By JULIE ASH
From Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson and Dean Barker to Sir Peter Blake, Grant Dalton and Barbara Kendall - when it comes to competing on the water New Zealand has a knack of breeding the world's best.
After years of success at the Olympics, in world championships and in the
gruelling round-the-world yacht race it came as no surprise when Team New Zealand lifted the America's Cup from Dennis Conner and Young America in 1995.
Five years later New Zealand - the smallest country ever to compete for the cup - became the first and only non-US nation to successfully defend it.
But when Team New Zealand line up against the best challenger in February, they will square off against several of their countrymen.
The three challengers left in the Louis Vuitton Cup series - Oracle BMW Racing, OneWorld and Alinghi - are loaded with New Zealanders.
Among the nine syndicates who began the challenger series in September, 34 New Zealanders were plying their trade.
Five syndicates - Le Defi Areva, Victory Challenge, Mascalzone Latino, GBR Challenge and Team Dennis Conner - had just one between them. Do the maths and you discover the vast bulk were spread among the most successful campaigns.
But what is it that makes New Zealand so good at sailing? And why are we so attractive to overseas syndicates?
"I think it goes back to the grassroots of the sport, and we have an excellent youth sailing scheme," Alinghi skipper Coutts said.
He should know. Apart from being a Finn class Olympic champion, he was at the helm when New Zealand lifted the cup in 1995 and defended it early in 2000.
"This not only produces good sailors but also good designers and boatbuilders.
"New Zealand also has a strong associated industry, such as the boatyards, sailmakers and sparbuilders that have developed as a result of the round-the-world races and the America's Cup."
Yachting New Zealand chief executive Simon Wickham puts New Zealand's sailing success down to a combination of things.
"It is certainly a result of the strong club and national competition people start out in. That leads them to Olympic programmes, which are run through Yachting New Zealand.
"We have also had a lot of support from what was the New Zealand Sports Foundation, which is now is the Academy of Sport," Wickham said.
"I also think one of the big advantages here is the climate and the fact we are surrounded by water."
He also credits the late Sir Peter Blake for helping put New Zealand sailing on the world map.
"Sir Peter was instrumental in the early days. He set up round-the-world yacht race campaigns and helped bring sailing in this country into the professional era."
Like Coutts, Wickham agrees the strong sailing industry in New Zealand helps entice people into the sport.
"In some countries a lot of experience ends up overseas because they can't make a career of sailing - but here you can build a career around sailing."
Harold Bennett, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's assistant general manager and founder of its successful youth training programme, said he was not surprised to see so many New Zealanders competing in the America's Cup.
Prada's Gavin Brady and Sean Clarkson and OneWorld's David Endean are among those who have gone through the squadron's youth training programme.
"There are a lot in those three teams [Oracle, OneWorld and Alinghi] that have come out of our programme here. They have come out with good skills, a good grounding and they know what it is all about."
And it is those reasons which appeal to overseas syndicates when they look at the type of sailors they want, he added.
"They have a good understanding of the game. They are not afraid to put their heads down and get on with the job."
YNZ's high performance manager, Peter Lester, said New Zealand's reputation on the world scene exploded in the late 1980s.
"I think there was a change after [the America's Cup in] Fremantle in 1987. New Zealand got a reputation for being a strong yachting nation.
"But in our structure in New Zealand sailors have always been really well trained, from when they start in the P class through until they are professional."
Along with their superior sailing skills, Lester said the nature of New Zealanders made them good crewmen.
"New Zealand sailors don't cause the syndicates' management any problems. They are easy to work with."
While some might disagree with New Zealanders' sailing in other syndicates, Lester said that could not be helped.
"There is only a certain number of sailors Team New Zealand can have," said Lester. "If they want to play the game they have to go with other syndicates."
And the future looks just as promising as many of our up-and-coming sailors are making their mark internationally.
This year, the RNZYS won the Harken Cup, a four-day international regatta in Sydney.
They also won the inaugural ISAF grade-three international youth matchracing championships in Sydney.
On a different tack, Barbara Kendall recently won the world Mistral championships and qualified New Zealand for a spot in the Athens Olympics, as did Thomas Ashley, who finished 10th in the men's event.
There is an abundance of talent which Team New Zealand have under their wing for future cup campaigns if needed. Maybe, if the cup stays here, a defender series is needed to entice New Zealand's best sailors to pit themselves against each other.
Just imagine that.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
By JULIE ASH
From Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson and Dean Barker to Sir Peter Blake, Grant Dalton and Barbara Kendall - when it comes to competing on the water New Zealand has a knack of breeding the world's best.
After years of success at the Olympics, in world championships and in the
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