Americas Cup: whats next?

Well Doug, anyone can have a go at starting their own event, and as long as corporate sponsors see a cost effective way to get their message across, they may pony up the cash.

Although there is a long and storied history to the America's Cup, there isn't a lot of value left today in the franchise from a new corporate sponsor's perspective. Ernesto and Larry turned it into a farce, and threatening a new series with the historical value of the America's Cup isn't a winning strategy.

Performance reality be damned, monohull keel boats are what lives in the imagination of the North American yachting population. When the average BMW buyer thinks about yachting, he envisions pristine keel boats at the yacht basin in Nassau, not multihulls flying hulls with wing sails. You have to understand what sponsor companies see as the associative projection of the image - grace, style, comfort and well appointed performance in tough conditions. Ultralight multihulls flying hulls at 35 knots project excess speed, edge of the seat fragility and risky dangerous behavior - and they sail in low to moderate winds needing calm conditions. Few companies want to have that kind of optics associated with them. Optics matter in 30 second commercials and print ads.

As performance enthusiasts, people here understand where Larry wants to go, but as a CEO considering sponsorship opportunities that brand a company, catering to a tiny percentage of the audience isn't good business.

What you see as sour grapes is just opportunists seeing a chance to fill a profitable void abandoned by Larry and company. I don't think these people are vindictive towards Larry for going multihulls - I think they are glad he's done it as they now have a play for a series to replace the floundering America's Cup.

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CutOnce

 

AC Rebels

From Oracle Racing:


VALENCIA, Spain (September 13, 2010) – The America’s Cup, sailing’s most iconic event, has been re-energized and rejuvenated, ready for 2013 and the future.

The best sailors in the world will race on the fastest boats with the introduction of an exciting wingsail catamaran.
To build interest and audiences ahead of the 34th Match in 2013 is a new annual World Series, commencing in 2011.
A clear vision for the future led to analysis of the best practices in other major sports. Six months of dialogue with potential teams and stakeholders followed, resulting in the transformed competition details that were released today.

Highlights include:
 New, exciting class of boat, the AC72 wingsail catamaran
 New annual World Series starting in 2011
 New Youth America’s Cup from 2012
 Transformed media for television broadcast and online
 Shorter, action-packed race format
 Race delays minimized – new boat and venues with reliable wind
 Independent race management and fully empowered International Jury to avoid show-stopping disputes
 Effective cost-cutting measures
 Branding freedom for teams
 One global website for all team and racing content

The annual America’s Cup World Series has been designed to create exposure and commercial sustainability for teams and their sponsors. The series featuring the cutting-edge catamaran will deliver exciting racing to new audiences ahead of the America’s Cup Match in 2013.
The AC72 class will be raced from 2012, and a second new boat will be used in next year’s competition for the America’s Cup World Series. Also powered by a wingsail, the AC45 is a scaled down one-design version of the AC72, and will provide a fast-track for competitors in wingsail technology.
“We believe this new format and new boat will put the America’s Cup back at the pinnacle of our sport. These changes will give equal opportunity to competitors and
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long-term economic stability to all teams and all commercial partners. We promised fairness and innovation and this is what we’ve delivered,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing.

The Regatta Director of the independent organization America’s Cup Race Management, ACRM, will be appointed jointly by the Challenger and Defender board members. A financial model for the next Defender to maintain this vision of independent race management allows teams and partners to plan long-term involvement.

“I think that we need to acknowledge that the Defender has kept its word. The America’s Cup is going to have fair rules and a truly independent management of the racing,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President of Mascalzone Latino.
“This change should’ve happened years ago in my opinion. I can see why this important development could last for many years in the future,” Onorato said.

Limits on the number of boats, sails, equipment and support boats, as well as the introduction of no-sail periods will bring significant cost savings for all competitors. Crew sizes will be reduced to 11 members from 17.

For the first time onboard cameramen will be part of the innovative media model that is designed to significantly enhance the television broadcasts and internet content in an effort to grow audiences and bring added value to teams and partners.

In releasing the Protocol, the Defender has forfeited some of the rights traditionally enjoyed by the holder of the trophy in the interest of making the competition more balanced and fair. Majority approval of the competitors is required to amend the Protocol.
“During our six months of planning we spoke to the teams, to commercial partners, to media and to the fans. A clear and compelling vision emerged – that to capture and communicate the excitement our sport can produce, we need the best sailors racing the fastest boat in the world,” Coutts said.
In an effort to develop the next generation of best sailors, the new AC45 will be used for the Youth America’s Cup beginning in 2012, a new initiative to provide young sailors a pathway to the America’s Cup.

With today’s release of the Protocol, class of boat and year in which the match will be held, three of the four cornerstones for the 34th Match are in place. The final piece, the venue, is scheduled to be announced by the end of the year.
For further information please contact:
Tim Jeffery
Director, Communications, ORACLE Racing

 

Uh, Doug, this is news today because?

Repeating a post of a press release from last year isn't news, nor does it support your arguments that people looking to create a North American high prestige race series is a disgusting rebel attack on the saintly America's Cup. Just like you feel that Australians should not have the right to limit entrants (monohulls only) to the Sydney-Hobart, you feel potential new series in North America can not try to satisfy the historical audience abandoned by Larry?

Somehow your enthusiasm for technology and performance causes you to lose the ability to understand that it is okay for different folks to like different things. This isn't a technology versus tradition battleground. No one except you is fighting the PR battle here. Best wishes to Oracle Racing for their AC efforts AND to the folks trying to create a new monohull racing series of similar prestige.

Reposting an old press release from September 2010 isn't interesting or informative.

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CutOnce

 

AC Rebels

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Gee, Bistros thats funny. The press release from last year contradicts every point made by the rebels and is ,therefore, quite relevant.
I don't agree with these characterizations-I think they show an unwillingness to recognize what is obviously behind the rebel "cause".
Larry hasn't abandoned anything-he has raised the level of the Cup and ,as with any change, the naysayers, rrd's(real retro dudes) and opportunists are sticking their heads above ground for awhile. The opportunists are trying to cash in on the America's Cup-no if's ands or buts. They are rooting around to see if they can pick up some scraps and still have an event like the AC-not a chance in hell.

 

I wonder why people with this opinion were not up in arms when Coutts and Cayard were working on their 70' Multihull Event that was to rival the America's Cup just a few years ago?

Of course the Coutts/Cayard project never materialized. I predict this monohull version will not gain a real foothold either. It seems difficult enough to raise money for an AC program. For a team to raise a similar amount of money to win a "no name" regatta in today's evironment is going to be nearly impossible.

 

Ah, come on you silly turkeys, you all know that change HAS come and it's here to stay, no going back, get over it and stop your ridiculous whinging. ALL the hot professional sailors are going multihull. But it's quite okay for you to retain your old school boats ... just stop whining like spoiled brats about the new direction.

 

CHRIS,
Please don't get your Knickers in a Knot.
Refer to my post #321 where I said:-

.
Please don't make me out to be a liar.

 

All the hot professional sailors HAVE been sailing multihulls for many years.

The multihull revolution was fought and done a long time ago. The out-of-date America's Cup stumbled out of it's endless legal/ego nonsense long enough last year to join the multihull party years after everyone else. I don't know what others think, but AC boats that can't sail in acceptable sea states for Optis don't get me excited.

Like many things that were once significant in history, the prestige and relevance of the America's Cup has declined over the years. I can't imagine a major sporting event with less national appeal to both viewers and sponsors. It was ignored and snubbed by just about every mass media market last year, and I don't see things improving dramatically going forward.

I'm all for multihulls in the AC. I personally like the technology, but sometimes improving technology creates a disconnect between the audience and the event. Imagine how successful using Formula One cars at NASCAR races would be? All the audience would be disappointed and you could explain how the F1 cars are better in every way and they would still walk out. Therein lies the issue with "new improved" multihull AC and the American yachting public.

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CutOnce

 

I wasn't making you out to be a liar. Nothing in my earlier post indicated that you were a liar.

I was saying that if you continually attack other people in your sport, and the gear that they choose to sail, then you will attract opposition.

That opposition is to your point of view that multis are better, not opposition to multis themselves.

If you don't want to get people's knickers in a knot, don't regularly insult them and their choice of sporting equipment. Respect their personal taste in their pastimes, just like you may respect those who prefer motorbikes to (faster, safer, more stable) cars, or prefer drinking whiskey over drinking beer, or prefer old surf music to classical or punk. It's that simple.

 

Typical Gary post - starts with an insult, has an unsupported allegation that goes against the facts in the middle, and ends with abuse.

Any chance of a reasoned discussion without slagging people off?

For a start, where is the proof that "all" of the hot sailors are going multi? Have you checked the pro rosters lately? How many pros did the last S-H, for example, compared to multi regattas?

Where is what used to be the premier Euro pro scene, the ORMA 60s?

And should pros be given no route other than multis? Before the cat was allowed back into the Games, people were saying that there was no longer any pro route for pro small-cat sailors. They were saying in effect that "all the hot professional sailors are going to have to go monohull".

The cat sailors then said that it was completely unfair that cat sailors had to get into monos to continue their pro career. Why is it now fair if mono sailors
have to get into multis to continue their pro career?

Many sailors have tried multis and prefer monos. Multis are faster, of course, but what you seem to ignore is the fact that pure speed is not very important to most sailors. If pure speed WAS important to most sailors then they would be on kites or slalom boards, not day-racing multis.

Since pure speed is not important to most sailors, the pure speed of multis is not an advantage and therefore monos can be (for a particular person) a better choice.

One would have thought that anyone with respect for their fellow human beings would allow for others to have their own preference in pastimes, whether it's for chess over checkers, motorbikes over faster and safer and more stable cars, dinghies over beach cats (like Ian Farrier prefers) or monos over multis. But of course, it seems that for some people it's more fun to sneer and abuse than to respect. Some people seem to get off on hate and contempt rather than liking and respect..... god knows why.

But your main point is just wrong. There is no massive shift to multihull sailing. There has been a massive shift AWAY from small cats in many areas - for example the Victorian Yachting Association census of the late '60s showed that the Quickcat was the 3rd most popular class in the state. Nowadays no multi class is near that status.

Similarly, in NSW the most popular cat races are down to anything from about 1/3 to 1/20th of their popularity at their peak. One race that used to attract 300 small cats now get little more than a dozen. The Fastnet allowed in multis and now gets virtually none. The several clubs that allow multis in their offshore fleets around here get virtually none. Events like the Multi Bermuda and Transpac and Crystal Trophy are not exactly exploding in popularity, in fact I think most of them died some time ago.

There is simply no evidence of a huge rise in multi racing and repeating your incorrect claim ad nauseum does not change the truth. In my humble opinion the hate and contempt with which some multi sailors view their fellow man is a part of the problem; rather than considering that perhaps multi racing could be improved, some people are assuming that multi racing is perfect and therefore their fellow sailors are the problem.

It's funny to compare the personal preferences of the one-eyed multi sailors (i.e. those who do not respect those who personally prefer monos) in other areas. Apparently Gary likes motorbikes which are slower and more dangerous than cars, lean over and fall over if the user isn't careful, and have suffered a significant drop in their popularity since their peak. However, does that mean that Gary is a "silly turkey" or a "stick in the mud"?? No, a reasonable person would say that motorbikes (like monos) are fun to use and therefore Gary should be free to enjoy them without being abused by car drivers. So why can't Gary give the same respect to mono sailors?

What a pity that a small minority of multi sailors cannot allow others to enjoy and race what they want to race, and will only respect those who think just like themselves.

 

Jeez Chris.
What a rant.
For the record I don't hate monohull sailboats. I have sailed them for years.
To those who sail them and enjoy them, good Onya. Just not my cup of tea.
I just happen to prefer multihulls because I sincerely believe that Multis are better than Monos in just about every way.
I have been building, sailing, cruising and racing SAILBOATS for 52 years now and feel that I have the experience to make that statement.

 

CT, we've gone all through this stuff before .. and here we go again. For the record, I love the old classic boats, mono and multihull - you should see my library. But the simple point I was making is that change has come ... and it's time to accept it.

 

OS, I'm not sure that anything I wrote in that post equals your own posts, where you have used terms like "ugly lump of metal....old fogies....reactionary mindset....pig headed bigotry".

If you have a personal preference for multis, that's great. However, many of your posts repeatedly insult monos and those who want to race them in mono races.

It's not coming across that monos aren't your cup of tea - it's coming across as if you believe that monos are poisonous and that everyone else has to drink the same blend of tea that you like.

If your posts displayed the "if you sail them and like them good on you" attitude, then they wouldn't annoy some of us. But your posts are often less fair-minded than that.

 

But why not try to make that simple point without the personal abuse?

And why should we accept something when we've been given no evidence that it's happening?

Here in Oz, for example, there was a mere 10 entries for the major 2010 offshore multi race, the Brisbane to Gladstone. That's back to the same entry level as 1971, and about half of what it was in the '80s.

I have already given, several times, the numbers competing in the major local small-cat regattas. Events like the Palm Beach and Kurnell regattas regularly attracted well over 200 boats years ago - now they get 50 to 15 or so.

The ORMA fleet is in disarray, and even if a replacement comes along it's got a long way to go before being as strong as ORMA used to be, or the big F1 boats of the '80s, or F40, or the Class 40 monos or 60 foot monos, or the old UK Micro-Multi scene, or perhaps the trailable multi scene here as it used to be (the QMYC site refers to a drop in trailable multi numbers in the early 2000s).

And yes, the AC has gone multi, but that's just one event and perhaps no more of a sign of things to come than the multi getting dropped from the Games.

So for you to insult and slag off people because they don't believe a change has come and that multis are "the future" is pretty silly considering that the numbers don't say that multis ARE the future. They are great boats, but no one thing is "the future".

One amusing point is that while I tried to find B-G entrant information I came across a 1977 QMYC statement that it wouldn't be long before "
the multihull revolution truly takes off". Piver said it earlier, Crowther said it in the '70s and '80s, Chiodi and others repeated it every month....

This long-awaited revolution in sailboat racing has been spoken about for 40 years now, and the numbers show that the cold hard facts are that it has not arrived.

You can only insult people for not recognising facts when there are facts for them to recognise.

 

Some have the image of elegant monos heeled way over in rough water as an image of sailing at its best. The image is pretty cool. The videos of some of the faster mono racing are pretty cool too.

The other side of the issue is that the AC has a history of being something of a Two headed beast. Many events have been all about sailors, skill, strategy etc. Others have been truly battles of who can come up with the best boat for a given box.

Both sides are valid forms of racing. The AC events that have probably been the best have been those that mix in as much as possible of both.

The AC has more prestige the closer the race is to "the pinnacle of sailing". For any given venue (other than a moth regatta), the fact that multis are clearly superior is pretty easy to see.

Having really high dollar teams racing in boats that are obviously based on rules that end up with so-so performance may indeed determine which team is best, but it just does not seem right when compared to the performance of "off the shelf" cats. When the focus is on the sailors, the travesty of recent ACs is the buying and selling of talent. Each sailor (or at least the vast majority) should have to establish their permanent home in the country they will be sailing for before their team enters the race.

It is not that racing monos is an inferior way to show off good sailing skills etc. It is just that the AC really should be more. It should about racing that makes it obvious that the boat and crew combined have created a level of performance that us mere mortals can look at and say WOW!

It is probably possible to do this (or at least get pretty close) with monos, but it is probably a world easier to do this in multis.

My biggest gripe with the last AC competition (ignoring the hideous politics & legal garbage) was that there was way to much reluctance to go out in heavy conditions. Given that the AC is not a distance race, I understand that performance needs to be good in light conditions. However, they really do need to keep away from the image of a fragile lake boat that can not handle conditions that most regulars have braved on many occasions. Again, this is something to be sneered at instead of racing that everyone can look up to.