Yachting: Barker toast of Auckland match racing

Dean Barker and crew have the speed and the lead during the Auckland regatta yesterday. Jeff Brass / Getty

Three years ago Dean Barker stood in the Viaduct Basin dejected and demoralised, the America's Cup gone.

But it was a triumphant return yesterday as Barker, dripping in champagne, stood on the dock alongside his Emirates Team New Zealand crew - Terry Hutchinson, James Dagg, Jared Henderson and Don Cowie - as inaugural winners of the Auckland Match Racing Cup.

Yesterday the beaten man was BMW Oracle Racing's Bertrand Pace, losing 3-0.

The win over the high-calibre fleet further silences Barker's critics and provides the best indication yet that he is capable of winning back yachting's greatest prize for New Zealand.

"This is by far the best we have sailed in a match racing event as a crew," Barker said.

"We put a lot of emphasis and effort in trying to do well in this event.

"We'll take heart from it. It gives us a lot of confidence to be able to sail this well and transfer it into the America's Cup boats."

In what was expected to have been a tight tussle between the former Team New Zealand teammates, Pace copped four penalties in the first two races handing Barker a 2-0 lead in the best of five series.

In the first race the Frenchman was penalised in the start box then again at the first mark for tacking too close.

In the second race he made the most basic of errors entering the start box too early which copped him a penalty then almost unbelievably brushed his mainsheet against the top mark which incurred him another.

The third race was what most were expecting the final to be - close. After a fairly even start, Barker secured the favourable left-hand side of the course where he made slight gains throughout the race. While Pace was always in it he couldn't find a way past.

"We certainly went out there expecting Bertrand and his guys to be sailing at the top of their game because they have been sailing pretty well all week," Barker said.

"They just made a couple of mistakes in the first two races which made it a little bit more comfortable for us. The third race was a lot more of what we were expecting from them."

Barker said his team's consistency throughout the regatta and the continual development of his relationship with tactician Terry Hutchinson were pleasing aspects to come out of the regatta.

"It felt like we stepped up another level. The relationship I have got with Terry has taken a lot of steps forward. It is definitely getting better and better.

"The whole way through this event we felt strong. It is tough for him sailing in a venue like this where there is a lot of local knowledge. He has done an amazing job understanding the conditions."

Ending the regatta with 21 wins and 3 losses, Barker was impressive in every facet, particularly in the starts where he dominated in virtually every race.

"When Dean starts well there are few people that can beat him," said Team New Zealand afterguard coach Rod Davis.

"They have been sailing well all week but I think they probably sailed the best today. They looked the most settled I have seen them which is interesting because normally the finals are when you get a little unsettled.

"But that was our focus to sail our absolute best on the final day."

For Pace it was his third match racing final in New Zealand. He won the regatta in 2000 with a French crew and won the next year with a Team New Zealand crew.

This time he had an Oracle BMW Racing crew, which consisted of New Zealanders Rod Dawson, Sean Clarkson, Zac Hurst and Brad Webb.

"Dean had the better team today," Pace said. "They had better starts than us, and it was actually very hard to pass. The key was the starts and Deano was starting well today. He had good timing and probably we were a little off the pace."

Pace's Oracle teammate and boss Chris Dickson beat Cameron Appleton 2-0 to claim third place.