America's Cup declining?

[eyschulman]

If you can get 10,000 small multis to race around a big island with lots of man eating sharks and each crew member gets all there relatives and freinds and lots of sponsors rooting for them along with a million dollar prize and some blood spread in the water you might get some interest and major media coverage. Maybe we also throw in some major celebrities and presidential candidates as crew many people would get excited about that especialy with the sharks.

 

[CatBuilder]

Or at least race all at once like club racing. There needs to be some excitement, like a dozen ac45's on a standard course.

 

[oldsailor7]

Lol on both those posts Guys.

 

[Doug Lord]

If you don't think there has been excitement in this AC World Series you missed the Plymouth, England venue......

 

[sharpii2]

I think the real problem with the AC is that it is a guilded age relic.

Just like the last half of the 19th century, we are going through another 'guilded age', where the top 1% are scarfing up almost all the disposable cash. The to 1%, even among them, has the vast majority of the cash and control.

Now this thing looks like nothing more than potchlock pissing contest between people I think are vastly over rewarded for their 'success' and can afford to blow their money on extremely expensive throw away toys, while everyone else is expected to live under 'austerity'.

The whole thing has a bad smell to it that it didn't have during the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries. The economic disparities were even greater then, but there was a whiff of real opportunity in the air. The technology improvements of the era were improving just about everyones life. Even those at the bottom. Now, the technology improvements serve mainly to disemploy and disempower people who don't have the means to keep up.

The only real opportunity most people have is getting a good degree from a good university. But now that requires a mountain of debt that is so high that it is questionably worth doing. Imagine starting a family with TWO mortgages. One for your house and one for your degree.

Add to this that these races are practially mill pond regattas, where, if I even watch, I root for both boats breaking up and having these 'RB's arguing over whose boat broke up first to determine who 'won' the race.

It seems, more and more, the 'race' is won by the side that has the best lawyers. Some may argue with considerable justice that that was always the case. Maybe so. But such events live and die on image. And 'smell'. Now both are bad.

The very least that can be done to salvge this thing would be to require actual seaworthiness. Why not go back to requiring them to cross an ocean on their own bottom to prove their worthiness to compete?

And why not require the 'owner' to be the skipper. Then at least I can admire his/her capabilities as a seaman/woman and perhaps, for the moment, forget about their ridiculous wealth.

Now, with global mercenary crews and global mercenary designers, such is just rubbed in my face.

May the man with the most money win.

 

[CatBuilder]

Or... Maybe hold the next ac off the coast of Somalia?

 

[sharpii2]

Or... Maybe hold the next ac off the coast of Somalia?

As Gomez would say: "A capital idea!"

Now the boats would have a real reason to be fast.

 

[Doug Lord]

America's Cup: Finest Hour!

I think the real problem with the AC is that it is a guilded age relic.
Just like the last half of the 19th century, we are going through another 'guilded age', where the top 1% are scarfing up almost all the disposable cash. The to 1%, even among them, has the vast majority of the cash and control.

Now this thing looks like nothing more than potchlock pissing contest between people I think are vastly over rewarded for their 'success' and can afford to blow their money on extremely expensive throw away toys, while everyone else is expected to live under 'austerity'.

The whole thing has a bad smell to it that it didn't have during the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries. The economic disparities were even greater then, but there was a whiff of real opportunity in the air. The technology improvements of the era were improving just about everyones life. Even those at the bottom. Now, the technology improvements serve mainly to disemploy and disempower people who don't have the means to keep up.

The only real opportunity most people have is getting a good degree from a good university. But now that requires a mountain of debt that is so high that it is questionably worth doing. Imagine starting a family with TWO mortgages. One for your house and one for your degree.

Add to this that these races are practially mill pond regattas, where, if I even watch, I root for both boats breaking up and having these 'RB's arguing over whose boat broke up first to determine who 'won' the race.

It seems, more and more, the 'race' is won by the side that has the best lawyers. Some may argue with considerable justice that that was always the case. Maybe so. But such events live and die on image. And 'smell'. Now both are bad.

The very least that can be done to salvge this thing would be to require actual seaworthiness. Why not go back to requiring them to cross an ocean on their own bottom to prove their worthiness to compete?

And why not require the 'owner' to be the skipper. Then at least I can admire his/her capabilities as a seaman/woman and perhaps, for the moment, forget about their ridiculous wealth.

Now, with global mercenary crews and global mercenary designers, such is just rubbed in my face.

May the man with the most money win.

================
I don't think so. The AC this time around has turned the olde America's Cup upside down introducing, for what is probably the first time, something close to the epitome in sailing technology in a run up to the Cup. I think what they are doing course-wise and coverage-wise is a giant leap forward in bringing more people closer than ever to the action-and yes, if the wind blows there is action-lots of it. I, for one, am thankful I've lived long enough to see what I only imagined as a kid. More power to the lucky ******** that get to sail these awesome machines-at least I can watch some of it.
To me this is an extremely postive, awe-inspiring direction for the America's Cup , a direction that will inspire many of us for the rest of our natural life. I thank "mean ole Larry" for having the vision, guts and determination to see this thru!

Starts 4PM EST here: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/multihulls/ac-live-video-stream-november-16-20-a-39268.html
Thanks to Jeff for pinning this link at the top of the multihulls forum to make easy for anyone to take a look w/o having to search!

 

[oldsailor7]

Doug Lord.(Quote). I, for one, am thankful I've lived long enough to see what I only imagined as a kid. (Quote).

I can relate to that. As a Tidler, I can still recall,in the depths of the biplane era, sitting on my Dads shoulders and watching (and hearing) in awe as the Supermarine S6b roared over Portsmouth common in a skidding turn during the final Schneider Trophy race. It heralded the death of the biplane and lead the way to the development of the advanced monoplanes which we take for granted today. This AC has the same conotation.

 

[cyclops2]

In general. In all Ego races.

Money wins. As it was always supposed to.

The races could care less about anybody except their exclusive groups.

Do not like that attitude ? Do not watch or attend.

 

[Doug Lord]

Money wins. As it was always supposed to.

The races could care less about anybody except their exclusive groups.

Do not like that attitude ? Do not watch or attend.

=============
Not today: the best financed team got 3rd and 6th!

 

[cyclops2]

Cheap accountant held back.

 

[NorCal]

As someone who grew up racing Hobie 16s and followed the AC, I've never been more closely engaged to the event and the race. Not to mention I will be able to watch the race from the water, several friend's rooftops, or many hills and beaches surrounding the stadium that is the SF Bay. I have many friends and colleagues who are not boaters and definitely not sailors who are ecstatic to see this racing and have developed an interest in the sport due to the promotion and internet viewing.

The pace, athleticism, and closeness of these preliminary races have provided a good deal of entertainment which reaches the masses. Previous AC were about story and tradition that were mostly out of reach. Not saying that AC45s will be showing up anytime soon but this could expand interest in multihull racing that is fairly accessible like the Hobie 16 (I'm biased).

While not traditional this is engaging a new generation that traditional monohull racing did not. I think Ellison is making an impact on the sport of sailing and the AC that will be positive in the long run.

 

[david@boatsmith]

I dig it like crazy. These is the fastest boats that they know how to build that will withstand the expected conditions. This is a lot of people who sail for their love of the sport and their living doing what they do and all wanting to win. Does it take lot'a of money? Oh yeah! I think that these boats are very cool! I also think that this world series deal is an excellent way to get those that want to and can to get up to speed on the type of vesels that theywill be competeing in. Lawyers, crossing on their own bottom, too expensive, uber rich boy's toys, that's right and it has always been that way, yeah bring it baby!!!!!!

 

[david@boatsmith]

It's not supposed to be a nation's race, the only reason people view it that way is because they don't understand the story behind the title "America's Cup". Most people see it as "America's", as in something the country owns, or did, and not as "America's", as named after a yacht(working schooner).

NOT AT ALL