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Extreme 40's- Back to basics for Team NZ on Day 1 in Almeria + Audio

by Warren Douglas on 10 Oct 2010
Dean Barker, skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand, takes the helm of an Extreme 40 for the first time on day 1 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ Almeria. Paul Wyeth / OC Events

Dean Barker and his Emirates Team New Zealand crew got down to basics on the first day of competition in the Extreme 40 Sailing Series Almeria regatta.

It was, Barker said, a great day. A lot of fun. 'We had some good races and we had some bad ones... we were over the line early in the first race and had a collision in the last one.'

They weren’t alone in that. In the eight races sailed several teams were in collisions - and incurred penalties. That’s the way it is in the red-hot encounters brought about by combining a fleet of fast catamarans, competitive yachtsmen, short races and confined waters. The boats are close together and there’s not much wriggle room.

Even the experienced teams were not immune. Minor errors are magnified in the circumstances and the chances of recovery are slim.

For all that, Barker was pleased with the day. 'We had some good starts and good beats and we were right in there mixing it up. We’re getting a handle on the tactics which are quite different than for mono-hull racing.'

The crew had a lot to discuss at the post-racing debrief. 'We had a list a mile long to get through. We learned a lot today about how not to turn reasonable positions into bad results.'

There’s still that competitive niggle – 'We’re here to learn, but we would rather be further up the leader board.'



Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for a strong breeze to follow an overnight storm. That should make for spectacular racing.

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