Sailing: Swiss tap Kerikeri talent

The Armin Strom sailing team at the GC32 Alps Challenge in Traunsee in Austria earlier this year. From left are, Flavio Marazzi, Sharon Ferris-Choat, Ned Dalbeth-Hudson, Alex Bryning, and Shane Diviney (Sharon, Ned, and Alex all hailing from Kerikeri).

Some pundits are predicting that a Kerikeri connection could tip the scales for the Swiss watch company Armin Strom's team in the international GC32 yacht racing tour.

In this week's second event of the tour, the Malcesine Cup in Italy - where they finished third - four of Armin Strom team members have one major thing in common - the place they call home.

Team manager Sharon Ferris-Choat, bowman Alex Bryning, boat captain Ned Dalbeth-Hudson and two-time Kiwi Olympian Andrew Murdoch, the latest addition to Armin Strom Sailing Team, all grew up in Kerikeri. Their passion for sailing was ignited while attending Kerikeri High School.

Sharon Ferris-Choat, stepping aboard for this event as mainsheet trimmer and tactician, said their hometown link could prove an advantage.

"There is something in knowing you've all been brought up in the same place," she said.

"It's a connection we're all proud of, especially as our small Kiwi town continues to produce world-class sailors."

Ferris-Choat said Andrew Murdoch's top-level Olympic sailing experience - he finished fifth in the Laser class at the Beijing and London Games - and his relaxed yet hardworking personality would bring a positive dimension to the team.

"Andrew knows what it takes to sail at the highest level, and understands the need for a strong team structure for a campaign to be truly competitive.

"Being able to work together and to respect one another's roles is absolutely critical to successfully sail the GC32," Ferris-Choat said.

Although Murdoch's most recent events have been in the single-handed Finn class, he is looking forward to bigger team sailing.

"I have had a lot of experience racing as part of a team - and am used to dealing with different personalities and styles of sailing. I'm fairly laid back but I do have high expectations of myself, and will be pushing hard during the training and racing," he said.

The Armin Strom squad has been hand-picked for its multi-talents, allowing changes to crew combinations between events, skipper Flavio Marazzi said.

"When Sharon and I set up the team back in October our goal was to have a strong squad to select from for any event and be confident in the depth of talent in our team," he said.

"The squad members not only needed to be great sailors but also bring other attributes, skills and knowledge to the team."

The Armin Strom sailing team is the longest serving on the GC32 Racing Tour, 2016 being its fourth season.