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Editorial Andrew Hurst (50th anniversary) thank you
To all my amazing team and to the amazing people who did all the real work before we took over and tried our hardest not to wreck it all. Seriously, 50 years for an international yacht racing magazine dedicated to the sharpest end of the sport. Thank you all so, so much. And above all, thank you to you, our loyal, supportive
and very smart readers, advertisers, sponsors and supporters, even our critics who keep us honest. We wouldn’t be here and thriving without you. We have the greatest sport and greatest industry in the world, it’s an honour to work here. You guys are the absolute best.
Exponential Fifty years of ocean racing, design, technology, engineering, materials, hydro/aerodynamics, design tools and now simulators. Classic displacement designs from Sparkman & Stephens to AC75s, which classify under ‘mega-technology/doesn’t quite work yet/but will’. As of today, we call this the ‘edge’. What is interesting is that the advances in the past 10-15 years
easily outstrip everything that happened in the 40 years before. One example, the next Vendée Globe winner will lap the planet on a singlehanded monohull faster than the fully crewed ‘Ultim’ Enza’s 1994 Jules Verne record of 74 days. They may go faster than Olivier de Kersauson’s 1997 time of 71 days. Just over 20 years ago. One thing has had more influence than any other and that is
advances in materials. Lighter, stronger materials have made every- thing else possible allowing designers, engineers and sailors to press performance with reliability in every direction. Foiling, lighter and stronger sails and masts, light-to-operate powerful sailing systems – all this was forced to develop at the speed it has by the advances in performance possible because of superior materials. And there is one other important factor. It cannot be denied that
racing in ploddy boats, economic pressures on sailors, America being a long way away from the action (perlease). But there is another reason that it is convenient to overlook. When the America’s Cup dispensed with nationality, for the US
especially the impact on Olympic sailing was slow but dramatic. No trickledown, no Cup hopes to motivate struggling Olympic athletes. A tiny handful of US sailors were on the team at Oracle. But they and others did the right thing, with no nationality restrictions Oracle went for it regardless of sentiment. ‘Thems was the rules’. But so much time and money left little or no legacy – or motivation
– for the next generation and now the price is being paid. At the last Cup three of the five teams sailed with crew predominantly from the country of origin. The UK, France and New Zealand are also the three strongest Olympic sailing nations of the five. Coin- cidence maybe? Maybe not. Thankfully today’s Cup crews
are representative of the country of origin. SailGP also has a strict focus on national teams – that is its USP. People cheer the flag. Country matters, fans matter.
while the Moths (and I name here particularly Rohan Veal, Ian Ward and John Ilett) gave us practical foiling, it was the America’s Cup, bastion of heritage and privilege, that did more than anything to show what was possible. When Team New Zealand’s AC72 briefly lifted out on the Hauraki Gulf in 2012 (to be greeted with cries of ‘Photoshop’) everything else really kicked off. So 2012 to 2019. Mega-tricksy giant multihull to 60ft monohull
sailing at 30-35kt and robust enough to be sailed around the world by one person. Ten years’ time? This is one hell of a sport. PSThank you too to our ‘krazy’ French friends… without you pushing on and often risking your lives it may all have taken a little longer.
It matters In spite of living in a global economy, for sports fans nationality still matters. The poor state of US Olympic sailing is a tragedy for all those amazing young US athletes and also for those of us who remember the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic regatta where US sailors took medals in every class. The talk there is about funding, college
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What cheeky chappies… driving back from the launch of Sir Ben Ainslie’s AC75 Britannia an email arrives from ‘Team Britannia’ announcing the launch of their aluminium motorboat for some record thingy. Fair play for trying and maybe a tabloid fell for it
But don’t criticise what went before. ‘Thems was the rules’. PS My Dad liked to remind me, ‘Never bet against Uncle Sam’. America will be back as a world class sailing nation sooner than you think.
q
launched off a wave – Craig Brown watched Team New Zealand’s AC72
AUCKLAND 2012 Can’t be foiling. Anyone can see they’re simply
OMG – Photoshopped,
five minutes – Josh Smith
of course – Tina Green On close inspection it is Photoshop. Shame, that was cool for about
SPIN-OFF Not so nice looking but the [Mini 6.5] big nose gives two advan- tages: one, a big space in the front for the owner’s cabin. The
GET A WRIGGLE ON Long Beach YC is committed to being on the startline at the first
AC World Series round – Camille Daniels, Commodore
VENDEE GLOBE Vincent Lauriot-Prévost: Do you need the boat
Thanksgiving generosity… The Thanksgiving Holiday has apparently been re-tasked by some of our US colonial brothers to pay their respects to those ‘who serve before the mast’ – their mast. We’ll do our bit so put your money where your mouth is and show your appreciation for your own great unwashed – aka crew – by buying them a monthly dose of insight and wisdom from these hallowed pages (really? ed). For a brief period we have some especially tidy subscription rates for owners wishing to buy subscriptions for their crew to help share that Thanksgiving love:
liz@seahorse.co.uk
to be competitive in other races? Alex Thomson: No, not at all!
in our path – Dan Bernasconi, Team NZ
OH DEAR We’re pretty confident
WAY TOO LITERAL She was looking like a million dollars
(£763,428) – A Daily Telegraph sub- editor is a bit too keen
other is a little obvious – Patrice Carpentier
Lewis Hamilton – Banner at the 2019 British Grand Prix (Hamilton won, Vettel was lapped)
CLARITY I support two drivers, Sebastien Vettel and whoever crashes into
HANSARD – 1830 Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some horrible
disease – Opposition MP That depends, Sir, whether I embrace your policies or
your mistress – Government minister
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
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