America's Cup: Team New Zealand without Barker in future?

The rumours have been simmering for a long time. But now they are intensifying. Team New Zealand may start the 35th America's Cup without skipper Dean Barker. The 42-year-old skipper and helmsman of the New Zealanders last missed out on the coveted Cup victory with the Kiwis in 2013, although his team was already seemingly unassailable with an 8:1 lead in the duel with the American defenders. The century comeback by Oracle Team USA with skipper Jimmy Spithill may have sealed Barker's fate a year and a half ago. The smart sailor from a good family was unable to win back the most important trophy in international sailing in three attempts under his leadership.

Team New Zealand immediately denied Barker's dismissal, but did not rule it out. The team management merely referred to "inaccurate reporting" and explained that the performance analysis by all areas of the team was still ongoing and decisions would only be made afterwards. The New Zealand Herald, however, is already reporting on the headline-grabbing personnel matter today under the headline "Team NZ fires Dean Barker as helmsman" without any question marks.

The 24-year-old New Zealand shooting star Peter Burling has been rumoured to be his successor for months. Burling was the youngest 49er sailor to win silver at the 2012 Olympic Games with Blair Tuke at the age of 21. He had previously finished eleventh in the 470 at the 2008 Olympic Games as a 17-year-old, making him the youngest athlete ever to represent his country at the Games. Burling was also the youngest competitor in history to win the 420 World Championship as a 15-year-old. In his home country of the long white cloud, Burling has long been regarded as the talent of the century. Most recently, the likeable tall athlete won the 2014 49er World Championship and the 2015 Moth World Championship and is considered the top favourite for the 2016 Olympic regatta off Rio de Janeiro. Peter Burling's father Richard described the reports about his son as "speculation" and pointed out with a smile that he was currently surfing with friends in Auckland.

In parallel to the increasingly fast-moving personnel carousel, New Zealand is eagerly awaiting the government's financial support for its Cup heroes in the 35th America's Cup. In the 34th America's Cup, Team New Zealand received almost 24 million euros from the government. Insiders assume that the funding for the next edition of the Cup will be more limited. Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce also confirmed this to the "New Zealand Herald".

Rumours circulated in some blogs on Wednesday that Dean Barker could move to the Italian Cup team Luna Rossa. However, there was initially no confirmation of this. The New Zealander, who has been active in the America's Cup since 1995, had taken the helm in the Kiwis' victory in the last race of the successful 5-0 series in 2000 and had subsequently risen to number one in Team New Zealand after his predecessor Russell Coutts and his companions had changed fronts and been recruited by the Swiss team Alinghi. Barker and his team never managed to win the Cup on their own, but there were always sporting highlights. The generational change may now seem indispensable. However, the loss of Barker's experience could have painful consequences.