SH:What’s most impressive about the America’s Cup? LS: How difficult it is to win. It is the most complicated game on the planet. You have to gather a lot of intelligence, a lot of inge- nuity, great resources, and find a cohesive, innovative team capable of getting the best ideas onto the water as fast as possible. You are always working against the clock and you are always working with relatively limited resources, although from the out- side of course the resources appear enor- mous. I find it incredible if you compare it with another sport… and that’s before you factor in the weather! In the final analysis no team can control the wind!! The Cup fascinates me because it requires a lot of ingenuity, good luck and a lot of money. And even this cannot guarantee victory. SH:Have we lost some of the essence of the Cup with foiling boats? LS: The essence of match-racing, contact between boats, is not lost. In 2017 the boats fought boat against boat, but when developing such high speeds the distances between them were of course greater on the water, however less so in terms of time. The heart of the competition has always
been the ingenuity applied to the boats and not so much the fight in slow boats. The speed of the boats is a fundamental part. The J Class were not made to be slow, they were the fastest of their time. Slow boats are a consequence of the post-war period. I think the new [AC75] boats will be
very fast and able to complete the whole course flying again. The configuration is different from a catamaran and the way to make it fly too. Instead of having the rake as the only system to control flight, now you also have control of the rudder foils, so managing the boat is very different from last time in the AC50. It is a hydrodynamic novelty… Also the double-sided mainsail is a new concept. It’s very original, with new problems and innovative solutions. There- fore there will be a lot of new development in both aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. SH: And the new rule itself? LS: We were not able to have any input before its publication, what we can do is to veto future changes since they require the unanimity of all the teams. The rule I think is very well written, they have done quality work. Technically the rule is very well worded, with a lot of detail. It is the best in a long time. SH: Does the number of entries seem sufficient to you? LS: The Cup has never been a popular competition. Of the 36 editions there have been few with much participation, and never with more than three or four teams with a real chance of winning it. Of course, I would like there to be many teams and many countries, but there are few people who can be in a modern Cup. If you want a popular regatta the boat cannot be mod- ern – Valencia 2007 is a good example. For this edition, in a selfish way, I only
need two ships, the Defender and our- selves. As a fan of sailing, I do not care
54 SEAHORSE
After the Spanish team were eliminated from the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2003 Luis Saenz was recruited by Stars & Stripes who then joined the protest by Team New Zealand and Prada against OneWorld. Conner’s team were already out of the challenge series but if OneWorld were to be disqualified (not penalised) they would be back for the semi-finals
about the quantity but the quality. In sporting terms I do not understand why some teams were competing in Valencia. SH: Could you give us some hints about the different teams you have been part of? LS: The strength of Pedro Campos was to organise a Spanish challenge which at the time was inconceivable in Spain. Dennis Conner fascinated me. He is an extraordi- narily intelligent and practical guy, as well as a great sailor. People think that his success was due to his talent as a sailor, but it was because of his intelligence and his hard work. During my ‘Italian phase’ with Luna Rossa I was very impressed by the attention to detail, the perfection that they look for in every area. Of the New Zealanders I would empha-
sise their capacity to identify the things that are worthwhile, where the speed is. Also, a real horizontal team structure that is not hierarchical at all. They trust a lot in the individual, they are productive with their ideas and they work very, very hard. And they have the ability to develop ideas faster. The time between an idea first being in your head to trying it out on the water can be a matter of hours with Team New Zealand. Its ‘quick and dirty’ is one of its most powerful weapons. They implement an idea in such an efficient way that they can immediately verify if it works or not. SH: You have met many people in the Cup, who was the most amazing guy? LS: You get to know the most passionate, intelligent and dedicated people in the world of sailing. In the most recent Cup the epic work ethic of Pete Burling and the dedication of Glenn Ashby… I find them incredible. Grant Dalton’s iron makes him as stubborn as a mule, the passion of Bertelli, the brilliance and humility of Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham. The depth of analysis of Dennis Conner is something from another planet. I have been lucky enough to meet so many people that we would never finish.
Also, the ‘independents’ are worthy of admiration, who have not allowed them- selves to be manipulated or influenced by the ‘powerful ones’, like the rigorous ethics of Bryan Willis on the International Jury. SH: The greatest joy and greatest disappointment… LS: My greatest joy was winning the America’s Cup in 2017. I have had many disappointments, a lot. I remember when we sank the USA-65 Stars & Stripes in Long Beach. When Luna Rossa pulled out for 2017 it was a nightmare. Also, the internal power struggles in the Spanish challenge of 2003 which ended with a full-on mutiny against Pedro Campos. Worst of all was the death of Martin
Wiznner training with Bravo Spain in 2000. Luckily the good times have been many and help you forget the bad ones. I remember the great victory of Luna Rossa against Oracle in Valencia, or the tests and foiling developments in Sardinia of the Italian team. America’s Cup campaigns make for strong emotions. SH: If I ask you the favourite to win in 2021, will you answer ‘us’? LS: Do not believe it. The only time in the history of the America’s Cup that a Defender has lost in his first defence was Australia in Perth 1987. Otherwise in every Cup after winning it for the first time, or recovering it, as Team New Zealand are this time, the Cup winners have defended successfully. USA in San Diego, New Zealand defended successfully in Auckland 2000, Switzerland in 2007, USA again in San Francisco 2013. History says it is probable that Team
New Zealand will successfully defend it now; but history also says that only the USA has been able to break that tradition when Dennis Conner defeated Iain Murray in Perth. I hope that repeats itself [laughs]. But without a doubt the favourite is Grant Dalton’s Team New Zealand. Luis Saenz was talking to Carlos Pich q
GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
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