that Russell Coutts could be the key.

Peterson, who has designed Prada's Luna Rossa boats, was part of Team New Zealand's design team in 1995 and knows the strength of the Black Magic sailing crew.

So for the next 10 days, the Italians will be cramming - watching old videos of Coutts and his team at their matchracing best, and quizzing skippers who have sailed against them.

If Prada win the America's Cup, Peterson will have designed three winners in a row for three different nations. He doubts that it will come down to sheer boatspeed, but to the way the crews handle their delicate racing machines.

Team New Zealand have had the advantage of studying television footage of Prada racing over the last four months.

"They know much more about us than we do about them. So we have to do our homework and learn their style," Peterson said.

"In '95, the Kiwis had a very different style. They had a lot of boatspeed and the team sailed cautiously in the starting manoeuvres because they knew if they didn't win the start, they could come from behind.

"No boats are going to be that much faster this time. So we'll go back to the old Russell matchracing style."

American Peterson has a huge respect for the Team New Zealand sailing team and, from day one with Prada, has warned the Italians what to expect.

The Italians, after all, did not know a pinch about matchracing before they came under the wing of their Kiwi coaches, Rod Davis, Alan Smith and Don Cowie two years ago.

"Team New Zealand are very, very good - on the water they are magical. They're unparalleled," Peterson said.

"Our guys have always looked up to Russell and his team. Our goal has been to try to emulate the closeness in Team New Zealand as a team. We're getting there."

De Angelis has never sailed against Coutts, a three-time world champion, on the matchracing circuit.

But last year, in the Road to the America's Cup regatta, Prada met Team New Zealand in the final, losing the last race by 1s to go down 1-2.

"We didn't embarrass ourselves. We showed them we're not scared of them," Peterson said. "We're going to have very close racing again. It won't be boring like Sir Peter Blake hopes."

Even to the untrained eye, there are obvious differences in the hull shapes of the two new black boats and Prada's pride, ITA45. Peterson reckons that will not equate to much speed advantage to either side.

"I think the boats will be similar enough, but I don't know all the details of the boat they'll race," he said.

"But the black boats are actually very similar in dimension to ours. They are the same length, the same sail area, and the same weight."

New Zealand sailor Gavin Brady, who was strategist on AmericaOne, sees it differently.

"I think New Zealand have got radically different boats," he said.

"One team will be faster than another. In the light air Prada will have an edge, in the stronger breeze Team New Zealand will have an advantage."

Six months ago, before the challenger series began, Brady would have put money on a black boat victory.

"But both Prada and AmericaOne got a lot better in the last 10 days," he said. "We had hard racing and you can't beat that. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."