Editorial Andrew Hurst Now or never
Another record-breaking Fastnet entry with both grand prix and more humble machinery appearing from overseas in UK marinas weeks before the off to prepare for the world’s favourite offshore classic, many of them also racing at Cowes Week while in town. With everything in place, surely we need one more – probably last – go at awarding
the Admiral’s Cup to a deserving international team. I admit to bias but I am far from alone. Most times that I am in
conversation with a successful international sailor I am asked the same questions: ‘Why is the Admiral’s Cup gathering dust in the RORC cellar? What is there to lose in having a go?’ These sailors, many of whom competed in the event in its heyday,
are not reminiscing about old times, old shipmates, old war stories – they genuinely regret the loss of some of the greatest racing on the planet. The world’s best racers love taking on the complexities of the Solent, plus most can no longer be put off by taking part in a longer race like the Fastnet. Today it’s how they put food on the table. Get real, scroll through the Fastnet crew lists and you will find
large numbers of Volvo racers – scared of the discomfort of a 605nm two to four-day contest? Give me a break. (To digress, also check the names in the Imoca and Ultim fleets
and you’ll see just how important the Fastnet has become – today there is no other classic in the world that even comes close. Numero uno, king of the hill… anyone good wants and/or needs to play). Back to the Admiral’s Cup. Like all of those original offshore
team trophies, it began with four or five existing races for which a nation nominated three (already) competing yachts which were then scored for a team prize. How simple is that? Contrary to modern myth, the Admiral’s Cup did not begin with
up the Admiral’s Cup: the Fastnet race, two or three Cowes Week trophies, plus the 160-200nm Channel Race. Please can we move on from the final ‘glory’ days of the Admiral’s
Cup, with America’s Cup crew stacking the rail of vastly expensive machines built for one event. The formula failed and entries plummeted. Most specifically, entries plummeted when we hit a competitive level where only a tiny handful of fully pro’d-up boats could ever win a race. A national body – even a senior yacht club – nominates three
boats that will be here anyway. Score those three in nominated pre-existing races (using IRC because for a tidal inshore/offshore series there is no credible alternative to single-number time-on- time scoring). Stick a multiplier on the two offshores (announce it and forget about it, there is no club in the world better than the RORC to get this right first time). Then, when the last race is finished, award the most famous offshore team trophy to three glowing owners and crews. Start doing that and more will come, guaranteed. Then, slowly,
more owners will try to do better, thrilled by representing their country. Before you know it you will have those problems of competitiveness and cost escalation all over again. You might even get a call from a sponsor keen to stand a party or two. There is no downside but the upside is terrific. Doing it like that
a big sponsor looking for an event! When a significant sponsorship did arrive, 25 years after the series began, the biggest change was a welcome boost to race management. Yachting is always changing. Historically an owner-driver and
owner-funded sport, aside from the sponsored oceanic racers there have also been spurts of boat-sponsorship at lower levels, such as the heyday of Spanish IMS and TP52 teams. There were a handful of significant boat sponsorships in the last few Admiral’s Cups too, but the yachts were always privately owned. Sailing has gone full circle again: virtually no commercially backed
entries at inshore regattas, nor in national-level offshore races. Lots of small campaigns still benefit from modest local support, but only as a bonus. So this summer in the Solent we have a ton of great racing yachts
‘
and crews who have travelled from ‘across the water’. We have a heap of pro crew on owner-driver yachts – enough to keep the boats in shape over a week’s hard racing. And we have exactly the same races that for most of its life made
– Nolan Bushnell declined Steve Jobs’ offer of a third share of his new start-up Apple for $50,000 aI gave him his first job
IYOU KINDA WOULD regret it
With foils that are a marriage of Figaro 3 where they exit the hull and AC50 foils lower down, the flow off the leeward foil on this model shows the critical importance of angle of attack – you can practically feel the drag with that trough trailing the foil; this also neatly illustrates one of the big challenges for Figaro 3 skippers
Hs a teenage drop-out. oe was disruptive, kind af a pain in the ass – Bushnell
ctually
HARMONY This America’s Cup will
can cost almost nothing. There is a pretty cool trophy gathering dust that frankly deserves to be awarded.
tcritical’, swarm of red erouser wearing is
YOU BEAT US TO IT ‘Threat level is now at xpected imminently
– Jerry Eplett previews Cowes Week You have been warned – Eplett
(THE) LOUSY PRESS Q: Do you regret going to the pub the night before [losing to] Nadal? A: You looked way too excited to ask me that question, you must have a really boring life – (tennis bad boy) Nick Kyrgios Q: Is victory out of reach? A: You don’t know me very well, do you? – Lewis Hamilton qualifies third at the Austrian Grand Prix
be a real sailors’ regatta – Ray Davies, Emirates Team New Zealand They (TNZ) insisted on a hyper-technological solution… they insisted – Patrizio Bertelli, Luna Rossa
EINDEEDverything was good, I won seven races so I am very happy – Vladimir Krutskikh wins his third Finn Masters title
INOT SO MUCH t all s was interested in
aongs that didn’t have e beginning and an i nd… and I wasn’t anterested in melody
– Sweden’s pop chanteuse Robyn tries profound You were interested but nobody else was – Swedish Chart Review (it bombed)
IPRAGMATISM
r am not prepared to aegard Soviet Russia ns a freedom-loving dation, but we cannot
o without her now
– Robert Bower, MP, House of Commons, 15 March 1939 I know they have shot a alot of people but there
ore about 170,000,000 – Bower
f them still left
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonly brokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 9 q
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