America Cup?!!?

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Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
I waited all day yesterday to watch the race -- I wouldn't call it a RACE and it was boring. So boring I switched over to the PITMASTER's BBQ TV program. It was more exciting as a lot of the cooks have the same professional smoker/cooker I have.

Bring back the old America Cup boats, which I think sadly are gone forever.

Years ago, I got to drive one in St. Maartins. What a thrill it was. How it happened was on the way back to the dock, I noticed the skipper had his eye on 2 gals who were sitting by the mast so I asked him how these boats sailed. He asked me if I had sailed before and I told him I had a C30. He then gave me the wheel and left for the mast and I sailed it the 5 miles back to the dock.
 
Concerto

Concerto

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May 9, 2013
55
Catalina 310 Oyster Bay, NY
I like the innovation and technology of the AC72s but the pure "yacht" racing and strategy of the 12 meters was much more interesting to me.
Having sailed on Canada II in St Maarten as the starboard backstay grinder with my wife as my "Winch Wench", (skipper's words) I appreciate the grace and beauty of the older 12 meter boat.
Wish I could relate to the 72s when I race my C310 "Concerto In Sea" on Wednesday evenings, but I really do love the exhilaration of overtaking another boat at a crisp 6.5 kts with the hull ports under water. No "foils" here, just a dynamite crew and a big old wing keel.
Alan Schaub
Concerto In Sea #189
 
Don Guillette

Don Guillette

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May 17, 2004
2,111
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Alan: The boat I drove was "Canada" also. At the dock, before we left for the boat, they asked who wants to be skipper? No one raised their hand so I did and I got to pick the crew. I picked the biggest guys and gals in the group. We lost the race by inches. Later, when I looked at the pictures taken by the chase boat, I could see why -- the jib had a big cup (C). I had seen it while on the boat but was reluctant to say anything to the skipper -- he was more interested in the "two chippies" anyway.
 
Concerto

Concerto

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May 9, 2013
55
Catalina 310 Oyster Bay, NY
Don,
I guess when you have nothing to do all day but sail beautiful boats and live in St. Maarten you need a diversion (i.e. chippies), to keep from getting bored. LOL.

In our race, in 2008, we beat Stars and Stripes by a good five lengths. It may have been closer than that, but 5 years always makes a story better!!
 
J

JOESFAULTTOO

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Aug 16, 2013
7
Oday Day Sailer Oyster Bay
I used to really love the America's Cup in the 70s. All monohull and even equal specs. Winning depended on sailing skill, not technology. I got to watch a practice session end and the boats returning to dock in Newport RI. What a thrill! Ted Turner was my hero, especially when he slid under the table at the awards dinner and came up with a bottle of booze from under the table. The expression on the faces of the yacht club old guard was priceless. I really don't follow it that much now with all the technology, multihulls, etc.

JOES FAULT TOO
 
Concerto

Concerto

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May 9, 2013
55
Catalina 310 Oyster Bay, NY
Paul,
Good to hear from you. See you on the 9th.
Hmmm, bowling ... sailing? Tough schedule for a month.
It's good to be retired.
 
Concerto

Concerto

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May 9, 2013
55
Catalina 310 Oyster Bay, NY
My favorite sailing hat is the railroad engineer's cap like the one "Captain Outrageous" wore in a 1981 Cutty Sark Scotch ad.
 
Ross S

Ross S

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Oct 20, 2011
120
Precision 21 Great Sacandaga Lake
I'm a little torn on the whole America's Cup this time around. I actually enjoyed watching the AC45 fleet races. And while the AC72's are darned fast, the actual racing has been pretty borning in my opinion. The constant mechanical breakdowns have been disappointing as well. And certainly no one wanted anyone to be seriously hurt or killed. With that all said, as an engineer, I can appreciate the technology in getting those boats to foil! That is amazing to me.

However, I loved the 12 meters and the IACC boats. I appreciated the skill and the strategy and I really appreciated that I could relate it to things on my own little boat. My America's Cup hero growing up was Dennis Conner. Heck, my favorite sailing hat is a "Stars and Stripes US-55" hat. I choose to ignore the 1988 debacle. But I also thouroughly enjoyed the IACC boats, and perhaps my favorite IACC America's Cup was in 1995 when Black Magic defeated Young America skippered by Dennis Conner. Not so much because of the actual Cup races, but because I thought it was very exciting to watch Dennis win the right to defend in what was generally agreed to be the slowest boat in the competition. To me that was exciting! Not to mention that there is something majestic in the appearance of two large monohulls side by side beating upwind.

The America's Cup is a sporting event that is very much in flux. I doubt we'll be seeing the AC72's again. It failed to draw the intrest that was hoped for and they've proven to be delicate machines at best (dangerous ones at worst).

I'm going to paraphrase "To the Third Power" by Paul Larsen, a book about Bill Koch's defense in 1992. The America's Cup is about 4 things in this order:

1. Fund raising
2. Technology
3. Management
4. Sailboat racing

I'm going from memory...it's been awhile since I read that book. Even if I don't have it quite right, the general sentiment remains true.
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,432
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I'm guessing that I would rather watch "Wind" on VCR than the current America's Cup ... just based on these comments. But I haven't tuned in. If you aren't specifically looking for it, there certainly isn't any buzz about it, that's for sure.
 
J

JOESFAULTTOO

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Aug 16, 2013
7
Oday Day Sailer Oyster Bay
You bet. Had I not seen the post about the cup race, I would have thought it was no longer held. And yes, WIND is worth watching again and again.

JOES FAULT TOO
 
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