America’s Cup Changes of Heart
Oracle Team USA
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC
The most likely contenders for the 35th America’s Cup — Italy, France, Sweden, Britain and New Zealand — gathered in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago to bitch about things, and in particular, about the possible venues having dwindled down to San Diego or Bermuda. This was followed by the bomb that Hamilton Island YC, the Challenger of Record, was dropping out of the Cup altogether.
The remaining teams have more recently met again in London, and they all seem to be singing a different tune. Well, all but New Zealand, which was told by Russell Coutts, the Kiwi honcho at Oracle Team USA, not to bother coming to the meeting. According to a press release, the remaining teams have agreed to the following:
- Regular meetings encompassing all teams in order to work collectively to maximize the potential of both this America’s Cup and future editions.
- Each team will plan to host an America’s Cup World Series event in either their own country, or a country of their choice.
- All the teams present agreed that they would commit – if they were to win the Cup in 2017 – to continue with the America’s Cup World Series.
- A commitment to further reduce the costs for both this Cup and future editions.
- Support for the choice of host venue, be it Bermuda or San Diego.
- A working group to agree on the date and event structure of the 36th America’s Cup, to lay the foundations for a sustainable event.
Except for the business about ‘support for the venue, be it Bermuda or San Diego’, the rest is much ado about nothing.
Why the change of heart about San Diego or Bermuda? The cynic in us says it’s all about the money. Members of the America’s Cup teams are paid well. Particularly well compared to the work most of them would otherwise be doing. So if it’s the choice between the Cup’s being held in a less-than-ideal place and everybody’s getting paid a lot of money, and the Cup’s not being held at all and everybody’s having to get regular jobs, it’s not really a choice, is it?
How about Alameda for the America’s Cup venue? Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore — the city’s first African-American mayor, and by many accounts one of the more competent mayors in the Bay Area, recently sent the America’s Cup organizers a letter inviting them to consider Alameda. She noted that thanks to the old Alameda Naval Air Station’s having been closed down, they could easily accommodate all the America’s Cup teams. Indeed, Alameda was the Artemis Team base for the last Cup, and they are still there. What she failed to mention was that if the Cup course were from the mouth of the Estuary to the Encinal YC and back, it would indeed be stadium seating unlike anywhere else. Not that we think that’s what she has in mind. If she is thinking about still using the ultra-scenic San Francisco waterfront course, San Francisco would still have to be a huge player. And we all know how enthusiastic the city fathers are about it.
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