Yachting: Davis win boost for cup chances

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Rod Davis probably helped his chances of driving the Prada boat in the next America's Cup by unexpectedly winning the New Zealand matchracing championships yesterday.

The man of many nations, who has sailed for the United States, New Zealand and Australia, is in line to helm the Italian boat in the next cup.

He is one of three candidates, along with Kiwi Gavin Brady and Italian hero Francesco de Angelis, who remains the Prada skipper regardless of who is at the wheel.

Davis' case would have been bolstered yesterday when he beat two cup legends in a finicky breeze on the Waitemata Harbour.

After scraping into the semifinals, he drew former world champion Bertrand Pace, Team New Zealand's new back-up helmsman, in the semifinals - the top qualifier from the double round-robin - and won 3-1.

"I honestly didn't expect to beat him. I just figured we were here for a training run, and we were practising against the very best," he said.

Davis' opponent in the final was his old rival, Chris Dickson, skipper of American challenge Oracle Racing, who had beaten another Team NZ skipper, Cameron Appleton.

By Davis' reckoning, he has met Dickson in finals on the Waitemata four times, and now the score is two-all.

"I needed to get back on the matchracing circuit to get ready for the next America's Cup - it's been six years since I was on it," Davis said. "Who ends up driving the Prada boat is still open. It won't be decided for a while yet. But you know I love driving boats.

"I'm more than happy to do whatever I'm told. If Prada is better off with me sweeping the compound, that's what I'll do."

Davis will retain his job from the last America's Cup as Prada team coach, but this time he has Italian residency, so he will sail on the boat.

Sailing with an Italian crew yesterday, Davis comfortably beat Dickson in the first race of the final, which was delayed by lack of wind.

Dickson's Oracle crew led the second race until the third mark, when Prada overtook them.

But Davis had tacked too close and was slapped with a penalty turn, which he did not have to do until he reached the finish line, when he was just far enough ahead to still get the gun.

Dickson felt Davis should have been given an immediate penalty, with the advantage that he got at the mark, but he did not contest the result.

Pace beat his new team-mate, Appleton, 2-1, in the sail-off for third.

New Zealand's top female matchracing skipper, Amy Waring, has finished 14th at the world championships in Florida. Waring was buoyed by the result in her first world event.

Herald Online feature: America's Cup