Dean Barker's rivalry with Russell Coutts will be reignited at the Congressional Cup, which starts off Long Beach, California, today.
Although no longer part of the Swedish Match tour, the five-day matchracing regatta has still attracted a star-studded field which will compete for a prize pool of US$S40,000 ($72,000).
Amongthe 10 skippers competing are New Zealander and Oracle BMW chief executive Chris Dickson, his brother Scott, Frenchman Phillipe Presti, and veteran sailor Chris Law, whose crew will comprise sailors from South Africa's cup challenge Team Shosholoza.
Barker, the skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand, won the regatta in 2000 and will be joined on-board by Terry Hutchinson, Jeremy Lomas and James Dagg.
Following his split from Alinghi, Coutts now races with Jes Gram-Hansen's Danish crew.
The team are second in the 2004/05 Swedish Match tour behind new Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird.
Although his settlement with Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli prevents him from sailing in the next America's Cup, Coutts appears to have plenty to keep him occupied.
"My wife [Jenny] says I'm more relaxed," Coutts told American journalist Rich Roberts. "It's funny, but for two weeks I wondered what I was going to do, and now I'm just full up with options. Life's good."
