The Marina Green will be available for spectators, race village and so on, and no shipping lanes in the racecourse. Preliminary talks with city officials have been positive. (2) Timing: July, to be an annual event first scheduled for 2017. The annual July timing is important not only for reliable weather but for continuity to build value. Ehman says it has to be fixed and reliable, like the Masters golf tournament or Wimbledon. (3) Format: fleet racing, followed by match racing among the top four while the rest continue to race. No Challengers or Defenders, so no competitor conflicts of interest in the format. US$500,000 in prizemoney for the top three teams. (4) Boats: tightly controlled one-design 60ft monohulls that resemble the 12s above the waterline, but built in carbon with more modern hulls and appendages. Price target about US$3million. Ehman says he’s been inspired by the VO65s, with everything controlled: sails, spars, hardware etc. And get this: no onboard computers, only handheld tools, a compass, a GPS, depth sounder, VHF radio and a Windex… how will the modern tactician survive? (5) Logistic: one tender per team, boats will have engines so no need for tows, no haul-outs during racing, use existing marina facilities in the Bay Area; no word yet on coaching or training restrictions. (6) Crew: total 12 onboard, strict nationality controls, with either nationality or five-year residency for all crew. No pro restrictions, but each team must have at least: two women, two men, two juniors aged 22 or under, and – get this – at least one crewmember aged 62 or older (this may or may not be the owner). If the over-62 crewmember is a helmsman, then they are eligible for special prizes. (7) 13th crew guest: a reserved spot for a media member or sponsor. (8) Teams: by invitation, must have a yacht club affiliation, may have multiple teams from the same country. So far Ehman says there is credible interest from the US, Canada, Denmark, Spain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden (is it significant that no one has yet shown interest from the UK? Maybe there is enough nostalgia already in the Solent…) (9) Sponsorship: permitted for teams, but limited branding allowed.
Ehman reckons this is an appealing concept for the owner interested in high-level racing, but where the costs are controlled, the venue is known and reliable, and there is reasonable assurance of a high-quality competitive experience for running costs of under US$1million per year. ‘A fraction of the cost compared to the AC’ is what he says, but clearly this is not intended to be a game for every man, and is likely to self-select to those who can do it right. Partnering with Ehman is veteran SF yachtsman and former St Francis YC commodore Peter Stoneberg. They are advised by experienced AC campaigners and others, and are soliciting further input from those who think they can contribute to the discussion. If this flies it will be another opportunity for pro sailors, coaches and such to put in some billable time, but also for the event and race managers, suppliers, builders, spar makers, sail makers and so on and could help build spectator and media interest in our sport in ways in which the AC may have fallen short. Ehman has endless enthusiasm for this project, and claims the design will be aesthetically attractive, and thus appeal to owners to sail outside SFYRC competition. He’s also been asked by representatives in San Diego and Newport to hold events in their towns too due to the strong emotional appeal of these iconic racing yachts.
Breaking news: Farr Yacht Design has been retained as the designer of the new Super 12. And as the only designer to craft 12 Metres in composite materials (those ‘plastic fantastics’), they have lured out of retirement none other than Bruce Farr himself to consult on the design. Just like the VO65s, the boats are expected ‘to be built in the USA by a consortium’. Certainly some builders in the US could use the work.
Too early yet for design details, but Britt Ward at FYD said para- metrically the boat would have to be simple to respect the price point; probably not fully carbon, does not have to be; no more than 3m draft due to the harbour depths; must have good solid tooling to maintain one-design integrity through the production cycle; and has to be non-planing to keep the racing close and the costs down. Stay tuned… Ehman and Stoneberg may be onto something. Dobbs Davis
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