Yachting: Sydney second after Cup racing

By Suzanne McFadden

It sounds like a bad joke - a Kiwi, an American-Kiwi and an Australian-Kiwi decide to sail a boat for New Zealand in the Olympics.

Then along comes a rich Italian, hires them to work for his America's Cup team, and pays for their Olympic campaign.

The punchline? They help Italy win the cup off New Zealand, then win Olympic gold wearing the silver fern.

Okay, so the punchline hasn't been delivered yet. But it leaves Rod Davis, Don Cowie and Alan Smith facing a peculiar scenario.

In the space of six months, the New Zealand Soling crew could win the America's Cup and the Olympics for different countries.

Next week Davis, Cowie and Smith will sail in the pre-Olympics on Sydney Harbour to get an idea of where they stand a year out from the games.

Davis doesn't expect to win the dress rehearsal - after all, his crew have been totally immersed in the build-up to the America's Cup, living in Italy and coaching the Prada crew.

Life will be crazy in the next 12 months. "But what else would you want to be doing? An America's Cup and an Olympics in the same year - that's amazing," says Davis.

It's especially good when you're working for Mr Prada, Patrizio Bertelli.

When the trio decided to have a go at the three-man Soling for the Sydney Olympics, American-born, Auckland-based Davis dipped into his own pocket to buy the $60,000 boat.

Then the three guys went to work for the Prada camp, and their Olympic money worries were eased.

Prada have virtually had the undivided attention of Davis, Cowie and Smith. The coaches won't be here next weekend when the Italian boats arrive in Auckland, but Bertelli, head of the European fashion house, understands.

"Bertelli is a pretty clever guy. He realised that if he helped pay for our Olympic campaign, then we would work for him completely, and not be running around trying to raise money," Davis said.

The Soling crew have also received a special grant from the NZ Sports Foundation after proving themselves medal contenders by finishing fourth at this year's world championships.

Davis confidently believes his crew can win an Olympic medal in Sydney next September. He should have a fair idea - he won gold in the Soling for the US in 1984.

Davis - who has worked for American, New Zealand and Australian cup campaigns - joined forces with Cowie to win silver for New Zealand in the smaller Star boat at the 1992 games.

Now they have taken on Smith, a Kiwi who has been living in Perth. The three have sailed together before, on the world matchracing circuit.

But Davis, now 43, admits they are "longer in the tooth" these days, so they have had to take a different approach to this campaign.

"Our age haunts us - we can't get away with what we used to. We can't stay up all night and still race the Olympics in the morning," he said.

So now they go to the gym every day of the week, and Davis has had to give up his favourite soft drink, of which he was drinking four litres a day.

During the America's Cup, the trio will spend very little time in their Soling, other than making a few modifications to the boat. But once Prada's run comes to an end, they will head straight back to Europe for an intense build-up to Sydney.

Before the going gets really tough, Cowie and Smith have taken holidays in Fiji and Perth.