Sailors to Steer Team NZ Boat's Design
June 15, 2004 | Levent OZLER
Servants rather than masters is how Emirates Team New Zealand's design co-ordinator Andy Claughton views the role of the syndicate's new design team.
The review of the disastrous 2003 defence concluded the approach - design-led rather than sailor-led - was one of its major failings.
"The whole aim of the programme is to get the ownership of the design back into the sailing team," Claughton said.
"We are trying to run a more integrated approach this time. We want much more dialogue from the sailors through to the designers through to the sail designers."
Russell Coutts' contribution to the design process both for Team NZ and Alinghi has been seen as a major factor in their successes.
"He is a one-off," Claughton said. In 1995 and 2000 he was vocal about the kind of boat he wanted ... he understood the mechanics of how boats work. We don't have one guy but we have to find among the sailing team a voice or voices that will drive us to a conclusion they like.
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