Yachting: Team NZ sailors starring overseas

By Suzanne McFadden

Team New Zealand could not want for a better start to their final away campaign before the America's Cup.

Back-up skipper Dean Barker yesterday catapaulted to fifth in the world in matchracing, earning a coveted spot in next month's world championships.

His old dinghy sailing buddy, Hamish Pepper, was leading the Team New Zealand crew, including Russell Coutts, at the front of the fleet in the gruelling Tour de France a la Voile off Belgium.

The Team New Zealand base in the cup village is like a ghost town this week. Virtually all the cup defenders' crew will be sailing in Europe next week.

It is their last international stint before the cup match next February. Most of them must be home by early August to get ready for the launch of the first new boat.

Barker and his crew will be given special exemption to sail in the world matchracing championship in Copenhagen.

His jump into the world's top 10 skippers was helped by victory at the Pedrini Cento Cup in Italy last week, pushing him up from 12th position.

Ahead of Barker in the ratings are Nippon America's Cup skipper Peter Gilmour, New Zealand matchrace specialist Gavin Brady, Danish helmsman Sten Mohr and Le Defi France cup skipper Bertrand Pace.

Barker, who admitted to being surprised by his leap, leaves for Sweden tomorrow to contest the Swedish Match grand prix alongside his boss, Coutts.

He is now 50th in the world, but his Team Magic campaign have only competed in six events on the circuit in the last two years.

Coutts is meanwhile coming to grips with offshore sailing, and says he has never been in such a tough race as in the Tour de France a la Voile.

The third leg from the Netherlands to Belgium took 16 hours, all of it upwind.

"Nobody could afford any rest whatsoever, so everyone had to hike very hard all the time," he said.

"My back aches - everyone's back aches. I haven't been this sore since sailing Finns."

Team New Zealand lead the race, winning three of the four legs so far in a chartered Mumm 30, Sun Microsystems. They are 10 points ahead of Belgian boat Kateie, sailed by Young America crew.

Pepper is skipper of the crew for this regatta, and will join Barker's team for the world championships with James Dagg, Chris Ward and Tony Rae.

Other TNZ sailors will have their turn in the month-long Tour de France race, as the crew rotate around the matchracing circuit and the Admiral's Cup, sailing for foreign teams.