Yachting: Kiwis aim for clean start

Team New Zealand rounding the last mark in second during the official practice race yesterday. Photo / Chris Cameron

Team New Zealand are desperate to ensure they will not be hamstrung by a poor start again when the third round of the MedCup circuit starts in Spain today.

They continue their defence of their TP52 crown in the Camper regatta in Barcelona, which runs until Monday.

After disappointing in their last outing in Marseille, Emirates Team NZ arrived in Barcelona a day early to give themselves ample opportunity to get a feel for the conditions. The Kiwi team were tripped up by the light winds on the opening day of the Marseille regatta, coming last in the first race.

While they were able to recover as the week wore on, they were left stranded in fourth place when the mistral's high winds tore through Marseille, forcing the cancellation of the last two days of racing.

It was Team NZ's worst finish in seven MedCup events, but with a healthy buffer over the rest of the fleet, they managed to hang on to their overall series lead.

They have an 18.5-point lead over second-placed Quantum Racing heading in to the third round of the series, however theyknow that with rival syndicates circling, another sub-par regatta will put their lead in danger.

The key challenge for Team NZ will once again be overcoming the light winds.

Yesterday's practice race, sailed in a breeze of less than 10 knots, showed without a doubt that in light conditions the fleet is very evenly matched.

British syndicate Team Origin led from start to finish, with Team NZ second after rounding the first mark in fifth place.

An act of superstition led to both teams opting to go the wrong way around the finish line, leaving the gun to AudiA1.

Just eight seconds separated the fourth and ninth-place finishers.

Skipper Dean Barker said that with the weathermen predicting winds of around 6-12 knots off Barcelona this week, he expects the racing will be extremely close.

"It's going to be very tricky, especially around the start line. Getting away with a clear lane off the start will be the key to a good result," said Barker.

"The team that does that well, consistently well, will be in a good position to win the regatta."

Barker said the light winds provided a great leveller for the fleet in terms of boat speed, putting the emphasis on tactics and teamwork.

"In this light breeze the boats are going pretty much the same speed, and it comes down to starting well and having a good game plan for the first beat."