America’s Cup - No going back

by Gerald New on 22 May 2007 With the self-destruction of the BMW Oracle America’s Cup entry the chances of the next defense taking place in Europe received a considerable boost. Leaving aside Spain's 'weekend warriors', whose turnaround win would settle the matter. New Zealand is looking to be a long shot to stage another AC.

While the dominant Alinghi is quietly getting ready to defend the Cup, the Luna Rossa of Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli, has in their third AC attempt, dispatched the team most favoured to challenge Alinghi. With Emirates team NZL making heavy weather of dispatching the upstart Spain, an all European America’s Cup is looking ever more likely.

The turnaround in the focus of the America’s Cup since Australia broke the stranglehold of the Americans, has now seen the rise and fall of the Aussie/Kiwi axis, before the rise of the Europeans. The USA was reduced to a solitary entry, the Australians are a spent force and New Zealand had to rely on a goverment handout to get their act together.

While South Africa and China raised significant new campaigns, the Europeans fielded seven teams, plus of course the Swiss defender Alinghi. The move to Europe and the change of format, together with the ever improving techniques for presenting the racing to the public, has started to change the public view of this highly technical event.

A non-sailing friend has been leaving the office early to catch the live TV transmission since Desafio reached the semis, but admits that the best bit is in the evening review when they fast forward through all that zigzagging to get the action at the turning marks. Otherwise the only time he knows who is leading is when the graphics show the gain line.

But this is no different to the situation in Formula 1, when without the screen prompts it is impossible to tell the position of any individual driver.

What started as a USA/UK club, with the rules carefully massaged to maintain the defenders dominance, is slowly morphing into a genuine world match racing series. Maybe the right of the holder to set the venue will change to a permanent circuit of venues, with a final AC at the end of a 2 or 3 year cycle, building on the format used for this 32nd Challenge.

The teams taking part in the present event have indicated a preference for another european event, citing the importance of the time-zone for the media audience and the huge market for sponsors, now an increasing influence as the campaign costs spiral ever upwards.

Whatever the make-up of the 32nd America's Cup event in late June, this groundbreaking event in Valencia has finally dragged the most exclusive of sailing events into the 21st century. There can be no going back.