Dean Barker, a 49-year-old New Zealander who competes in America’s Cup yacht races, is a world-renowned yachtsman. In addition, he is known for owning a significant stake in Kiwi Yachting Consultant.
In 1973, Barker was born in Takapuna, New Zealand. The sailor received his schooling at Westlake Boys High School.
Mandy Smith, a former field hockey representative for New Zealand, and Barker tied the knot in February 2004. The family of four consists of a boy, Matteo, and three daughters, Mia, Olivia and Isla.
He recently made headlines after announcing that he has cancer and has been battling it for a long time.
Dean Barker’s illness: does he have cancer?
According to Stuff, Dean Barker stated that he overcame and survived colon cancer while training with American Magic in the run-up to the last America’s Cup.
The team’s skipper and owner, Terry Hutchinson, was the only one who understood his struggles, according to the Kiwi sailing pro.
American sailor Terry Hutchinson is a ten-time Louis Vuitton Cup strategist and eleven-time world champion in the Corel 45, J/24, TP 52, Farr 40 and IMS classes. In 2008 and 2014 he received the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award. He has also participated in five America’s Cup campaigns.
Colon cancer, sometimes referred to as colon cancer, develops in the lining of the colon and is typically accompanied by growths called polyps. Polyps can develop into serious cancer if neglected. It can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where the disease first appears.
In addition, 70% of people with colon cancer survive at least five years.
Where is Dean Barker today? Update on his health further
Dean Barker overcame colon cancer and has maintained a healthy lifestyle ever since. Barker, who lives in Auckland and continues to sail quietly and modestly, has enjoyed introducing his children to the sport.
He recently led Danger Zone to a second straight Young 88 National win, fifth overall, alongside good friends and former Cup opponents Tony Rae, Jeremy Lomas, Ray Davies, Richard Meacham, James Dagg and Chris Ward.
He competed as a captain in American Magic’s 2021 Prada Cup. But in the semifinals, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli defeated his team 4-0 to win.
Dean Barker’s Net Worth in 2022 What is his net worth
Dean Baker is said to be worth more than $1.1 million. His career as a sailor has brought him success.
According to Glassdoor, the national median wage for a seaman in New Zealand is $70,000 per year.
When Barker first started sailing he used Optimist and P class boats before moving on to Lasers and Fins.
Russell Coutts persuaded Barker to train with Team New Zealand in 1995 and it was through that experience that Barker first learned about the America’s Cup. However, he decided against a trip to San Diego in favor of an Olympic campaign. He wasn’t part of the successful challenge but after the trophy landed in Auckland he became a permanent member of the team.
On May 21, 2015, the sailor was selected to lead Japanese challengers Softbank Team Japan as CEO and captain. In addition, Barker was the 2021 American Magic America’s Cup contender skipper for the New York Yacht Club.
In addition, Barker owns a significant stake in Kiwi Yachting Consultants.
Early Life and Family
Barker was born in Takapuna, New Zealand in 1973. Ray Barker, a New Zealander and owner of retail company Barkers Clothing, is Barker’s father. Dean Barker attended Westlake Boys High School for his education. In February 2004, Barker married Mandy Smith, a former field hockey representative for New Zealand. They have four children: a son named Matteo and three daughters named Mia, Olivia and Isla. Another significant shareholder of Kiwi Yachting Consultants is Dean Barker.
To avoid sympathy or being sentenced to cancer, Barker kept his condition a secret when he returned to sail with the crew in preparation for the America’s Cup. Barker’s skin would become discolored as a result of chemotherapy, which his wife Mandy Barker claimed was difficult to see. Barker beat cancer after undergoing six months of chemotherapy while sailing normally in his personal life.
The America’s Cup
When Russell Coutts encouraged Barker to train with Team New Zealand, it was his first encounter with the America’s Cup. Instead of going to San Diego, he decided to run for an Olympic position. Although not part of the successful Challenge, he joined the Cup Defense team on a long-term basis after arriving in Auckland.
With no defender streak, Team New Zealand used intense internal racing to prepare for their cup defence. Barker’s match racing skills quickly improved and it was in these races that he took the helm of the ‘B-boat’. Despite the fact that the races were private and unjudged, it quickly became apparent that he was at least competing fairly with Coutts.
When Coutts handed control to Barker in the final race, Team New Zealand successfully defended the 2000 Cup with a perfect 5-0 record. After the 2000 Cup, there were numerous defections to other syndicates, most notably Coutts and Brad Butterworth to Alinghi, leading to Barker taking the captaincy position.
Team New Zealand were defeated by Swiss boat Alinghi in a 5-0 series at the 2003 Americas Cup. Barker was chosen to be the skipper and helmsman for the 2007 challenge after the subsequent internal team review confirmed his reputation.
One of the contenders for the 2007 America’s Cup in Valencia was the renamed Emirates Team New Zealand, with Barker as skipper and helmsman. After previously eliminating the other 9 challengers, Barker won the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup, defeating the Italian Luna Rossa Challenge team 5-0 in the final. This victory marked the beginning of Team New Zealand’s mission to bring the trophy back to New Zealand. The Louis Vuitton Cup had never been won before without an opponent losing a race, so this was a first. For the 32nd America’s Cup, this provided Emirates Team New Zealand and Barker with an opportunity to face off against Swiss challenger Alinghi.
Emirates Team New Zealand ensured the 2007 America’s Cup scoreboard would not reflect a clean win for the first time in fifteen years by beating defender Alinghi in Race 2. Although many pundits thought Emirates Team New Zealand had an excellent chance of winning, they lost the 2007 America’s Cup by 2-5 races.
Alinghi, piloted by fellow New Zealander Brad Butterworth, won the final race of the 2007 America’s Cup by a 1 second delta. Overall, the race for the cup was hard fought.
Barker participated in two America’s Cup defenses and two challenges. His final record as a helmsman after the 2007 competition was 3 wins and 10 losses.
Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge team was defeated 7-1 by Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup final, again refereed by Barker. In Race 7 he set a speed record of 47 knots (87 km/h; 54 mph) for the Louis Vuitton/Cup. Americas
Subsequently, Barker and Team ETNZ challenged Americas Team Oracle in the 2013 Americas Cup Finals, but ultimately lost. At one point in the last series, ETNZ had won six of the first seven races but eventually fell behind by a score of 9-8. the biggest comeback in America’s Cup competition. A gap began to form between Barker and Grant Dalton, CEO of Team ETNZ.
Dean Barker has an 11-15 record in the America’s Cup Finals as a helmsman. Dean Barker will need another America’s Cup series to break even as Emirates Team New Zealand needs just one race win to win the Cup.
To make room for a new helmsman, Peter Burling, and a new skipper, Australian sailor Glenn Ashby, Grant Dalton offered Barker a position ashore in the early months of 2015. Instead of accepting this job, Barker accepted the offer to become CEO and skipper of a newly formed Japanese syndicate.
On May 21, 2015, the challenger was unveiled by Softbank Team Japan with Barker as CEO and captain.
The New York Yacht Club’s American Magic Challenge for the 2021 America’s Cup was led by Barker. Despite getting off to a good start in qualifying, the team lost to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the 2021 Prada Cup semi-finals.
Sailing career summary
- 1988: P-Class Tanner Cup (1st), P-Class Tauranga Cup (1st)
- 1991: NZ Laser National Champions (1st)
- 1993: Asian Pacific Laser Champs (1st), NZ Matchracing Champs (1st), World Youth Laser Champions (10th)
- 1994: NZ Match Racing Champion (1st)
- 1995: NZ Match Racing Champion (1st)
- 1996: Finn Class World Ranking (15th), Finn Class Olympic Trials (5th), Kenwood Cup (3rd)
- 1997: Steinlager Line 7 Cup (2nd), NZ Matchracing Champion (2nd), Sydney-Hobart (9th)
- 1998: Australia Cup (1st), ACI Cup Croatia (2nd), Swedish Match Cup (3rd), Kenwood Cup (1st)
- 2001: ISAF Match Racing World Champion (1st)
- 2003: Skipper and helmsman of America’s Cup defending team New Zealand (beaten 0–5 by challenger Alinghi)
- 2004: Olympic Games, Finn class (13th)
- 2005: Congress Cup (1st)
- 2006: MedCup TP52 Circuit (2nd)
- 2007: Louis Vuitton Cup winner and America’s Cup challenger (beaten 2-5 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: Louis Vuitton Cup Winner and America’s Cup Challenger
- 2017: Louis Vuitton Cup Skipper of Softbank Team Japan
- 2021: American Magic Prada Cup helmsman (beaten 4-0 by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in semifinals)