New Zealand lays lot of emphasison team factor

Team New Zealand has welcomed the widening of the competition base as the Acts unfold in preparation for the America's Cup in 2007.

"After what we saw yesterday [Friday], we are well aware that we have to keep abreast of what is happening with the other 11 teams, as much as they try to keep an eye on what we are up to," admitted Adam Beashel, the strategist for Emirates Team New Zealand.

Beashel, a former two-time Olympian with the Australian team, is mainly responsible for charting out team strategy. "But it is not just about one person," he said.

"This is a team event, and there is a lot of emphasis on this factor at Emirates Team New Zealand," Beashel insisted.

After Friday's delayed two opening fleet races, Emirates Team New Zealand had done well to carve out an exciting victory.

But unfortunately, all the hard work went in vain as a hole in the spinnaker at the start of the second race, pushed them further down the line in ninth for a joint third along with defender Team Alinghi and BMW Oracle from the US.

"These things happen. One can never have control over mistakes, can we?" Beashel asked.

"Somehow it is more about trusting and backing each other. It is inevitable that people will make mistakes, but we simply cannot hash over the past," Beashel shrugged.

Other than such minor hiccups, the sailing has been good for the Auckland-based team.

"It has been good so far this year. Each of the teams has been checking it out with the other teams in the fray. And with a strong field of 12 teams, things are looking even more exciting," he observed.

"You always have the top teams like BMW Oracle, Luna Rossa and Team Alinghi.

"But there are boats like the Victory Team [Sweden] that have been managed to push through. Then you also have the Spanish boat [Desafio Espanol 2007] which has an advantage of competing at home," Beashel pointed out.

"The biggest challenge in the America's Cup is time, and time alone will tell us what the result will be tomorrow."