Part of what I like about the AC is their uniqueness. While I consider it sailing, it is a boat with sails, it is very far removed from what most of us do daily. Great. They are unique, just like my neighbor on either side of me. My buddy on port races his San Juan all over, whole deck full of crew, loud, busy, whatever. And I wonder every day why. Although his boat resembles mine somewhat, depending on the perspective of the critic, that's where any resemblance stops. David would no more have a flat screen and microwave on his boat than I would that gawdawful tiller and barberhaulers. But we're good friends and admire each others boats all the same.
Now, while I had rather eat a possum than turn on a TV, the aforementioned Nascar point was brought up. That is an exact example as I can think of. If I happen to remember it, I will turn on the Talladega race. It's largely a race of aerodynamics, and that part I like. I don't know one driver from the next, and not give one damn who won. Or in what brand of car either. Because like said, these cars resemble a Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota SOMEWHAT. That's it. They kinda look like them. Would the public tune in and sit down to watch a bunch of foreign made mommy-mobiles go 110 miles an hour around the track? Hell, you can go to Harris-Teeter and watch that. And nobody is going to give a fat red cent to watch us old cruisers run around the pins while throwing beer cans at each other.
The Americas Cup has a longer than 100 year old history of cheating, lying, manipulating, suing, skullduggery, back-stabbing, and all other kinds of character defects, some even invented by the NYYC. Good. Rich boys, rich toys, so what. I too miss the wrangling days of DC, twelve meters, aluminum boats and all. But it's all about the money. And unless nobody's noticed, horse and buggy racing is not very popular. I'm sure the Amish love it, but nobody else would pay to see it. You can kinda see where this is going..
So is it sailing? No, not like we do, of course not. But they are sailing. And people are watching it. Paying money to do it. And new equipment gets prototyped and tested for us, the poor. Lowly Yachtsmen. Downtrodden.
And can you imagine what a lot of people think about us?
