Dean Barker: who is he? What happened to the New Zealand sailor? His life was turned upside down by his poor health
Internationally renowned yachtsman Dean Barker, a 49-year-old New Zealander who competes in the America’s Cup yacht races. He is also well known for having a large stake in Kiwi Yachting Consultant.
Barker was born in Takapuna, New Zealand in 1973. The sailor attended Westlake Boys High School for his education.
In February 2004, Mandy Smith, a former New Zealand field hockey player, and Barker exchanged vows. The family of four consists of a son, Matteo, and three daughters, Mia, Olivia and Isla.
He recently made headlines after revealing he had cancer and had been battling it for a long time.
dean barker
Dean Barker’s disease: Does he have cancer?
According to Stuff, Dean Barker claimed he beat and survived colon cancer while training with American Magic ahead of the last America’s Cup.
The Kiwi sailing pro claimed Terry Hutchinson, owner and skipper of the team, was the only person who could understand his struggles.
Terry Hutchinson, an American sailor, has won the Corel 45, J/24, TP 52, Farr 40 and IMS classes eleven times around the world and was a strategist for the Louis Vuitton Cup ten times. He received the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award in 2008 and 2014. In addition, he participated in five America’s Cup campaigns.
Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, begins in the lining of the colon and is frequently accompanied by growths called polyps. If polyps are ignored, they can turn into aggressive cancer. Depending on where the disease first appears, it may also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer.
In addition, 70% of people with colon cancer live at least five years.
Where is Dean Barker right now? Another health update
After beating colon cancer, Dean Barker continued to lead a healthy lifestyle. Barker enjoyed introducing his children to sailing. He lives in Auckland and is still sailing quietly and calmly. Along with close friends and former Cup rivals Tony Rae, Jeremy Lomas, Ray Davies, Richard Meacham, James Dagg and Chris Ward, he recently captained Danger Zone for a second National Young 88 straight. victory, placing fifth overall.
He participated in the 2021 Prada Cup as captain of the American Magic. However, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli beat their team 0-4 to win the semi-final match.
Dean Barker’s net worth in 2022: What is his net worth?
Dean Baker’s estimated net worth exceeds $1.1 million. Success came to him through his vocation as a sailor.
According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for a sailor in New Zealand is $70,000 per year.
Before moving to Lasers and Finns, Barker learned to sail Optimist and P Class boats.
In 1995 Russell Coutts convinced Barker to train with Team New Zealand; it was around this time that Barker first heard of the America’s Cup. Nevertheless, he decided against traveling to San Diego in favor of an Olympic campaign. Although he was not involved in the successful challenge, he joined the team permanently once the cup arrived in Auckland.
On May 21, 2015, the sailor was selected to serve as CEO and captain of Japanese challenger, Softbank Team Japan. Additionally, Barker captained the American Magic, a New York Yacht Club America’s Cup challenger in 2021.
Barker also has a significant stake in Kiwi Yachting Consultants.
Early life and family
In 1973 Barker was born in Takapuna, New Zealand. Barker’s father is from New Zealand and owns the Barkers Clothing retail business. Dean Barker was educated at Westlake Boys High School. Mandy Smith, a former New Zealand field hockey representative, and Barker married in February 2004. A son named Matteo and three daughters named Mia, Olivia and Isla make up their family of four. Dean Barker is another significant shareholder of Kiwi Yachting Consultants.
When Barker resumed sailing with the crew in preparation for the America’s Cup, he kept his condition a secret to avoid pity or trial for having cancer. Barker’s complexion would change color as a result of chemotherapy, which his wife Mandy Barker said was difficult to discern. After enduring six months of chemotherapy while living an ordinary personal life, Barker was able to beat cancer.
The America’s Cup
The America’s Cup was first presented to Barker when Russell Coutts urged him to train with the New Zealand team. He made the choice to run for an Olympic position rather than go to San Diego. He was not a member of the successful challenge, but after arriving in Auckland, he made a long-term commitment to the cup defense team.
The New Zealand team used tough in-house runs to set up their cup defense as there was no streak of defenders. Although the races were private and no scores were kept, it soon became apparent that Barker was at least evenly competing with Coutts thanks to his rapid improvement in match racing. Barker took the helm of the “B Boat” in those races.
With a perfect 5-0 record, Team New Zealand successfully defended the 2000 Cup. In the final race, Coutts gave up the lead to Barker. After the 2000 Cup, a number of players left for other unions, including Coutts and Brad Butterworth who joined Alinghi, resulting in Barker becoming captain.
In the 2003 Americas Cup, the New Zealand team was beaten 5-0 by the Swiss boat Alinghi. Barker was selected as skipper and helmsman of the challenge in 2007 after an internal team review confirmed his reputation.
With Barker as skipper and helmsman, the renamed Emirates Team New Zealand was one of the competitors for the America’s Cup in Valencia in 2007. Barker won the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup beating Italian team Luna Rossa Challenge 5- 0 in the final after the previous elimination of the other 9 challengers. Team New Zealand’s mission to bring the Cup back to New Zealand officially began with this triumph. It was a first because the Louis Vuitton Cup had never been won without an opponent losing a race. This gave Emirates Team New Zealand and Barker the chance to take on Swiss rivals Alinghi for the 32nd America’s Cup.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Defender Alinghi in Race 2 to prevent a clean win for the first time in fifteen years on the 2007 America’s Cup scoreboard. Although many pundits believed Emirates Team New Zealand had a great opportunity to win, they failed at the 2007 America’s Cup by a 2-5 margin.
The last race of the 2007 America’s Cup was won by Alinghi, captained by fellow New Zealander Brad Butterworth. The winning delta was 1 second. The cup race was competitive overall.
Barker has participated in two America’s Cup challenges and two defenses. After the 2007 competition, his final record as coxswain was 3 wins for 10 losses.
Emirates Team New Zealand, once again led by Barker, beat Italian team Luna Rossa Challenge 7-1 in the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup Final. It set a speed record for the Louis Vuitton Cup in the race 7 at 47 knots (87 km/h; 54 mph). america
In the ensuing 2013 Americas Cup Final, Barker and Team ETNZ faced Team Oracle of the Americas, but ultimately came up short. ETNZ had won six of the first seven races in the final series at one point, but ultimately lost 9-8. the fight for the biggest comeback of the America’s Cup. There was a growing distance between Barker and ETNZ team CEO Grant Dalton.
As coxswain so far in the America’s Cup Final, Dean Barker has an 11-15 record. Considering Emirates Team New Zealand only needs one race win to win the Cup, Dean Barker will need another America’s Cup series to break even.
In early 2015 Grant Dalton offered Barker a shore role to make way for a new helmsman, Peter Burling, and a new skipper, Australian sailor Glenn Ashby. Instead of accepting this position, Barker opted to accept the offer to lead a newly formed Japanese syndicate as CEO and skipper.
The Softbank Team Japan challenger was unveiled on May 21, 2015, with Barker serving as both CEO and captain.
Barker captained New York Yacht Club’s American Magic America’s Cup challenger in 2021. Despite a strong start in qualifying competition, the team lost to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the 2021 Prada Cup semifinals.
dean barker
Summary of Dean Barker’s career
- 1988: P-Class Tanner Cup (1st), P-Class Tauranga Cup (1st)
- 1991: New Zealand National Laser Champions (1st)
- 1993: Asia-Pacific Laser Champs (1st), New Zealand Matchracing Champs (1st), World Youth Laser Champs (10th)
- 1994: New Zealand Matchracing Champions (1st)
- 1995: New Zealand Matchracing Champions (1st)
- 1996: Finn Class World Ranking (15th), Finn Class Olympic Trials (5th), Kenwood Cup (3rd)
- 1997: Steinlager Line 7 Cup (2nd), NZ Matchracing champions (2nd), Sydney-Hobart (9th)
- 1998: Australian Cup (1st), Croatian ACI Cup (2nd), Swedish Cup (3rd), Kenwood Cup (1st)
- 2001: ISAF World Match Racing Champions (1st)
- 2003: Skipper and helmsman of the defender of the America’s Cup Team New Zealand (beaten 0 to 5 by the challenger Alinghi)
- 2004: Olympic Games, Finn class (13th)
- 2005: Congress Cup (1st)
- 2006: MedCup TP52 circuit (2nd)
- 2007: Winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup and challenger of the America’s Cup (beaten 2 to 5 by defender Alinghi)
- 2009: Louis Vuitton Pacific Series (1st)
- 2009: Audi MedCup TP52 circuit (1st)
- 2010: Audi MedCup TP52 circuit (1st)
- 2010: Louis Vuitton Trophy (3 championship wins)
- 2011: America’s Cup World Series
- 2013: Winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup and challenger of the America’s Cup
- 2017: Skipper of the Louis Vuitton Cup of the Softbank Team Japan
- 2021: Helmsman of the American Magic Prada Cup (beaten 0-4 in the semi-finals by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli)
