Adding Some Variety
30/01/2003 09:27 AM -

Team New Zealand has invited adept matchracer Rod Davis to spice up its sailing in the final days leading up to the America's Cup match.

Davis, a veteran of nine America's Cup campaigns, will sail with Team New Zealand in its intensive in-house racing programme.

The former New Zealand America's Cup skipper has been released from the Italian Prada syndicate, which has now wrapped up its development programme in Auckland. Davis was the starting helmsman on board Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Now, he will add his weight to the afterguard of Team New Zealand, helping to tune up Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker and his crew before the best-of-nine Cup match begins on February 15.

"Rod is going to do some sailing with us to add some variety to our in-house racing," Barker said.

"At this stage of the campaign it is great to be able to introduce a new sailing style in the final build-up to the Cup."

Davis had a similar role in Team New Zealand's programme in San Diego in 1995. He was helmsman on board OneAustralia before being beaten by Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, then helped prepare Russell Coutts and his crew for the 5-0 drubbing of Team Dennis Conner.

Davis, who lives in Auckland with his wife and three children, has a long and successful sailing career to call on. He has coached and sailed with America's Cup crews since 1977, when he was bowman on board American defender Enterprise.

He coached the New Zealand effort in 1988 before he was skipper of NZL20 in San Diego in 1992.

Davis has competed at four Olympics (three of them for New Zealand), winning gold in 1984 and silver in 1992. He has eight world championship titles to his name, and was the world's No 1 matchracing skipper in 1995.

Source: Team New Zealand