Ainslie talks up Team NZ
SIR Ben Ainslie need only look in the mirror to recognise yachting talent.
Four gold medals and a silver make him the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He’s won eight world titles and he can throw in an America’s Cup win with Oracle Team USA as well.
But he’s open in his admiration for the New Zealand stars who have taken his mantle as yachting’s hottest property.
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are the new generation. They have a couple of Olympic medals of their own, along with six world titles. They’ve also won the America’s Cup and podiumed in their debut efforts in the most recent round-theworld race.
Put the Kiwi stars on a boat with the design and technological genius that has become a hallmark of Team New Zealand in the foiling revolution of the America’s Cup and Ainslie knows the size of the task ahead of him as he tries to win the Auld Mug for the first time in British history with his INEOS Team UK syndicate.
‘‘They are both huge, huge talents and phenomenal in a range of classes and both really decent guys,’’ Ainslie said of Burling and Tuke.
‘‘But it’s not just those two guys. Look at someone like Glenn Ashby, who I think is probably the quiet achiever with them from what I understand in terms of their development of tools and the boat, Ray Davies [Team New Zealand coach], and obviously you’ve got Grant Dalton with his experience running the team.
‘‘The cup is a team effort, it’s not about individuals, and New Zealand have huge depth.
‘‘To take on Team New Zealand on home waters, it doesn’t get any bigger than that, and we are well aware of the challenge that we have got. But at the same time we relish that challenge . . . as a sportsman that’s the general area you want to be in.’’
Ainslie has first-hand knowledge of Team New Zealand. He has fond memories of his time with them during the 2007 challenge in Valencia, when he was Dean Barker’s sparring partner in training.
He knows what it takes to beat them too, drafted on board
Oracle Team USA when they were staring down the barrel of defeat in San Francisco in 2013. His tactical skills helped Jimmy Spithill engineer the greatest cup comeback, turning an 8-1 deficit into a 9-8 win.
But he also knows how hard it is to beat them when the Kiwis are in sync and on a good boat. Ainslie mounted a British challenge in Bermuda in 2017 and was outclassed 5-2 by the Kiwis in the challenger semifinals.
He claims Team New Zealand are advantaged by the constant setbacks this cycle of the cup has had, with foil design issues and the Covid-19 crisis eating up time, and wiping out the World Series events in Italy and England.
There’s scant knowledge about the relative strengths of the four heavyweight teams involved and their boats in this new 75-foot foiling monohull class. He’s adamant that will suit the defenders.
‘‘It clearly plays into the Kiwis’ hands that we won’t have sailed against one another, and given that they came up with the concept in the first place. It’s up to the rest of us to take that battle on,’’ Ainslie said.
‘‘We really have no idea at the moment who has got the development on target. When we start lining up against each other in anger someone is going to have a jump somewhere and it will be down to the other teams to see if they can catch up. That is going to require a lot of flexibility and the desire to do that.
‘‘That’s going to be fascinating. It’s clearly all for the taking.’’
Ainslie’s plans to tune his crew on the foiling catamarans of the SailGP were dashed when the 2020 circuit was cancelled after one event because of health concerns. But Ainslie showed what he was capable of in that one regatta. In a one-design fleet, he completely dominated with his aggressive style, in what will be a warning to America’s Cup rivals if the Brits can get their design tweaks right with their second boat, which is nearing completion.
Ainslie lists Auckland as his favourite sailing venue, along with Sydney Harbour and the Solent, the stretch of water just outside of Portsmouth where his well-funded syndicate has its base.
Now cleared to enter New Zealand, Ainslie can’t wait to start training on the Waitemata harbour and get in rhythm with the five courses that can be used.
Having had their winter training camp in Italy cut drastically short, INEOS Team UK have only just returned to testing in Portsmouth, as
Britain battles its own issues.
Auckland looms as a breath of fresh air, just the tonic to get the cup back on track.
‘‘Auckland is a fantastic place to sail and a real challenge with the winds and the tides. It’s the history of the cup on the Auckland harbour that draws people to it . . .
‘‘And the history Team New Zealand have in the cup, that’s a massive challenge that you have got to take on. We know there is a huge amount of support, not only for the home team, but for the cup itself — it’s going to be fantastic racing in that environment.’’
THE Mainland Tactix are a resilient bunch.
Playing their first ANZ Premiership game in three months after Covid-19 postponed the season after one round, the Tactix made a major statement, overpowering the Southern Steel 43-36 at the Auckland Netball Centre yesterday.
With the score level at 20-all at halftime, the Tactix blew the Steel off the court 14-7 in the third quarter to seize control of the game. The Tactix outscored the Steel 23-16 in the second half with their back three of Jane Watson, Temalisi Fakahokotau, and Charlotte Elley snaffling up defensive turnovers at will.
The Steel weren’t able to stem the flow of ball into Tactix goal shoot Ellie Bird, who slotted 17 second-half goals with replacement wing-attack
Erikana Pedersen making a real difference. Bird landed 31/39 for the game.
Plenty has changed in the world since the Tactix last played a game, with Netball Mainland being placed into voluntary liquidation in April, while the country was in lockdown.
The Tactix have had to operate on the smell of an oily rag and even had wing-defence Elley clean the bibs prior to the game.
If that wasn’t enough, the Tactix were only granted one home game for the final part of the premiership season, with their Horncastle Arena in Christchurch booked out.
Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua sat on the Tactix bench, helping out as assistant coach. Former Silver Fern Julie Seymour, the normal Tactix assistant, wasn’t available, but will link with the team in the future.
Taurua is lending her expertise and knowledge to New Zealand’s next wave of coaches in the early rounds in Auckland. Teams are not able to use support staff in a fulltime capacity due to reduced Covid-19 budgets.
It was a sublime second half showing from the Tactix, with the Steel having few answers on either attack or defence.
Prior to yesterday’s clash, the Steel had owned the Tactix since the premiership returned to a New Zealand-only competition in 2017. The Steel had won nine of the previous 10 clashes between the South Island neighbours.
The loss drops the Steel to 0-2 on the season and heaps pressure on the southerners.
They were awarded hosting rights for the premiership finals at Invercargill on August 23. If they have aspirations of playing in the straight final (one versus two) they will need to start winning quickly.
Round two finishes with defending champions and title favourites, the Pulse, taking on the Stars today at 5pm.
The Stars meet the Tactix tomorrow at 7pm.