Of the two opposing skippers, there is respect and an understanding of the events in March-May 2000 which led to them ending up as opponents rather than team mates.
"Last time he was certainly a very good leader of this team," says Barker, the 29 year old rather like his 40 year old predecessor in being a quiet and considered speaker with an abundance of charm of humour that the onboard TV cameras can't pick-up, seeing only firm -set jawed concentration.
"I felt I learnt a lot from Russell. When I first started steering these boats in 1998, I obviously had a lot to learn. I was also extremely new to the match racing circuit. So then to actually start on NZL 32 and 38, and then 60 and 61, yeah, in all that testing and sailing I learnt a lot. We talked a lot about techniques over the next year and half. And we had some fantastic racing."
In days off in the last TNZ campaign, Coutts and his right hand man Brad Butterworth, would try and relieve Barker, and his accomplice, Hamish Pepper, of money on the golf course. If you think Coutts is focussed on a boat, you should see competitiveness on a golf course.
A Daily Telegraph colleague played Coutts at Carnoustie the day after the Open there. Martin Johnson has observed the likes of Ian Botham and Nick Faldo over 18 holes yet concluded Coutts was the most competitive sportsman he'd ever come across. "He wouldn't concede a 9 inch putt to his grandmother," Johnson observed.
Barker is inclined to agree: "It was actually more competitive on the golf course than it was on the water!" The new Team New Zealand skipper uses the word respect a lot about Coutts. It's far from fawning however. Barker has measured himself against Coutts and has beaten him.
Of course some things have changed between them. One occupies the Black Shack, home to Team New Zealand and the hopes of 3.9 million Kiwis. The other occupies the Pink Palace, Alinghi's powerful statement of its serious intent.
"Certainly the relationship is nowhere as near as it used to be," concedes Barker, "but it's like that with any other of the campaigns. You are running your own schedules. Quite often you don't have time to catch up with other people. We still can talk normally; there's no friction there. In the last six months we've raced in match regattas around the world and we're still able to have together after sailing. So the relationship's fine; it's just a case of working for different teams and now we are competitors."
And the golf? Coutts' game is in good shape. "He's definitely got the leg up at the moment," says Barker, before adding mischievously: "Hopefully he's been playing too much!"
Tim Jeffery, 11 February 2003
