Ross Field to sail on News Corp

Ed Gorman speaks to the Kiwi Whitbread vet about how his team is shaping up

The return to the sharp end for the Kiwi veteran came as a surprise - Field is now 52 and he had argued convincingly last year that his pro racing days in this race were over. "I don't want to do it any more," he told Suzanne McFadden of the New Zealand Herald. "I've won it twice and there are other things I want to do. If you haven't got the burning passion to sail in this race, it's a long, long nine months."

But that was then and this is now and Field has re-discovered his desire to be wet, cold and uncomfortable for weeks at a time. He believes that the combination of his experience with that of on-board meteorologist Nick White on the longer legs will give News Corp a competitive tactical and routing department. Field will step aside in favour of Peter Isler on the short legs and the team will also call on the expertise of the French shore-based router, Pierre Lasnier.

Field's decision to get on the boat has led to speculation that he will supercede Fanstone as skipper, something he strenuously denies. He believes the softly-spoken Englishman is proving every bit the leader this sort of race requires and that the two of them complement each other perfectly.

Addressing the rumours directly, Field said: "I can't stop what people think but it is most definitely a flat management style. Everyone has input into everything and Jez and myself are working very, very closely together and there are absolutely no problems whatsoever. I know the rumours... this is just something we've got to put up with."

One of the reasons for Field's move was the loss of Julian Salter who, together with Neal McDonald, left News Corp earlier this year to join the GBR Challenge for the America's Cup. Field admits that McDonald in particular was a big loss but he says the trio of watch captains Jeff Scott and Steve Cotton and helmsman/tactician Barney Walker has more than made up for McDonald and given the News Corp crew a strong base. "These three guys are the real good backbone of our whole campaign," said Field.