34th America's Cup: multihulls!

What would you say about this guy as the skipper of an American defender? After all, perhaps nationality is not exactly a new issue. Feelings on the issue can run high (although I suspect the gentleman in question would object to being called an "Englishman" as opposed to a "Scottsman" - he was actually a naturalized American). It can even be enough to get a fan to root for the other side.

For myself, I think the de-emphasis (to virtual invisibility) of the yacht club as opposed to the commercial branding of the syndicate is what leaves fans wanting to have some geographical identification with the racing team. A good example is the European football club, which may have any number of foreign born players, but fans still identify with it as their home team.

 

True Tom - All spectator sports either identify with a particular athlete (or hero) or a team. The teams usually have a geograhic "home" to relate to. We don't go to a footy match and barrack for the sponsor beer company. Fans need tangible emotional "values" to align with. So Oracle needs more stars and stripes on her! More red, white and blue! Black is overdone! Now Tom since your monitoring this, why is the new AC72 called USA-17? Wasn't the trimaran called USA-17? or was it called Oracle-17? Just looked at your talk at the San Fran Sailing Club. A friend was there and videoed it, interesting when I do talks on the AC72 or Wings the audience asks all the same questions!! . Peter S

 

I think "17" is Larry Ellison's favorite number. Kind of like another AC skipper whose boats were all called "Stars and Stripes". I admit it is confusing. I think that technically the tri's name is "USA 17" and the AC72's name is "17".

 

Thanks Tom - Since your out there, are they calling the vertical tiller extensions "posts" , whipstaffs or tillers on "17" or something else? Its going to be a great day when we get two AC72 side by side! Cheers Peter S

 

Fascinating find, Tom.
Is there a "statutory" time from taking up US citizenship to qualification nowadays in major yachting events as there is in the Olympics?

As an Australian I'd advise: "Don't ask, don't tell".

 

It's amazing how little the conversation changes. This letter sounds a lot like the multi- vs mono- debate, along with the nationality question. FYI, Hank Haff died in 1906, so he wouldn't have been able to skipper defenders for as long as the letter's author might have wanted.

 

34th America's Cup:

ceansailor
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Lord View Post
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We hire only the best.......

PS-just for the record: I think these mercenary AC crews are a crock. The Crew and the designers should be 100% from the country of the challenge or defense.
I agree 100%, this is the only reason why, they will not attract a much larger world wide audience. People want to cheer on their own country, even if they don't understand, watch, or care about the sport......

 

34th AC on Foils!

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Actually, the pivotal person for our challenge was Larry Ellison-had he not put up the money to allow the research and development necessary there would have been no American victory.

 

So no immigrants who have qualified as citizens in the country?
What about children who have no choice but to follow their parents to a new
country? Are they ineligible when they become adults?

 

I re phrase my post,


If you reinstate that rule Larry Ellison would not have been able to buy the expertise and experience of non american practising sailors, like Russel Coutts and other New Zealanders. There seems to be more New Zealanders than any other nationality in the team. New Zealand is not a state within Australia, it"s accross the ditch some 1200 nms.

 

Would not have been the same for the Swiss challenge as well getting in Russel Couts for their challenges as well. At what point was the nationality clause dropped?

 

34th AC on Foils!

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Read this: http://www.bymnews.com/may/no-nationality-rules.html

 

We all know, with out the billionaires, there wouldn't be an A.Cup challenge.
No question about that. Its been that way from day one.

But if you want to draw out the masses to watch, you know the people that dont know the bow from the stern. Then cheering on your own country is the only way to get there on a large scale.

In the NHL,NBA,NFL, and with the euro soccer clubs, and in most pro sports, they all have teams with the best players from all over the world.

But when you have the winter Olympics, or the summer Olympics or world Cup soccer, or world cup Rugby, or even world little league baseball, suddenly everything changes.

It now becomes the best competitors from your country, against the best competitors from other countries. This is exactly the draw that's needed, in order to bring out all the people from around the world, that normally wouldn't bother to watch.

Calling yourself team Canada, team Russia, or team any "country" with little or no representation from your country, rings very hollow to people from these countries.

Perhaps its more accurate, in this day and age, and this seems to be what is already happening, and that is, to name the A.Cup team after the billionaire / sponsors, rather than trying to desperately get average people to think its actually their country that's racing on the water.

Or better yet, put the shine back on the cup, by having the challengers from your country, represented by the people, boat building skills, and technology from within your country.

But hey, that's just my humble opinion, and I know it it doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell.

and no, you dont have to go as far as, sailing it over on her own bottom.

 

Thanks Doug for posting the link to the nationality rules article.

In some ways it allows weaker countries to compete, at a relative equal level skill wise.

It would be interesting if they did have ts sail it to the venue, rather than ship it.

 

Where has Russell Coutts actual domicile been as he went from Kiwi to Swiss to noncombatant collaborator of a Slovenian designer building boats in Dubai to Californian? Did James Spithill's citizenship change as he went from Australian to American to Italian to American again? Where's he living these days?

Here's some back-and-fourth regarding the constructed-in-country rule:
http://valenciasailing.blogspot.com/2010/01/americas-cup-defender-submits.html

Regarding sailing the vessel to the venue, this was a rule for a long time, and greatly disadvantaged challengers. There were some series in which the U.S. sailed a boat of lighter scantling because getting from Bristol to Newport is a matter of crossing a harbor, not an ocean. I think a French 12 meter being towed to the U.S. to comply with the letter of the remnant of the rule was lost at sea (if someone can find a reference verifying my recollection...).