Might a sailor who can be competitive and world beating in high-speed classes like the 49er, Moth and A-Class catamaran be useful for an America’s Cup team? Nathan Outteridge has shown over the last couple of years that he can be fast in almost any boat he takes the helm of, and Team Korea have done well to recruit the Australian to their America’s Cup cause.
In the short time that Team Korea has been campaining in America’s Cup circles, the team has shown that it can be competitive – at least in the one-design support acts that precede the main event.
With Chris Draper at the helm, the team mixed it with the biggest, best funded teams, which is why – when Draper left the team in December (probably for a much bigger pay-packet at Luna Rossa), there was a sense that it might be hard for the team to compete at the same level.
But luckily for Team Korea, there is an enormous depth of sailing talent around the world that is getting a chance with America’s Cup teams due to the new, fast paced nature of the event – and the recent Australian A-Class Catamaran championships would be a good place to find such talent.
Nathan Outteridge (26) has three World 49er titles, three ISAF World Youth titles and a World Moth title to his name. On top of that, Outteridge stepped onto an A-Class catamaran in January and beat all of ORACLE Racing’s Australian hired guns, to finish second only to multiple World Champion Glen Ashby (Emirates Team NZ).
Nathan Outteridge said about the AC45 challenge:
“I’m really excited to join the team, it is a great opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the tiller at the first event in Naples. It is going to be a very busy year for me, with the Olympics in London and also now joining Team Korea but I am looking forward to it and can’t wait to get sailing with the team.”
Team Korea will provide a little bit more intrigue and rivalry on the water by announcing that Current World and European Finn Champion Giles Scott will become tactician for the team. The appointment means that Scott will get to sail against Finn rival Ben Ainslie – another member of the ORACLE Racing ‘Dream Team’.
Giles Scott commented:
“Joining Team Korea is definitely the most exciting step I’ve taken in sailing, I can’t wait to get on board the White Tiger and start racing in and amongst the best.”
Team Korea CEO, Kim Dong Young is delighted with the two newest members of the team:
“We are a team for the future and we believe that our talented and youthful guys will continue our strong performance on the Americas Cup World Series. These boats require a different style from the past, fast thinking, fast sailing, fit and strong. We have built a very strong bond within the team and I am sure that both Nathan and Giles will soon become part of our family.”
The appointments are good news for fans who are looking to support an ‘underdog’ team in the America’s Cup.
The news also highlights one of the reasons why the current defender might balk at nationality restrictions for teams. Imagine Spithill, Bundock, Ashby, Outteridge and Slingsby all on one team!
