Gavin Brady interview

Andy Rice speaks to the Prada's match racing star

Judging by recent performances on the Hauraki Gulf, NZL-60 is still a mighty force to be reckoned with, but Brady believes Team New Zealand's technology advantage will have been rubbed out by the time the Cup comes around. "You'd have to think the 2002 boats are a step on from NZL-60." However, some pundits have speculated that we didn't even see the best of the magic black boat last time around, that they were 'sandbagging'.

Brady doubts this. "They were full bore. I mean, why would you? It's hard to slow these boats down, you can't just ease the mainsail out, it's too hard trying to do those things. I think they went out to blitz them."

So perhaps they weren't playing games then, but they seem to be playing games now, what with RIBs riding close to the bow of Team New Zealand's new boat as it leaves the dock, leading to much speculation about bow canards and so forth. Brady is doing his best not to get sucked in by the hype. "They've been really aggressive with protecting one of their boats from view, but then they are the masters of disguise. They'll paint the bow differently, to make you think something's changed there while they've actually made a change to the stern.

"There's a lot of speculation flying around right now, but I'm trying not to look over the fence too much. You've got to stay focused on your own stuff. Prada is quiet, it's a heads-down campaign, we don't like to get involved in that stuff that's been bogging some of the other teams down. We're a team that's quietly working away, with an owner who is really involved and who is really big on making it work for everyone. Generally it's a happy team".

He also believes Prada knows where it is going and what it has to do to win. "Our CEO Laurent Esquier has done loads of America's Cups. He really keeps things ticking along - it's a big operation. A lot of teams by the time they get to the end of the event, they're ready to do it properly. If they continued on with what they were doing they'd be really good but they're never ready in time for the beginning of the regatta. It's not like that for Prada, we're on track already. They've been there and they know what it takes to get there".

But Brady admits it is hard to pick a favourite, aside from Prada, of course. "I think anyone can come out with a good team, and the campaigns are much more professional this time around. I suppose Alinghi would be tipped as favourites, although the only stuff they - or anyone else - has got is based on what happened two years ago".

Luna Rossa and NZL-60 sparring in 2000.