Yachting: New boys revel in the magic of cup yachts

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Dan Slater and Nathan Handley sat within arm's reach on their tiny skiff at the Olympics. Yesterday, together on board an America's Cup boat for the first time, the two never saw each other.

Slater stood down the back of NZL57, one of Team New Zealand's black boats, spotting the wind for skipper Dean Barker.

Handley was either hanging on grimly at the top of the 30m mast or stuck down below decks in the sewer.

"These boats are more massive and powerful than anything we've ever sailed on," said Slater, who teamed up with Handley on a 49er skiff in Sydney.

"I didn't even see Nathan today. I had to ask Deano 'is he still on this boat?"'

Joey Allen, the 44-year-old veteran in the Team NZ crew, was not slow in introducing Handley, a 27-year-old plumber, to the highs and lows of a bowman's lot on a cup boat.

"He was getting yelled and screamed at, up the mast and down below, so his eyes were pretty wide open at the end of the day," Allen said.

"He's a very talented sailor, but he's never sailed a cup boat before so we have to teach him what it's about.

"However, all the young guys on the boat were amazing today. We couldn't have had a better start to this campaign."

At least half the faces were new on board the Team NZ flotilla which left the dock for the first time yesterday morning.

It seemed there were more familiar faces on the three rival boats that streamed out of the Viaduct Basin at the same time.

On the tow out to the Hauraki Gulf, the two Black Magics were sandwiched between the black boats of Seattle's OneWorld.

On board were some of the old Team NZ crew such as tactician Richard Dodson, who waved out to his old team-mates, including his brother Tom.

Out on the course, Team NZ, OneWorld and the all-white boat of Team Oracle, kept their distance.

The defenders' rookies, like Slater, were in awe of the size and power of the cup yachts.

"I've now learned you have to respect these boats and to ask questions all the time. If you just go 'she'll be right' you could get your hand ripped off," he said.

"I was so green today, I had no idea where to even stand.

"But this is something I have always wanted to do, and when Brad [Butterworth] and Russell [Coutts] left, guys like me got the opportunity.

"We're part of a change of the guard - it's a team revived."

Allen agreed: "Let's face it, we've had a pretty bad time. Now everyone is keen and excited.

"We lost the excitement last time around - it became pretty mundane. But these young guys have brought energy and attitude."

The broadest grin of the day was plastered on the mature face of Bertrand Pace, the little Frenchman who peered over the wheel of NZL60, and exclaimed "fantastique!" when he stepped back on land.

"He is one happy guy. He was rolling his sleeves up and getting stuck into the work," Allen said.

The black boats will sail for another week before the team take a Christmas break.

Herald Online feature: America's Cup