America's Cup- Bob Fisher on the state of the Cup

by Bob Fisher on 11 Sep 2014

The much-vaunted America’s Cup Press Conference in London was anti-climatic in every respect. There was nothing new to announce except to introduce the new Commercial Commissioner to the assembled company that had arrived from far and wide. All were agreed that it was a waste of time and money.

Dr. Harvey Schiller, the new Commercial Commissioner, had very little to say and appears stuck with an unenviable task – that of selling the television feed to the networks. As one had to be paid for this in 2013, his chances were unlikely as the viewing figures in the United States (which is where it counts) hardly got off the back stop.

Schiller also said that ACEA was working with San Diego and Bermuda on the choice for the venue and added there was much to recommend both, but that they were still far from a decision. Later he said that there was no intent to change the Protocol requirements or timing over the possible return of entry fees to teams withdrawing – there would be strict adherence to the terms already laid down.

He did indicate to the skippers of the six teams present (Oracle, Team New Zealand, French Team, Luna Rossa, BAR team and Artemis, that he was working with San Diego and Bermuda on the choice for the venue and added there was much to recommend both, but that they were still far from a decision.

One of the more important of the day’s muted revelations was that of Luna Rossa. Max Sirena, the skipper, with some reluctance agreed that the Circolo della Vela Sicilia would be the Challenger of Record club. As such it was to form a Challengers’ Commission to deal with the problems with the Defender as they arise.

There was very little said about the Artemis team, represented by the helmsman, Nathan Outteridge (Team leader (Oracle has dispensed with the title Skipper) Iain Percy stood by but was clearly in control.

Emirates Team New Zealand returns stronger with the addition of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke and have Neil Wilkinson, who was responsible for foils in the Oracle team, and others to strengthen the design team. Grant Dalton was currently elsewhere talking to the team’s sponsors to raise the capital for another challenge.

The French challenge was the most talked about. Franck Cammas’ recent triumph in the C-class equivalent (The International Catamaran Challenge, better known as the Little America’s Cup, a title it is forbidden to use) on a foil-borne boat, is a good pointer, of which Franck, freed from the restrictions of the main stage, said; 'it is more difficult to foil a small catamaran than a bigger one.' Fund raising is to prove a problem, Franck admits: 'it’s good to fight the best teams in the world, but we need the money to win,' adding: 'and there are no tycoons in France to fund us.'

Ben Ainslie’s team is currently concentrating on its new headquarters building, which required 220 piles and the driving of these was stopped when a Second World War shell was discovered in the mud. Ainslie said that took most of a day to clear but work was on schedule on the 35,000 square foot, 90 foot high building in Portsmouth. Ainslie predicted that with the apprenticeships (100 of them), there would be a thousand jobs created in the area by the project. He confirmed that it would be possible to run an ACWS regatta from the base. Such a project was already underway, led by Sir Keith Mills.