Yachting: The years do not condemn this Jack of all trades

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

By his own admission, the years are creeping up on Team New Zealand crewman Tony Rae.

So the 38-year-old floater, who will have a go at almost every job on the black boat during an America's Cup race, has been taking special care of his ageing body.

Rae, who has sailed in three America's Cups and three round-the-world races, has been breathing high-altitude oxygen and swallowing deer velvet in the countdown to Saturday's first race.

Every day for 15 days, Rae has donned a mask and inhaled air with very little oxygen.

"It's the way to train at high altitude without spending three months in the mountains. I didn't really have time to do that," he said.

"It increases your recovery rate by 200 per cent because your body gets used to breathing less oxygen.

"It means I can push myself harder and recover quicker, which is perfect for the stop and start of grinding."

Rae could not convince any of the other crew to try the oxygen treatment, but six of the sailors are now taking deer velvet at Rae's recommendation for its healing properties.

"I had a knee injury, Joey Allen had a bad shoulder, and some of the others had long-term injuries," he said.

Rae is a likely starter on the boat come Saturday, even though the crew of 16 will not be known publicly until the race begins.

It is a bit of a comeback story for the Auckland sailmaker, who was the mainsail trimmer for the first New Zealand Cup campaign, in 1987, but was a back-up man in the last Team New Zealand effort.

He appears to have filled a hole in the crew left by Sir Peter Blake, who will not sail this time.

Rae's job on the boat is hard to describe. As floater, he will do anything, anywhere.

"I usually start at the back of the boat, on the runners, but then I'll do a bit of grinding," he said. "I move forward when we go downwind, and occasionally I end up on the foredeck.

"It's quite exciting and hectic - it's the reason I need all the oxygen."

Rae is also deeply involved in the mainsail programme, working with his friendly rival, mainsail trimmer Warwick Fleury.

The pair have always been vying for the same job on board the Cup boats, but now they are sailing side by side.

"It's the first time Warwick and I have sailed on the same boat. Since '87, we've always been on different yachts, both trimming the mainsail."

Team New Zealand have chosen not to stick with a regular 16 crew. Skipper Russell Coutts has a team of 32 to choose from, and says how he stacks his crew will depend on the weather forecast each day.

But it seems likely that most of the guys from the 1995 winning effort will be back on board.