May 16, 2025 • 11 mins
The America's Cup is headed to Italy for the first time.
It's been confirmed that Naples will play host to the 38th edition of the event in 2027.
Former Skipper of Team New Zealand Dean Barker joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to discuss the new location.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed be evening.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Dean, good, how are you? I'm well? I got to
ask first up simple question.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Now we know where the America's Cup is going to
be sailed, don't know when, but we know where.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
What do you know about Naples?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Dean?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Well, we've sailed there a couple of times in the
two thousand and thirteen up. We did a couple of
Prairie getters there in the active and that was Yeah,
it was good. Financially, we had some you know, some
good sailing and things.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Clearly, I'm sure everyone would rather be racing in Auckland,
but it's I think having an event in Italy is
is probably going to be the next best thing with
obviously the passion with the Lernerossa and their sort of
their supporters, So yeah, I guess it'll be a good alternative.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What are the conditions like?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Is this particularly suitable to any team or any style
of sailing? I mean, how will these monsters deal with
it out there? When when you first heard the news,
I mean, okay, this is what I know. What's your
take away from what you've experienced and what you know
of the cup at the moment.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
The two times we went there, we had quite a
variety of conditions, so I've never really looked at a
weather study or anything of the venue, so I wouldn't
really know what they expected conditions are at, you know,
the time of the year they're talking for the America's Cup,
But it's I would assume, you know, like a lot
of these sort of venues, it's probably I would imagine
(01:46):
it's probably more likely to be lighter ones, But I
really don't know if I haven't sort of seen any
information or what, you know, what would be sort of
normal at that time of the year. But a lot
of these sort of venues you tend to be sort
of more on the light medium side of things. But
you know, we've we've raced there with strong ones, big
waves and equally and some pretty lighten lighten, drifty conditions
(02:10):
as well. So yeah, I think you could be in
for a bit of a mixture, But it'll be interesting
to see what all the experts come up with.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Well, the ocean does what the ocean does. You can't
predict it, can You've got to be ready for everything.
And I suppose that's the beautiful of the beauty of
the of the briny deep. Don't listen to nobody.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, I think the announcement of the venue is certainly
for the teams that are looking to participate. Well, you know,
the first thing I'm sure they'll be doing is putting
together their own weather weather studies to try and understand
what they're import just so. The design group probably has
some sort of parameters. But it's yeah, yeah, any of
these venues sort of throw up their own challenges, you know,
(02:50):
whether it's logistics bases, you know however how that's going
to work and things. But it's but I think just
having a bit of certainty is good after such a
long period of I guess, no information. So yeah, I'm
sure everyone will be you know, that's involvedbly welcoming that.
And then I'm sure you know, with the protocol once
(03:12):
that comes out.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Dean, will this encourage more teams to enter? Like, you
don't know how long a piece of string is and
how much money it's going to cost them, But the
fact that it's smack bang in the middle of Europe
and in Italy, is this a good sign for more
entries for the Cup?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Well, it's hard to know that. The thing with it is,
you know, if the cup's in twenty seven, you've got
two years really from now, which is not a lot
of time. You know, it takes twelve months to basically
build a boat once you've got a design. So I
think any new team that's looking to enter, it's sort
of they're already probably too late, you know, in some ways,
(03:52):
you know, without buying design packages and things. So yeah,
I think for a new team to come in, it's
pretty pretty challenging. Yes, it's not impossible. The French came
in obviously late, you know, with Yes and so team Yellen.
But it's yeah, I don't really it's hard to say,
(04:12):
you know, with with both you know, the alingy and
sort of announcing that they're not likely to continue, and
the any your sky Jim Radcliffe pulling out you know
a certain it's not really great signs. But yeah, let's
see what comes out of the woodwork.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
It's like predicting weather patterns and conditions. You simply don't know.
We go back to it, how.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Long is a piece of string?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You mentioned the protocol and everybody's hanging on the end
of this or what it may look at as far
as eligibility, as far as what they're actually going to
be sailing. That the list goes on, and this is
one of the great dramas of the America's Cup when
the challenge are and defender get together and go, right,
what are we going to do? What's your expectation around
(05:00):
that protocol? To the best of your knowledge? Do they
change much? Do they have to do they they need.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
To simplify it, make it more complicated. What do you
think they'll do?
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Den Well, it's sort of anyone's guess that I'm completely
removed from it all, so I don't have any real understanding.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
But as an interested bystander from what you've seen previously
in the events in the way, because it carries on
expanding and getting bigger and changing.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
All the time.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I mean, it's constantly moving. So from a fans point
of view, where would you like to see it go?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I think opening up the nationality for the teams is certainly.
I think it's high on the agenda for pretty much
all of the teams to allow. The numbers of sailors
on the boats now are so few that I think
the sailor should have the ability to be able to
work for whichever team they chose, and so I think
opening up the nationality is a complete no brainer. I
(05:56):
believe there's a you know, there has been talk about
along that of those lines, and again that sort of
helps any new team that wants to come into when
they know their country may not actually have the experience
to sail the boats. So I think they definitely need
to do that. What they do in sort of a
(06:17):
lot of the other decisions, you know, in terms of
the class rule and limitations on equipment and everything else.
You know, I know, there's always the focus on reducing
the cost. These campaigns are sort of getting more and
more expensive every time, so I'm sure there's obviously moves
there to try and contain costs. But yeah, it'll be
(06:38):
really interesting to see, you know what changes I think.
You know, again, I think a lot of the teams
would be hoping and expecting for more prevents in the
AC forty's and again that's sort of a great opportunity
for certainly for any of the newer teams or less
experienced teams to be able to try and get up
to speed. Has been able to do some racing, because
(06:59):
you know, there's just such limited options to be able
to sell. You know, in the last protocol you were
allowed to train with any other team, so that's you know,
it's kind of makes it very hard to improve just
practicing against yourself the whole time. So it's yeah, we'll
(07:20):
see see what they they came out.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
With as far as the actual action and what we
saw last time around with the boats they used, is
it actually necessary to change much? Did you enjoy what
you saw out there? I mean, we sat around those
massive sloops for so long and then suddenly there's big
boat challenges and catamarans. Now there's failing monoholes.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's crazy. They maybe needs to come the farm away.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But because they know what they're up to now, and
would that help any new teams even though they've got
maybe very little time.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
To prepare, would that maybe be a drive.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I'm not telling you to climb into Grant Dalton's head
because you probably can't, But from your perspective, is it
best maybe to stick similar to what they've got?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think yeah. For a lot of teams, I think
consistency between between editions of the Cup is really important
because you you've got the assets and things that are
sitting there from the previous one as an existing team,
a new team will it means that you've probably got
the ability to buy a previous generation boat maybe to
(08:27):
be able to give yourself a start. So really it's
the thing which is crippling is every time you end
up with a significant change to the rule or a
new class altogether, is that you're sort of everyone's starting
from scratch, and so then it's just a it's a
little bit sort of you know, flip a coin really
(08:48):
as to what, you know, what there's the outcome may be.
So yeah, I think by sticking with the a C
seventy five and I'm sure that that will be the case.
You know, maybe it'll look slightly different or might be
different numbers of crew or more battery assistance or less automation.
You know, you just don't know what the what the
(09:09):
between Ben and his team whatever they call themselves now
and Team New Zealand, what they have agreed between the
two of them is what the vision of the boats
should look like. And again that's sort of the challenges
typically don't have any involvement or the potential challenges don't
have any involvement, and a lot of that they can
(09:32):
voice their opinion, but it really comes down to the challenger,
record and defender to decide what it'll be.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
And finally, Dean bark And, I know you want to
comment on particular personalities fair enough as well. But the
transition of Team New Zealand. Now they've lost the very
successful Skipper and Pete Berling, they've got new people in place.
How difficult is it to manage the transition of key
(09:58):
team members in a situation like this. They've got two years,
so that works well. Is this a potential all calls
a good thing for the team.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I haven't worked with Pete and the team, but I
think it will be a huge loss for Team New
Zealand's that he's gone, and depending on where he's gone
or where he turns up, you know, but it's yeah,
there's obviously a lot of strong team members that have
stayed there and so you know they'll they'll still be
incredibly strong. There's no question You've got a very strong
(10:35):
design group, good systems and everything else. And so you know,
the new personnel I'm sure will adapt. You know, the
culture that exists in the place, I'm sure will you
allow them to be successful anyway. But who who knows
that every time there's a change and everything else, there's
(10:55):
maybe that gives some of the other teams a little
bit more of a feeling that there's maybe some vulnerability
there so they can drives them to push shit but harder.
Who knows, But for sure, Team Zellan's still going to
be a very difficult prospect for any other teams to overcome.
(11:17):
But you just really don't know, you know what the
you know what what's going to turn up. And because
we know now in Naples, it's all up.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
In the air. And I can attach one of my
favorite sayings to this, Dean, the magic is in the unknown.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
That's the joy of it all.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I mean, thank you very much for your time Dean
Barker here on News Talk c B. Have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
It cheers you two.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Thanks for more from Sports Talk. Listen live to News
Talks there'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed be evening.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Dean, good, how are you? I'm well? I got to
ask first up simple question.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Now we know where the America's Cup is going to
be sailed, don't know when, but we know where.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
What do you know about Naples?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Dean?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Well, we've sailed there a couple of times in the
two thousand and thirteen up. We did a couple of
Prairie getters there in the active and that was Yeah,
it was good. Financially, we had some you know, some
good sailing and things.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Clearly, I'm sure everyone would rather be racing in Auckland,
but it's I think having an event in Italy is
is probably going to be the next best thing with
obviously the passion with the Lernerossa and their sort of
their supporters, So yeah, I guess it'll be a good alternative.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What are the conditions like?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Is this particularly suitable to any team or any style
of sailing? I mean, how will these monsters deal with
it out there? When when you first heard the news,
I mean, okay, this is what I know. What's your
take away from what you've experienced and what you know
of the cup at the moment.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
The two times we went there, we had quite a
variety of conditions, so I've never really looked at a
weather study or anything of the venue, so I wouldn't
really know what they expected conditions are at, you know,
the time of the year they're talking for the America's Cup,
But it's I would assume, you know, like a lot
of these sort of venues, it's probably I would imagine
(01:46):
it's probably more likely to be lighter ones, But I
really don't know if I haven't sort of seen any
information or what, you know, what would be sort of
normal at that time of the year. But a lot
of these sort of venues you tend to be sort
of more on the light medium side of things. But
you know, we've we've raced there with strong ones, big
waves and equally and some pretty lighten lighten, drifty conditions
(02:10):
as well. So yeah, I think you could be in
for a bit of a mixture, But it'll be interesting
to see what all the experts come up with.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Well, the ocean does what the ocean does. You can't
predict it, can You've got to be ready for everything.
And I suppose that's the beautiful of the beauty of
the of the briny deep. Don't listen to nobody.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, I think the announcement of the venue is certainly
for the teams that are looking to participate. Well, you know,
the first thing I'm sure they'll be doing is putting
together their own weather weather studies to try and understand
what they're import just so. The design group probably has
some sort of parameters. But it's yeah, yeah, any of
these venues sort of throw up their own challenges, you know,
(02:50):
whether it's logistics bases, you know however how that's going
to work and things. But it's but I think just
having a bit of certainty is good after such a
long period of I guess, no information. So yeah, I'm
sure everyone will be you know, that's involvedbly welcoming that.
And then I'm sure you know, with the protocol once
(03:12):
that comes out.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Dean, will this encourage more teams to enter? Like, you
don't know how long a piece of string is and
how much money it's going to cost them, But the
fact that it's smack bang in the middle of Europe
and in Italy, is this a good sign for more
entries for the Cup?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Well, it's hard to know that. The thing with it is,
you know, if the cup's in twenty seven, you've got
two years really from now, which is not a lot
of time. You know, it takes twelve months to basically
build a boat once you've got a design. So I
think any new team that's looking to enter, it's sort
of they're already probably too late, you know, in some ways,
(03:52):
you know, without buying design packages and things. So yeah,
I think for a new team to come in, it's
pretty pretty challenging. Yes, it's not impossible. The French came
in obviously late, you know, with Yes and so team Yellen.
But it's yeah, I don't really it's hard to say,
(04:12):
you know, with with both you know, the alingy and
sort of announcing that they're not likely to continue, and
the any your sky Jim Radcliffe pulling out you know
a certain it's not really great signs. But yeah, let's
see what comes out of the woodwork.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
It's like predicting weather patterns and conditions. You simply don't know.
We go back to it, how.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Long is a piece of string?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
You mentioned the protocol and everybody's hanging on the end
of this or what it may look at as far
as eligibility, as far as what they're actually going to
be sailing. That the list goes on, and this is
one of the great dramas of the America's Cup when
the challenge are and defender get together and go, right,
what are we going to do? What's your expectation around
(05:00):
that protocol? To the best of your knowledge? Do they
change much? Do they have to do they they need.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
To simplify it, make it more complicated. What do you
think they'll do?
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Den Well, it's sort of anyone's guess that I'm completely
removed from it all, so I don't have any real understanding.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
But as an interested bystander from what you've seen previously
in the events in the way, because it carries on
expanding and getting bigger and changing.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
All the time.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I mean, it's constantly moving. So from a fans point
of view, where would you like to see it go?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
I think opening up the nationality for the teams is certainly.
I think it's high on the agenda for pretty much
all of the teams to allow. The numbers of sailors
on the boats now are so few that I think
the sailor should have the ability to be able to
work for whichever team they chose, and so I think
opening up the nationality is a complete no brainer. I
(05:56):
believe there's a you know, there has been talk about
along that of those lines, and again that sort of
helps any new team that wants to come into when
they know their country may not actually have the experience
to sail the boats. So I think they definitely need
to do that. What they do in sort of a
(06:17):
lot of the other decisions, you know, in terms of
the class rule and limitations on equipment and everything else.
You know, I know, there's always the focus on reducing
the cost. These campaigns are sort of getting more and
more expensive every time, so I'm sure there's obviously moves
there to try and contain costs. But yeah, it'll be
(06:38):
really interesting to see, you know what changes I think.
You know, again, I think a lot of the teams
would be hoping and expecting for more prevents in the
AC forty's and again that's sort of a great opportunity
for certainly for any of the newer teams or less
experienced teams to be able to try and get up
to speed. Has been able to do some racing, because
(06:59):
you know, there's just such limited options to be able
to sell. You know, in the last protocol you were
allowed to train with any other team, so that's you know,
it's kind of makes it very hard to improve just
practicing against yourself the whole time. So it's yeah, we'll
(07:20):
see see what they they came out.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
With as far as the actual action and what we
saw last time around with the boats they used, is
it actually necessary to change much? Did you enjoy what
you saw out there? I mean, we sat around those
massive sloops for so long and then suddenly there's big
boat challenges and catamarans. Now there's failing monoholes.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
It's crazy. They maybe needs to come the farm away.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But because they know what they're up to now, and
would that help any new teams even though they've got
maybe very little time.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
To prepare, would that maybe be a drive.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I'm not telling you to climb into Grant Dalton's head
because you probably can't, But from your perspective, is it
best maybe to stick similar to what they've got?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think yeah. For a lot of teams, I think
consistency between between editions of the Cup is really important
because you you've got the assets and things that are
sitting there from the previous one as an existing team,
a new team will it means that you've probably got
the ability to buy a previous generation boat maybe to
(08:27):
be able to give yourself a start. So really it's
the thing which is crippling is every time you end
up with a significant change to the rule or a
new class altogether, is that you're sort of everyone's starting
from scratch, and so then it's just a it's a
little bit sort of you know, flip a coin really
(08:48):
as to what, you know, what there's the outcome may be.
So yeah, I think by sticking with the a C
seventy five and I'm sure that that will be the case.
You know, maybe it'll look slightly different or might be
different numbers of crew or more battery assistance or less automation.
You know, you just don't know what the what the
(09:09):
between Ben and his team whatever they call themselves now
and Team New Zealand, what they have agreed between the
two of them is what the vision of the boats
should look like. And again that's sort of the challenges
typically don't have any involvement or the potential challenges don't
have any involvement, and a lot of that they can
(09:32):
voice their opinion, but it really comes down to the challenger,
record and defender to decide what it'll be.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
And finally, Dean bark And, I know you want to
comment on particular personalities fair enough as well. But the
transition of Team New Zealand. Now they've lost the very
successful Skipper and Pete Berling, they've got new people in place.
How difficult is it to manage the transition of key
(09:58):
team members in a situation like this. They've got two years,
so that works well. Is this a potential all calls
a good thing for the team.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
I haven't worked with Pete and the team, but I
think it will be a huge loss for Team New
Zealand's that he's gone, and depending on where he's gone
or where he turns up, you know, but it's yeah,
there's obviously a lot of strong team members that have
stayed there and so you know they'll they'll still be
incredibly strong. There's no question You've got a very strong
(10:35):
design group, good systems and everything else. And so you know,
the new personnel I'm sure will adapt. You know, the
culture that exists in the place, I'm sure will you
allow them to be successful anyway. But who who knows
that every time there's a change and everything else, there's
(10:55):
maybe that gives some of the other teams a little
bit more of a feeling that there's maybe some vulnerability
there so they can drives them to push shit but harder.
Who knows, But for sure, Team Zellan's still going to
be a very difficult prospect for any other teams to overcome.
(11:17):
But you just really don't know, you know what the
you know what what's going to turn up. And because
we know now in Naples, it's all up.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
In the air. And I can attach one of my
favorite sayings to this, Dean, the magic is in the unknown.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
That's the joy of it all.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I mean, thank you very much for your time Dean
Barker here on News Talk c B. Have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
It cheers you two.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Thanks for more from Sports Talk. Listen live to News
Talks there'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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