Gladwell's Line- April Fooled
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 4 Apr 2015
Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa practice recing in their AC45 on the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland. 10 /1/2013 Chris Cameron/ETNZ
http://www.chriscameron.co.nz
From the Editorial of Sail-World.com’s New Zealand e-magazine for April 4, 2015
Wednesday was April 1, in New Zealand and March 31 in the slower time zones of USA and Europe.
The various media releases came thick and fast.
April 1 and its Eve are traditionally a time for some rather bizarre releases as various elements of the sailing media publish stories design to fool the reader, at least for a paragraph or two. Traditionally too, there is a lot of licence allowed as various personalities and events in the sailing world are lampooned - usually very cleverly and with great skill.
First came one where twice Round the World race winner, Ross Field announced he would be putting together a pensioner crew for the next Volvo Ocean Race.
Then came another from Sailing Scuttlebutt, USA:
America’s Cup teams vote to change boat
(April 1, 2015) – The six teams entered in the America’s Cup have voted this week on changing the class of boat to be used in the 35th America’s Cup. While initially believed that the proposal was to reduce the size of the boat from the AC62, which had previously been announced in June 2014, the teams have approved a change to J-Class yachts.
Last used for the Cup in the 1930’s, the J’s re-appearance after an 80 year absence reflects a grass roots resurgence in the class, which now boasts more new boats than restored originals. The J-Class Association had already accepted an invitation from the Organisers of the 2017 America’s Cup to participate in a J Class regatta prior to the AC35 event, with eight J-Class yachts scheduled to Click here to read the full story.
Like any good April Fools day spoof, the story had a good ring of truth to it.
Then came one from the America's Cup Media. It read:
America’s Cup teams usher in new era
The America’s Cup teams have agreed to make changes aimed at significantly reducing costs for the 2017 America’s Cup.
'Central to these changes is the introduction of an exciting new America’s Cup Class - a wing-sailed, foiling catamaran between 45 and 50 feet.'
“The move to the new America's Cup Class is a major step forward for the America’s Cup,” said Commercial Commissioner Harvey Schiller, following the vote.
Couldn't they be a little more original, we thought?
Then the reality of what had occurred sank in, and one of the more tumultuous weeks in America's Cup history had begun.
The ball was then firmly in Italian Challenger Luna Rosa as to whether they would stay true to their statement of a few days earlier saying that they would withdraw from the 2017 America's Cup if the AC62 class were changed on a majority basis only.
It took 48 hours, but then the Italians put principle above pragmatism, and a four-time Challenger was gone.
Such is the standing of Luna Rossa in New Zealand, that the story was the lead item on the prime time news on TVNZ.
In 2000, their skipper Francesco de Angelis, was awarded an Honorary Officer of the NZ Order of Merit - the first foreigner to receive the Honours award - a further indicator of the depth of affection in New Zealand for the Italian team.
It was probably not surprising that Emirates Team NZ CEO, Grant Dalton twice supported Luna Rossa in their falling out with America's Cup organisers.
His punishment for the first 'transgression' was to have the Auckland Qualifier removed. And for the second, Dalton copped a public ticking off by the four remaining skippers in the 2017 America's Cup.
Being sent to stand at the back of the class for not agreeing with the dictates of America's Cup organisers is not a new experience for Emirates Team NZ.
The Kiwis were excluded for not agreeing before a Competitors Meeting in London, to an undertaking to support Bermuda and San Diego as 35th Match Venues - knowing that supporting Bermuda would cost the team its Government investment.
The rational for the change of boat to the AC45 is said to be cost.
Back in June 2014, Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill said in a media release announcing the AC62:
“This new boat is going to be significantly lighter and under much less load than what we raced last time, which makes for a big cost-saving when it comes to how it gets built,” said Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill.
“At the same time, as designers, boat-builders, and sailors, we’re all starting to come to grips with how to get the most out of foiling, wing-sailed multihulls, so I think we’ll see similar, if not greater performance this time around.”
This time the mandate was to get similar performance from a slightly smaller boat, but one that would be significantly less expensive to design, build and campaign. Initial calculations by the designers have the cost of the AC62 at about half that of the AC72.
This was eight months after the end of the 34th America's Cup - time which should have allowed a proper evaluation of costs.
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It is surprising that the Cup organisers believe that a smaller boat is the solution to the objective to lower costs, when Oracle Team USA were signing at least one grinder on a more than two-year contract at $25,000 per month, plus a $4,000 per month accommodation allowance. That's an eye-watering cost of almost USD700,000 over the two year period.
While it is claimed that it is only since the teams have been sailing the foiling AC45 in San Francisco, over the past few months have they realised that the AC45 can be as fast as the AC72. But Oracle Team USA was sailing foiling AC45's in 2012, and computer modelling should have been able to show the speed potential of the smaller boats.
The principle over Luna Rossa's departure is a simple one - that all have to agree on a change of boat, not a majority.
However, Luna Rossa set themselves up for that when they allowed their effective right of veto over any changes to the Protocol to be decided by a majority of the Challengers.
Whether that right extends to changing the Class to be used in the America's Cup will be decided by the yet to be populated Arbitration Panel.
In any other Event, conducted under the auspices of the International Sailing Federation, you could not change such a basic element of the event, without re-opening entries and refunding/reimbursing those who did not wish to compete in the new class.
The Class change and subsequent withdrawal of Luna Rossa has done huge damage to the America's Cup. Competitors of their calibre and presence are not easily attracted to such an event.
The talk of new competitors entering the America's Cup is hard to believe with just 26 months remaining to the start of the Match, and on the current timelines the AC48 would have to start build in 12 months time in April 2016.
Of course the Arbitration Panel could well decide that the switch to the AC48 was illegal, and that the next Match had to be sailed in AC62's as per the original Protocol and Entry, unless there was unanimous agreement for the Class change - which is clearly not the case.
Oracle Team USA's track record in front of an adjudication body is not good - losing three cases and winning one in the last America's Cup cycle.
There is a lot more to come on this story.
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Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
sailworldnzl@gmail.com
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