Morale the key after 9-day delay

By ALAN PERROTT

When the All Blacks play Saturday rugby tests, they have a saying: "You don't play the game on Friday night."

Too much time spent worrying and the game can go awry.

With sailing in the America's Cup becoming a distant memory, the favourite pastime of sports psychologists has become speculating which team will cope best with the delay caused by six days of canned races.

Otago University psychologist Dr Ken Hodge says delays and never knowing your start time can eat away at sailors.

"If you're feeling out of control, then there's heaps to worry about."

While the consensus on the first cancelled race day was that the delay would help Team New Zealand, down 0-3, to regroup, the long stretch of enforced waiting has made predictions harder.

Principal race officer Harold Bennett said the forecast for today offered encouragement that defenders Team New Zealand and challengers Alinghi might finally square off again.

"This is sounding like a scratched record, but the indicators look pretty good," he said. "We should have 10 to 15 knots out of the northeast."

Friday was initially set down as a lay day, but Mr Bennett said both syndicates had stated they were willing to sail today.

Alinghi hold a commanding 3-0 lead, needing just two more wins to take the cup to Europe.

Dr Richard Fletcher, psychology lecturer at Massey University's Albany campus, sees Team New Zealand and Alinghi as equal in ability, experience and equipment, and says success will come down to the psychological makeup of each camp.

Both crews have been sailing competitively long enough to have their own methods of dealing with the break between races - the crucial element is whether they remain a united team or a group of individuals.

"Personally, I think the break will have done Team New Zealand good, but that is dependent on how they function as a team, their collective efficacy," says Dr Fletcher.



Onshore Loyalists have their own role to play, and Dr Fletcher says this is when Team New Zealand need a show of support to rebuild their confidence. "Supporters need to show them they still believe they can do it. Talk them up and be positive."

Professor Glynn Owens of Auckland University believes the break could not have come at a better time for Dean Barker and company.

He was worried by images of Barker slumped over in defeat after the third loss, so the gap between races may have allowed him to put the battering aside and get a fresh start.

Dr Owens hopes the team have circled the wagons for a fightback and not allowed individuals to brood on the defeats.

Race four will also be crucial for the onshore Loyal campaign.

Associate Professor John Duckitt of Auckland University believes that the early defeats pulled the supporters closer together and their demonstrations of support became more fierce and cohesive. But if the defeats continue, he says morale will steadily drop and people will abandon the team.

Weather delays may have already caused some to divert their attention to rugby or cricket, so a win will be vital to maintain public interest.

How will the delay between cup races have affected the two syndicates?

Team New Zealand:

Pros: Dean Barker has had time to get over the impact of the defeats; the team should have regrouped; any damage to the boat should have been repaired; they continue to enjoy strong hometown support.

Cons: The team have had three consecutive defeats; confidence in their boat has been damaged; they are under enormous pressure to win race four; their brains trust turned a likely win into a loss; some crew members may have brooded over losses.

Alinghi

Pros: The syndicate are buoyed by a long sequence of wins; they have a skipper who can turn a losing position into a win; the syndicate present a confident, united front; the crew are confident in their boat; they have a solid core of New Zealand sailors with a record of collective success.

Cons: The winning momentum may have been affected; some team members expected to be home by now; the crew will have been champing at the bit to get on with racing; some may think they have already won the cup.


nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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