Dean Barker leads Auckland Match Racing Cup

Defending champion Dean Barker and his Emirates Team New Zealand crew topped the leaderboard of the Auckland Match Racing Cup after the second day of racing was completed on the Waitemata Harbour today.

“We are happy with the day’s results,” said Barker, who notched up five victories in six matches today. “We managed to win a couple of close ones and we felt we were sailing well.”

Very powerful tides continued to play a major role in the racing today, but a stronger and more steady breeze “took some of the random factor out of it,” Barker noted. In contrast, the opening day yesterday was marked by very light, shifty breezes, which, combined with the tides, turned some of the matches into a lottery.

Dean Barker leading the Auckland Match Racing Cup at the second day of racing. Auckland, 25 January 2007. Photo copyright Ivor Wilkins / Auckland Match Racing Cup

With Barker’s crew clear ahead on a 9-3 win-loss record, the race to make the semi-finals is still wide open. Local young gun, Adam Minoprio and his Blackmatch team is tied with Frenchman Mathieu Richard on 8-4. Minoprio gave notice of his giant-killer abilities at the recent New Zealand Match Race Championships, where he finished 4th behind a trio of hot America’s Cup crews.

“Getting to the semi-finals is the first objective,” he said. Minoprio recorded two wins against James Spithill and his Luna Rossa America’s Cup team today, but was still berating himself for losses through lapses in concentration. “We don’t want to lose races through silly mistakes and we have made two of those so far,” he said.

Richard, who is ranked No. 3 in the world, said the racing was very close and was taking nothing for granted at this stage. He said the strong tides were definitely a factor. “But, it is part of the game here in Auckland. We knew that. It changes a lot of things about how you approach the starts and in the general tactics. It makes it interesting.”

The up and coming Kiwi sailing star Adam Minorpio is tied second at the Auckland Match Racing Cup at the second day of racing. Auckland, 25 January 2007. Photo copyright Ivor Wilkins / Auckland Match Racing Cup

Spithill carved his formidable reputation on the world match racing scene as a young firebrand and gave a wry smile at finding the tables turned with a younger generation now coming after him. “It’s not so good,” he said of his double defeats to Minoprio’s crew. “Those guys are doing really well. They have been sailing together a long time.

With a score of 7-5 (equal with British world No. 2, Ian Williams), Spithill is still very much in contention for a semi-final slot. “We have made a few mistakes, but I am fairly happy with where we are,” he said. “We are still learning all the time and there is still a lot of sailing to go.”

Frecnh match racer Mathieu Richard is tied second at the Auckland Match Racing Cup at the second day of racing. Auckland, 25 January 2007. Photo copyright Ivor Wilkins / Auckland Match Racing Cup

POINTS TABLE
Dean Barker 9 wins / 3 losses
Mathieu Richard 8 / 4
Adam Minoprio 8 / 4
Ian Williams 7 / 5
James Spithill 7 / 5
Takumi Nakamura 5 / 7
Simon Dickey 5 / 7
Eugeny Neugodnikov 4 / 8
Simon Minoprio 4 / 8
Brian Angel 3 / 9