"It's all his fault," says a laughing Muller, who also competes against him in the Europe class.
They are an item but when they step on to their boats, no love is lost. The two-day Napier Sailing Club-hosted annual New Year's Regatta, starting today, is no exception.
He is at the helm of Trailblazer with crewman David Feek while she's calling the shots on Hot Gossip as Rob Cox, dangling at the end of the trapeze, responds with an "aye, aye capun" anytime the gennaker needs attention downwind.
The boats are among a fleet of seven in the 14-footer javelin class.
The javelin enthusiasts annually sail for the Sanders Memorial Cup, with only one entry from each region in New Zealand allowed. A sail-off is staged to determine a representative from each region.
The cup holds a special place in New Zealand yachting history as the oldest piece of silverware sailed for under its original inception. It is the only remaining senior interprovincial challenge competition still sailed for today since the inaugural races in 1921.
It was up for grabs every year bar 1942-45. Messrs Walker and Hall Limited gifted the cup in memory of Lieutenant Commander WE Sanders for interprovincial competition between 14ft, one-design yachts.
Brown says the javelin boats are the fastest at the regatta.
The high-performance, skiff-type dinghy are also sailed in Australia. John Spencer, who founded the cherub class, designed the javelin in 1961. It sports an expansive sail area, single trapeze and asymmetrical spinnaker.
It is a development class, meaning boats vary in shape within a framework of rules, rather than all belonging to the same blueprint. Bruce Farr is another well-known designer who drew successful javelins.
Its lightweight 70kg hull and powerful, efficient sail plan allow it to flirt with speeds of 25 knots to provide an exhilarating "ride".
He says the cup was first up for grabs in an interprovincial race between Otago and Auckland in 1921.
Reigning champions Northland (skipper Phil McNeil and crewman Craig Gilbert) have opted to defend their title in Napier.
Other challengers are from the Bay, Auckland, Horowhenua, East Coast and Wellington.
Susie and Marty Weeks are the Bay contenders and Muller's Hot Gossip will fly the flag for Horowhenua.
Muller is helping the Levin club whose members are unable to sail on Lake Horowhenua after an activist's actions that have seen the impasse end up in the courtrooms.
Brown says the catamarans are capable of keeping the javelins honest, with the latter able to ply the waters at more than 40km/h.
Club spokesman Paul Redman says seven classes, involving close to 100 sailors, will compete today and tomorrow in the Napier regatta along the Ahuriri waterfront although the javelins started with two races yesterday.
The other classes are the paper tiger catamarans, noelex 25 trailer sailors, division two trailer sailors, Europe and optimists for children.
"The javelin class will race for three days but our regatta is over two days starting on Friday," Redman says.
Brown has competed in three previous Napier New Year regattas but has been to numerous others at other times of the year.
The 41-year-old hydrologist from Palmerston North started sailing at 8 because his father, Tony Brown, is an old salt dog.
Muller aside, he has made many sea-faring friends although the downside was missing out on family gatherings during the holidays.
He often prevails in the javelins while Muller bosses the Europe class.
Muller, who was the 2013 national champion in the Europe class and harbours a yellow bathtub variety rubber duck to remind herself it is all about fun, has had a refit on her two-masted ketch, Sarrie, anchored in Auckland.
"I bought it nine years ago and I have a water-based home now," she says, delighted to have floating mobility.
Yesterday, Peter Precey and Mark Gatti won the one-off race for the $11,000 Kingham Tropy, beating Muller/Cox and son/father Ross and Colin Shanks.
In the first Sanders Cup race, the Shanks prevailed but two women in the class, Muller and Susie Weeks, got on the podium, too.
The javelins will have four races from 11am today and the remaining three tomorrow.
