Left: former Oracle tactician Tom Slingsby leads at the Moth Worlds in Fremantle and (above) a young man who will later thwart his hopes of defending the America’s Cup alongside Jimmy Spithill in 2017… Pete Burling, aged 12, racing his P Class in Wakatere Junior Regatta in 2003. Fast forward and the Team New Zealand skipper (who took a fifth 49er world title in December ) will rather surprisingly not face his Australian rival in 2021 – the winner of the first SailGP series is currently without a Cup ride in the AC75s
Luna Rossa are working heads down at their base in Cagliari,
where Ineos Team UK have moved in next door with their AC75 for winter training. Although the protocol prohibits ‘sailing in a co-ordinated manner’ these two teams will have the measure of each other when they face off in the ACWS in April. American Magic have again moved to Pensacola, Florida for their winter training. ETNZ are enjoying the southern hemisphere summer before packing up for Cagliari in early spring. None of the four teams is likely to launch their second AC75 until long after the first permitted date of 15 February 2020. Owing money to ETNZ for the AC75 design package and with
entry fees, late fees and their performance bond still outstanding, Stars+Stripes (note the subtle distinction from Dennis Conner’s rather more credible Cup-winners Stars&Stripes) are somehow still listed as a challenger? As of early December they had yet to place a firm order for the foil-cant system and foil arms. One can only speculate as to what motivates them and ETNZ to maintain the fiction that they are a viable challenger. We’ll be shocked, shocked, if they show up to race in Cagliari. Racing in Cagliari seems a long way off. Meanwhile, we’ll wait.
And wait. And wait.
CupExperience.com
RACING AHEAD – Terry Hutchinson A chilly December day in Pensacola, Florida. For American Magic we have been sailing the mule again working on foil development for Defiant and boat 2. When we look back at the use of the mule and how she has helped us develop features for the 75s it feels that she was a good decision. Certainly, having the mule allows us to avoid what the other teams have done, which is spend foil cards (only allowed three sets for the entire regatta) on development. Looking at the other three teams, though, you can see some very clever development. So we know that, while the mule has been
a great asset, we have to make all the features work at full scale. From here it is time to turn our full attention to the development of Defiant and then on to boat 2… Defianthas been in transport to Pensacola. That took a bit longer
than one would hope which was annoying, but the challenge was travelling over Thanksgiving Weekend. Apparently, those are the busiest three travel days in the USA, especially when you are trying to move an excessively oversized toy down the highway! At this writing she is in the high stand being prepped to be sailed through the week before Christmas. From there we will shut down the sailing operation for a few weeks to recharge and get back into development in 2020. In that regard it is an exciting time having been through two weeks of mule sailing and then transitioning over to the 75. As I look forward to 2020 I am incredibly excited about the
opportunity in front of us. The teams will travel to Italy and then England for two events. The second event in England is a bit random as apparently only one team wants to go… well, not completely true as Team Ineos will be heading that way anyway so why not have an event on your home waters? Yet this requires a protocol change to make it all happen as the
Challenger of Record does not want to go. If I had to guess, as I am not privy to the conversations, I would think that it went some- thing like this… ‘Well, if you don’t give us the rights to run the regatta in England then we are not coming to your regatta in Italy.’ I will let you, the reader, figure out who I am referring to. Talking about getting your chain jerked, the one consistent aspect of the America’s Cup is self-interest and this one is no different. Not a whinge but good fun to watch the shenanigans! Seeing as this is my last entry for 2019 – and really the closing
of a decade (which is actually hard to fathom as so much has happened in the past 10 years)… It feels appropriate to say thank you to a few folks. Doug Devos, Hap Fauth, Roger Penske and the New York Yacht
Club. We at American Magic are extremely fortunate to work for SEAHORSE 15
CHRIS CAMERON
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