Revisionist History
We wish the debacle of the 27th America’s Cup in 1988 would have recalled the elements of mercurial suspense that never was allowed to materialize by the court. It could have produced an incredible conclusion to the ongoing folly that had transpired that summer, with a cat and foil show leading to one of greatest, yet most bizarre America’s Cup ever.
It is in the spirit of that passion dream drama that vaporized, that many are now wanting for wonder, a bonus America’s Cup next summer. At this point who doesn’t want to see at least one high tech parley of tri-hulled foils ripping it out on the Mediterranean?
If Groupama 3 can give its skipper, multihull legend Franck Cammas a pass for next summer and the Swiss son of Hydroptere can hold it together for a couple of hours on a race course, bring it on. Groupama is a French Trimaran team competing for the Jules Verne the around the world speed trophy.
A generation ago we were left with a could of, should of, and what would have been, to allow Peter de Savary’s unorthodox, but spectacularly fast Blue Arrow foil to race against New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton Cup. Then after cleaning up on the Kiwi’s, race Dennis Conner’s catamaran Starts and Stripes for the America’s Cup. Wow!
Why it didn’t happen, throws in all the complexities of the legal maneuvering that was going on at the time. As excited as Sail America was to have de Savary’s Royal Burnham Yacht Club enter the fray against Fay, I bet the thrill would soon chill at the prospect of having to race Blue Arrow for the ‘Cup.
Inevitably, New York Supreme Court Judge Carmen Ciparik ruled that New Zealander Michael Fay’s Mercury Bay Challenge’s direct challenge for the America’s Cup, precluded the right of a sail off against de Savary and the other teams who were shut out, allowing for the mono a monocat race against Stars and Stripes. The verdict resulted in a 2-0 1887 walkabout.
For all the ‘Cup melodrama so long ago the New York Supreme Court ended up handing the ‘Cup to New Zealand anyway. All this even after Conner defended the honor of his yacht club on the water with Star’s and Stripes. The New York judge sent the trophy down under the following March.
The America’s Cup was finally returned to the San Diego Yacht Club on appeal two years later. As history recalls, all this occurred before the auld mug got its silver bashed in by a kiwi lunatic who destroyed the trophy with a sledgehammer.
Back to the present, BMW Oracle representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco, California is now anxiously, impatiently waiting for the Geneva Yacht Squadron (SNG) and America’s Cup Management (ACM) to respond to Judge Herman Cahn’s ( the New York Supreme Court again) verdict.
According the bylaws of the deed of gift, the America’s Cup is a charitable trust and all disputes involving the ‘Cup are to be arbitrated and resolved by the New York Supreme Court and there after, thru the New York and United States Court systems.
In Judge Cahn’s ruling, he was very clear on Nautico Club Espanol de Vela’s (CNEV) lack of qualifications as a bona fide challenger of record. It goes beyond having not run an annual regatta, to its charged responsibility of running an America’s Cup regatta. If you haven’t even run races for cases… of beer, what would possibly qualify a club to run the biggest regatta in the world?
SNG/Alinghi will probably wait until the court to release its order, whether Tom Ehman and Russell Coutts of BMWO like it or not. Time is more of Alinghi’s ally than BMW’s, as a month’s head start on the boat of choice is to their advantage. It is possible that Alinghi could have more than a two or three month’s head start in a 10 months window, before announcing their intentions.
Last week Ernesto Bertarelli’s released his “vision” for changing the deed. Ultimately it is unnecessary; just establish mutual consent with a viable challenger of record. Gee wiz, what real yacht club anywhere in the world doesn’t have an annual regatta and wouldn’t jump at the chance to sign a defense driven protocol? In his letter, it seems like Bertarelli has spent the last six weeks on the Island of Patmos, inspired now by some sort of “revelation”.
In Bertarelli’s world he’s is in this position due to a “technicality” and the deed is outdated, “after all it was written over 150 years ago”. (ed: actually only 120) I guess his antiquity would make the Bible and the Constitution out of date as well. He would like to see a defender regulated back to the pack and the governance of the ‘Cup permanent. The beauty of the whole affair is being able to win the trophy and bring the “super bowl” back to your home town!
Joining in the argument now is the New York Yacht Club itself.
Talk about a club that couldn’t get it done on the water. In 1986 the NYYC challenge America ll built three rather uninspiring boats, and then had to press gang their skipper back, after he “jolly rodger’d” them.
That year, hull shapes not keel shapes held the keys to victory. In 2000 their boat Young America split in half in the second round robin and their “ace in the hole” for the next round was unprepared to finish the job.
In 2003, under the “leadership” of Mr. America’s Cup, Dennis Conner; their boat suffered irreparable damage when the keel went aground, collapsing the structure of the hull during a training accident in Long Beach, CA.
Now, the club’s chairman of the America’s Cup Committee George Carmany lll has entered the fray, stating that he “hoped our discussions will lead to agreements that will benefit all members of the broader America’s Cup community”.
The club appears to be duplicitous in its actions at least and if it wants to get evolved, it should have the onions to challenge the Swiss in the regatta. What does the club’s chairman do these days anyway; host luncheons?
The crux of BMW’s argument against the new protocol was that the defenders were running the challenger series, in addition to being able to participate in them. According to SNG/Alinghi the major problem in a billionaire dominated America’s Cup cycle was that the defender would lack the resources to simultaneously conduct a defense and prepare a host port city.
The current defense motes operandi comes from New Zealand where the NZ Yacht Squadron developed a defense strategy of one national team, citing that their country lacked the resources for multiple defenses…yea right. This comes from a country where only the sheep outnumber the boats.
The Royal Perth Yacht Club conducted a vigorous defense in 1987, as did San Diego in 1992 and ’95. The Kiwis ended up being pissed at the ambiguities in SDYC’s defense in 1995, when Dennis Conner was allowed in the back door, this after being eliminated by Mighty Mary and Young America. He then went on to become a lackadaisical defender with the wrong boat and the right sails.
I believe that Ellison and Bertarelli had a great formula idea in place for the 32nd America’s Cup. They worked together to create the “Acts” program. In the intervening years they brought the ‘Cup back to Newport, RI and San Francisco, CA. The Acts showed up in Trapini, Italy, Marseilles, France and Sweden for a series of points counting races.
The ACM should create, thru mutual consent a Grand Prix style circuit with venues in Auckland, Calais, Portugal/Valencia and Asia. If the challengers want a bang for their buck, have them each host an “Act” over the two year interval, leading up to the semi-finals.
Then have the top four teams arrive in Valencia or San Francisco for the Louis Vuitton Series for a best of seven to face the defender. The actual races would encapsulate the port for the better part of six weeks. Intermittently showcase the remaining teams, in a series of repechage fleet races.
By building a continuity of competition every four years, this would allow enough time for the “super bowl” of yachting and an audience of the planet to embrace the world’s oldest ongoing sporting event.
