Spithill VS Barker… the finals duo
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Starting Friday June 1st to the 12th, Prada Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand will face each other in the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner, the first to win 5 regattas, will bring home the Louis Vuitton Cup and with that, the right to face Alinghi in the 32nd America’s Cup Match. In the arena are two teams, but above all two men, two young talented helmsmen: James Spithill, 28 years old, Australian and helmsman of the Italian boat, facing Dean Barker, 33 years old, a New Zealander and helmsman of the Kiwi boat.
James Spithill/ACM2007-Carlo Borlenghi
They are young, talented, keeping to themselves and at the heart of all the conversations on Valencia docks. They will face each other on the Valencia waters starting on the first of June for a game that promises to be spectacular.
First of all, there is James Spithill, the helmsman of the Italian boat, who did not concede much to the Americans, pushed them out of the finals of the America's Cup for the first time in their history and sent packing the dreaded Chris Dickson on a vacation with his children to Disneyland! Aggressive in the starting maneuvers which he dominates in almost all cases, Spithill has impressed all the best match racers of the world. At 28 years old, the young Australian has already participated in three America’s Cups. It was in 2000 that he made his first appearance in New Zealand at the helm of Young Australia at the age of 20. With the smallest budget of the competition, the Australian team gave the impression of a poor relative. The team worked from a floating barge for a base and finished 10th in the Vuitton eliminations, but Spithill was already being talked about and his talent duly noted. The Americans from the One World challenge didn't make any mistakes by hiring him for the 31st edition in New Zealand.
The skipper Peter Gilmour, handed over the helm. The American project is ambitious, one of the largest budgets of the competition and clearly shows their will to reach the top levels and bring home the cup. Eliminated in the semi-finals, the campaign has seen better and is perceived as a failure by the team and Cup enthusiasts. Spithill, brilliant despite everything, takes his knocks and plans his next move. Two years later, he finds himself the match racing champion of the world and at the helm of Luna Rossa Challenge. This time, he is determined to win and put his talents to service of a team at the height of his ambitions. He is in the middle of proving that his formula is working. With his arrival into the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, some people see him as the successor to Russel Coutts…only the future will tell!
Against him is Dean Barker, who is not someone to be easily pushed over. The New Zealand helmsman, with two America’s Cup to his credit, was actually brought to the forefront by Russell Coutts. His teacher, his mentor, he who had taught him everything, took everything back! All though brought on board by Coutts, who proposed his participation in the 1995 Cup in San Diego, Barker decided to concentrate on his Olympic preparation and quit the New Zealand challenge after several months of training. Not having qualified for the Atlanta games in 1996, he passed through a period of self doubt. Coutts proposed a second chance and the opportunity to prove him self again. Barker became the helmsman of the New Zealand training boat and gave Coutts a run for his money for the next fours years. In 2000 therefore, as they were leading 4-0 in the final match against the Italians on Prada, the teacher gave the helm to his student for the 5th race. Dean Barker won, New Zealand kept the Cup, and his destiny is sealed. The images of Barker and Coutts lifting the silver cup together are shown around the world. The symbol is overwhelming. Fast forward... a few months later, a different scene. Coutts has switched sides to the Swiss along with a large part of the Kiwi crew. The student stays in New Zealand at the helm of a team which doesn’t know who they are anymore. In 2003, the 31st edition, Team New Zealand takes to the water with Barker on board. The New Zealanders receive the face slap of their lives and are eliminated, 5-0 by the Swiss. Since then, time has done its job. Dean Barker continues to helm the New Zealander boat, but Coutts, the grand master has quit Alinghi and the Cup universe. From now on, Emirates Team New Zealand, directed by Grant Dalton, has re-found itself, winner of the Acts the 32nd edition and sailing magnificently against the Spanish in the semi-finals.
So, Barker or Spithill? There is of course the boats and the strength of the teams, but between the two men too, the war of nerves has started. Spithill and Barker are from the same generation, have an impressive Cup experience for their age, a great talent even if they express it differently on the water, the knowledge and maturity through experienced failure and comebacks which give them the same desire to win…What fantastic matches await us!
Fdb/Lh
Valencia May 25 2007
First of all, there is James Spithill, the helmsman of the Italian boat, who did not concede much to the Americans, pushed them out of the finals of the America's Cup for the first time in their history and sent packing the dreaded Chris Dickson on a vacation with his children to Disneyland! Aggressive in the starting maneuvers which he dominates in almost all cases, Spithill has impressed all the best match racers of the world. At 28 years old, the young Australian has already participated in three America’s Cups. It was in 2000 that he made his first appearance in New Zealand at the helm of Young Australia at the age of 20. With the smallest budget of the competition, the Australian team gave the impression of a poor relative. The team worked from a floating barge for a base and finished 10th in the Vuitton eliminations, but Spithill was already being talked about and his talent duly noted. The Americans from the One World challenge didn't make any mistakes by hiring him for the 31st edition in New Zealand.
The skipper Peter Gilmour, handed over the helm. The American project is ambitious, one of the largest budgets of the competition and clearly shows their will to reach the top levels and bring home the cup. Eliminated in the semi-finals, the campaign has seen better and is perceived as a failure by the team and Cup enthusiasts. Spithill, brilliant despite everything, takes his knocks and plans his next move. Two years later, he finds himself the match racing champion of the world and at the helm of Luna Rossa Challenge. This time, he is determined to win and put his talents to service of a team at the height of his ambitions. He is in the middle of proving that his formula is working. With his arrival into the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, some people see him as the successor to Russel Coutts…only the future will tell!
Against him is Dean Barker, who is not someone to be easily pushed over. The New Zealand helmsman, with two America’s Cup to his credit, was actually brought to the forefront by Russell Coutts. His teacher, his mentor, he who had taught him everything, took everything back! All though brought on board by Coutts, who proposed his participation in the 1995 Cup in San Diego, Barker decided to concentrate on his Olympic preparation and quit the New Zealand challenge after several months of training. Not having qualified for the Atlanta games in 1996, he passed through a period of self doubt. Coutts proposed a second chance and the opportunity to prove him self again. Barker became the helmsman of the New Zealand training boat and gave Coutts a run for his money for the next fours years. In 2000 therefore, as they were leading 4-0 in the final match against the Italians on Prada, the teacher gave the helm to his student for the 5th race. Dean Barker won, New Zealand kept the Cup, and his destiny is sealed. The images of Barker and Coutts lifting the silver cup together are shown around the world. The symbol is overwhelming. Fast forward... a few months later, a different scene. Coutts has switched sides to the Swiss along with a large part of the Kiwi crew. The student stays in New Zealand at the helm of a team which doesn’t know who they are anymore. In 2003, the 31st edition, Team New Zealand takes to the water with Barker on board. The New Zealanders receive the face slap of their lives and are eliminated, 5-0 by the Swiss. Since then, time has done its job. Dean Barker continues to helm the New Zealander boat, but Coutts, the grand master has quit Alinghi and the Cup universe. From now on, Emirates Team New Zealand, directed by Grant Dalton, has re-found itself, winner of the Acts the 32nd edition and sailing magnificently against the Spanish in the semi-finals.
So, Barker or Spithill? There is of course the boats and the strength of the teams, but between the two men too, the war of nerves has started. Spithill and Barker are from the same generation, have an impressive Cup experience for their age, a great talent even if they express it differently on the water, the knowledge and maturity through experienced failure and comebacks which give them the same desire to win…What fantastic matches await us!
Fdb/Lh
Valencia May 25 2007
Dean Barker/ACM 2007-Carlo Borlenghi