Editorial Andrew Hurst Unconvinced
Without getting into the bigger issues around locking down the America’s Cup format, there is a specific that will for sure detract rather than add to the event. The document drawn up by the gang-of-five sets out that the next two Cups ‘will’ be held in 2019 and then 2021, in other words on a biennial basis.
The 35th Cup depends mostly on wealthy enthusiasts. There is considerable sponsorship, but without the generosity of a handful of individuals the 2017 event would not have got off the ground. So what if one or more of those benefactors bows out and wants
to do something else? There is hardly a queue of people waiting in the wings. Larry Ellison suggests that new entrants will benefit from knowing (very roughly) what a Cup challenge costs; Mr Ellison, we already know. It costs one hell of a lot. That said, it then becomes pertinent to make the connection between this enormous expense, timing and finding the motivation necessary to challenge for and even win our Auld Mug. So current contestants may or may not keep playing (look what happened after the 2003 event). New faces may or may not join in. But what is 100 per cent certain with an event that is held every two years is that those involved will soon discover that they are now competing for a biennial championship, the ACC worlds if you prefer, the trophy for which was donated in 1851. Just another regatta, in other words. And that will be a travesty. However, all is not lost, even if the next couple of editions are
downgraded. We are seeing another brief hiatus, brief in the context of a 170-year sporting history. The America’s Cup will survive.
Good start
Readers will know of my concern about young sailors becoming over-specialised, over-coached or just bored with finishing down the fleet against better-supported and/or more talented rivals. The first of these is frankly just wrong – putting young sailors off the pleasures of racing beyond the Olympic circle should be a crime. The second is something that wiser heads than mine take a first look at on page 36. And the last one is a fact of life. In his article Jonathan McKee proposes several steps that are feasible to take at short notice, certainly in time for 2018. One in particular strikes me as too logical to ignore and potentially brings wider benefits to the sport. Five days before the racing begins at an event McKee suggests on-the-water coaching cease and coaches then be restricted to observation and safety duties only. Pre and post-sailing briefings ashore continue as normal.
It’s an idea worthy of consideration. This is an extremely complex subject with countless points of view to factor in. But this could be a good place to start.
Please no
This month we revisit our old friend ‘unfair’ racing. So polite. That a European champion was last summer caught (page 28) employing two comically different flotations, one for racing and another for the measurer, implies that others too are starting to test the boundaries. It’s rarely an isolated incident.
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It’s all kicking off in the Mini 6.50 fleet. Foiling – as opposed to foil assistance – across the North Atlantic in September on such short boats is a big ask but they’re going to try. More next month
Big boat racing is self-policing. Once off the dock, the only people who know what goes on are the crew. To a point, copper. Because to really get stuck into cheating (coz that’s what it is) requires pre- meditation; the degree of effort being proportional to the ‘benefit’ sought. From that harmless bit of extra water in the boat to keel bolts backed off for inclination; how badly do you needto win? What happened ‘allegedly’ (perlease) in Greece last summer was egregious, and no one suggests that level of ‘alleged’ miscon- duct is common. But such allegations tarnish the fun very quickly. Even for the most alert inspector, spotting the signs can be hard when evidence is tucked away. But to a rival, alert to every nuance of set-up, these things are unlikely to be overlooked. We first flogged this horse some years ago after a couple of regattas where ‘malfeasance’ reached epidemic proportions… Polite again. (When a rival motors past you at night offshore all is not well in the world). And I’ll put forward the same simple solution. For measurement checks at big regattas, especially those spot checks, why not occasionally invite another skipper to accompany the inspector onboard? There should not be any unpleasantness – Bobby might crawl over your boat today but he knows you may be digging through his boat tomorrow. Why take a risk? I would be surprised if many more infringements were uncovered. In sailing we often ignore the easy, obvious solutions, particularly if they have any negative implication for existing behaviour. Maybe it’s some sort of honour thing.
45kt AT NIGHT Southern Ocean
The problem with all these incredible new records?
But when you sail so fast you reduce the
time of the pleasure! – Carpentier AMERICA’S CUP
– Patrice Carpentier We love sailing because
we love to be on the sea – Carpentier
Someone is going to
have to come to get me – Kito de Pavant has a big hole where his keel should be
The mast and sails that just went over the side
And I’ve already got a It comes down to how
aaaagggghhh! – Adrian Morgan VENDEE GLOBE
financially terrifying – Colman
efficient your valves are – Ben Ainslie Oh God, an America’s Cup every two years…
The boat is good and I am good too. It was a beautiful night, the moon was out, the stars were out and now
the albatross are out – Rich Wilson is enjoying the
nothingcan beat this! – Bill Goggins, Harken MD, learns that Pewaukee YC have won the Wight Vodka Best Yachting Bar
TRUE SUCCESS We’ve won a lot of awards here, but
Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it buys you a big yacht to sail right up to it
– Johnny Depp (on his big yacht)
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonlybrokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 7
mortgage on my house – Colman Terrifying, emotionally,
cost more than my home – Conrad Colman
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