Contents
January 2025 FEATURES
4 Chuggin’ around the world ELOI STICHELBAUT
36 All about fun! However ‘elite’ the fleet, if people do not enjoy themselves there is no future. ROB WEILAND
Plus ça change The J Class Championship in Barcelona during the run into the Cup Match was a spectacular affair which prompted a diverse range of debate around the Cup itself, its history and where we were with this year’s 37th edition. In the years between the Cup being awarded in 1851 and the outbreak of the Second World War the America’s Cup was strictly the preserve of the wealthiest yachtsmen and yachtswomen on the planet. It was an event for plutocrats of unlimited means, figures of state and from time to time the occasional royal getting involved too. The costs of the yachts were immense, as were the costs of running them. So following WWII when the decision was made to restart the event it was inevitable, in a society now trending towards being a little more meritocratic, that cost reductions from the excesses of the pre-War years would be essential. Hence the introduction to the Cup of the 12 Metre, used up to the Fremantle Match of 1987, and after a hiatus followed by several successful cycles run in the majestic, costly (but not madly so) ACC 72-footers. Along with the 12s, the Cup became accessible to very successful business people as well as to the tycoons who dominated their industries; to build a 12 Metre in 1986 cost around £250,000 excluding the rig and sails. While the J Class were in Barcelona it did not go unremarked upon that, however expensive these enormous yachts were, and still are today, you can buy and run the entire modern J Class fleet for less than the cost of one AC75 campaign. Priced beyond imagination in the 1930s, cheap by 2024 Cup standards. How odd…
COVER: Sander van der Borch
38 Quiet confidence When ROB HUMPHREYS contacted DAN BERNASCONI in Barcelona he was understandably doubtful if halfway through the Cup Match was the best time to be trying to arrange a chat with the Defender’s head of design…
44 And so it goes (went) It’s a wrap. America’s Cup 37 from Barcelona with IVOR WILKINS, BEN AINSLIE, TIM JEFFERY, CARLOS PICH, XABI FERNANDEZ AND NATHAN OUTTERIDGE
50 A story to treasure One of the most famous names (and brands) in the sport and yet an Olympic medal-winning sailor about whom most people know very little. TIM JEFFERY sits down with KEITH MUSTO
54 Old school When one of Finland’s most famous round the world yachtsmen decided to bring his children up with the same spirit of independence that he himself had enjoyed it evolved into a fine tale of the seas. EERO, TAPIO and SILJA LEHTINEN
REGULARS
6 Commodore’s letter DEB FISH
11 Editorial ANDREW HURST
14 Update SAM GOODCHILD heads off down south with a lot of excitement and a lot of gratitude. BURLING takes a moment, JACK GRIFFIN ponders what now lies ahead and TERRY HUTCHINSON finds that slowing down is harder than he was expecting
22 World news And they’re off, with reassurances courtesy of a previous Vendée legend, Imoca rule changes, a Cup defence in New Zealand… a glimmer of daylight at least, but not keen on another one says Barcelona, while the Poms are sticking around for now, plus getting words and meanings to match. IVOR WILKINS, PATRICE CARPEN- TIER, DOBBS DAVIS, CARLOS
PICH,MAGNUS WHEATLEY, STAN HONEY
32 Paul Cayard – Winner takes all 30 years in the Cup lets you cut straight to the point
34 ORC – No escape The life-and-death struggle with induced drag. ANDY CLAUGHTON
59 TechStreet 64 Seahorse Regatta Calendar
74 Seahorsebuild table – Head to head The reality proved less confrontational than the other extremely interested parties had expected
81 RORC – Force for good DAVID TYDEMAN
110 Get a life ADRIAN THOMPSON
111 Sailor of the Month It’s happened again… plus the face of the future
Why TP52s have a proximity rule… The 1990 50-foot World Cup and Capricorno has been caught in a sandwich with two other 50s, Carat and Windquest. The worst part… it was the new French Briand design that was the yacht coming in on starboard as a total car crash evolved beneath her with port tackers trying to squeeze up to the top mark. All three yachts were badly damaged in the one incident…
GUY GURNEY
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