Boardsailing: McIntosh hides from the pack

SUZANNE McFADDEN assesses the chances of the New Zealand Olympic yachting team.

One hundred days out from the Olympics, Aaron McIntosh is virtually going into hiding.

The New Zealand boardsailing medal hope has rented a modest apartment on Sydney's North Shore, from where he will walk down to the beach with his board every day and sail alone.

He doesn't want to go out in a pack. He has business to do, away from prying eyes.

"I know what I have to do to win. I'm not going to do what anyone else wants me to do," says the three-time world champion.

Tucked away in surburban Sydney, McIntosh can also evade some of the pressure of expectation. He knows New Zealanders are looking to him, Barbara Kendall and the rest of the Kiwi yachting team to win.

It's the same old joke: for the past 16 years, New Zealand has relied on athletes sitting on their backsides to win precious metal at the Olympics.

In Sydney 2000, the equestrians, yachties and rowers are again our medal favourites.

Especially the sailors. New Zealand should be represented in every class of boat and board - which equates to 11 chances.

Realistically, the sport has three real medal contenders, and a handful of strong hopefuls. So are we really the world's best yachting nation?

No, says the yachting team's manager, Russell Green. But then, he says, is anyone?

The last Olympics proved his point. No one country dominated on the sailing winner's dais - Barbara Kendall's silver was New Zealand's only medal.

One country threatens to change that this time - as it will in most Olympic sports. Australia has poured millions of dollars into its sailors over the past four years and run a sophisticated weather programme on the devilish Sydney Harbour.

Financially, New Zealand's top echelon of sailors have not fared badly this time, but they will still be at a disadvantage to the Australians.

That's why McIntosh and others have lived on and off in the Olympic city for the past couple of years to be ready on the water.

Regardless of the Australian might, Kendall is still the hot favourite to win gold in the women's Mistral board fleet. It has been a while since she was beaten at a world-class event.

In the new Olympic class, the 49er skiff, New Zealand has big hopes for Dan Slater and Nathan Handley. The pair, who have separately held world titles in other classes, are ranked in the world's top five and headed the fleet at this week's Spa regatta in Holland.

Green says all the Kiwi sailors were chosen because of their potential to make the top 10 in Sydney. "And in sailing, if you're in the top 10, anything can happen," he said.

Especially in the volatile conditions of the harbour in September. There is no settled sea breeze - so it could be gentle zephyrs one day, howling gales the next.

It may be a cliche, but the New Zealand team are a mix of youth and experience. Veteran campaigners such as Rod Davis and Don Cowie, sailing with Alan Smith in the Soling, have won medals before. They are among the world's best matchracers, so they have a chance if they survive the cut after fleet racing.

Chris Dickson is one of the most famous Kiwi sailors, but is making his Olympic debut, with Glen Sowry, in the Tornado. They are capable of a strong finish if they pick up a little more boat-speed in the next few months.

Experienced sailors Gavin Brady and Jamie Gale are unknowns in the Star class, but finished seventh in their first major event, the worlds, last month.

Then there is the promising young dinghy brigade of Sarah Macky in the Europe and Clifton Webb in the Finn. Green predicts Macky could be the bolter in the Kiwi team.

The women's 470 crew, Melinda Henshaw and Jenny Egnot, have been regular top-10 finishers in international regattas in the past two years, while the men's pair of Simon Cooke and Peter Nicholas are a relatively new combination.

A Laser representative will be added to the team after a trial in Auckland at the end of the month.