Allan, a talented Wānaka multisporter who was recently picked up by Team NZ for the gruelling role of cyclor, has been reflecting on his intense experience in Barcelona as the Kiwis battled the Brits for the right to hold the America’s Cup.
With the cup now firmly in New Zealand’s hands again the Allan family are heading home for the summer.
"Matilda, Flynn and Amy had family access to the dock out party each day,’’ Allan said.
"This was a real highlight for me as part of the sailing team as we’d walk out to music and a kapa haka performance from Ngati Whatua, as well as being able to hug and kiss our families before each race day.
"The waka would then lead the departure of Taihoro and it all felt very Kiwi.
"Racing for me was always quite intense and focused, but I tried to be aware of just how unique and special the whole experience was.
"Amy and the kids would watch with many of the other team member families and general public and Flynn was seen a few times on live TV jumping around in the front of the crowd waving his NZ flag,’’ Allan told the Wānaka Sun in an email interview.
Allan didn’t have the best view of racing because of position at the back of the boat.
Four sailors sit in the front two cockpits either side of the yacht and the cyclors sit in the back two cockpits on each side.
"I was in the port aft [left side, furthest back] cockpit.
"We had our heads down the whole time, partly for aerodynamic advantage and partly to keep our eyes on important data that sat in front of us on a screen.
"This helped us understand when and how hard to pedal at various moments in the race as well as listening to the comms between the sailors.
"There is no airflow down there so we used ice shoved down our lifejackets to help keep our bodies cool enough to pedal hard for each 30min race,’’ he said.
While he was in action with the team, his wife and the children would seek out any of several viewing locations with big screens and entertainment, including on the main beach, where the action was happening on the water in front of them.
The main cup village also had a big stage and screen and there was a "Kiwi corner’’ next to the New Zealand base, reserved for families only.
The team has a cyclor roster of nine athletes, that rolls over depending on how they are feeling.
Allan got to pedal in all the races.
"I was fortunate to stay healthy and fit enough to be a preferred cyclor in every single race, including the final one that we won. I was actually the only cyclor out of the nine of us to be on Taihoro for every single race including the preliminary regatta races in August, the Louis Vuitton round-robin races in early September and the America’s Cup races in October. Perhaps all the miles training for triathlon and multisport helped in this regard,’’ he said.
The cyclors never stop pedalling throughout the 30-minute races, although Allan said the amount of effort varied a lot during that time.
"It is influenced by things like weather and ocean conditions as well as race dynamics. More wind, waves and manoeuvres make for harder work for us,’’ he said.
Allan said his wife Amy had scaled back her own career with Ray White Wānaka to help make the America’s Cup campaign possible for the family, so he was looking forward to supporting and spending more time with his family when they got home.
"I suspect doing adventures like biking, hunting and watersports over summer with my family will satisfy my athletic needs and it will also be good to see Amy flourish again in real estate once we have a bit more routine again as a family,’’ he said.
