Left: spied at the Ineos Team base… using a long lens. After a brief flirtation in the noughties with commercial viability – to compete if not to win – the America’s Cup is once again firmly back to the 1930s model of a contest between a handful of wealthy individuals; while for sailing all Cup activity is obviously healthy activity, the flipside is that ‘wider’ exposure of technical and other happenings becomes of little if any value to competing teams
wagons are fully circled – all they have to focus on is winning 12 races in New Zealand in 2021.
Is this a good thing? For the team of course, yes, but for engaging with the wider marine industry less so. For all the trials and tribulations of Ben’s previous Land Rover BAR challenge the basic foundations of technical infrastructure are sound. The new management have leveraged this into a fast start on the water with the test boat and early success on the GC32 cat circuit. While not the same as winning the Cup, two initiatives spawned by Land Rover BAR continue to do well. The 1851 Trust have developed significant resources to promote the science, technology, engineer- ing and maths (STEM) subjects with young people. The Camber Tech Deck at the team
base is always full with school parties, and they have developed great online teaching materials based around the science of sailing and the sailors.
BAR Technologies are also forging a path into the maritime industry. The most visible project at present is the Princess Yachts R35 Active Foil System motoryacht which will debut at the Cannes Boat Show. American Magic will be strong, Terry Hutchinson is a seasoned campaigner and the New York Yacht Club will want to run a tight ship. Their major hurdle may be logistics before the move to New Zealand. They have a New York headquarters, a Newport RI clubhouse, a Spanish design base, a New England boatbuilding facility and a sailing base ‘TBA’. Some air miles on offer here but, from experience, being on a
different floor from the shore crew is often an impediment to communication! Luna Rossa racing the TP52 this summer look good, but that is as far from the new AC Class as you can get. It is a well-resourced team and they are equal partners with Team New Zealand in terms of shaping the rules and schedule. This is a significant change from the times when the Challenger of Record was the first line of defence against the Defender taking liberties. For those who are superstitious, remember no Challenger of Record has ever won the America’s Cup.
Emirates Team New Zealand will be strong. Grant Dalton will be on a mission to match Peter Blake’s record of winning and defending the Cup. They have a smart design team, who are now working with a rule that they invented. The sailing team is competitive and versatile. Collectively they have won the America’s Cup, Olympic medals and the Volvo Ocean Race, and one individual has done all three.
In the absence of financial support from the Defender to bulk up the number of teams I don’t anticipate any more entries.
SEAHORSE 49
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