Sail-World NZ Editorial- Looking to better days!

by Richard Gladwell, nzeditor@sail-world.com on 25 Oct 2007 Welcome to the mid-week edition of Sail-World.Com/NZ's newsletter

In this edition we are featuring several reports and reactions to the America's Cup Hearing in New York on Tuesday (NZT).

As most picked, the decision was adjourned, with Justice Cahn giving no indication of his views, save for a cryptic comment to Mascalzone Latino when they tried to introduce their amici curiae letter to the Court.

Justice Cahn was quick to note that the hearing was about the legitimacy of the Challenger of Record. That is a far cry from the convoluted hearing in the case of Mercury Bay in 1988 when first the Coromandel club had to get their challenge accepted, which the Court duly ordered; and then go back after the Match had been sailed and argue that it was not fair (a point not contained in the Deed of Gift). When they were successful on that point, the matter went to Appeal and was overturned.

As one commentator told Sail-World 'I think Alinghi has cause to feel a little anxious right now. The wolves appear to be circling.'

There appears to be little real progress in the negotiations.

The smart move at this stage would be for the Defender to admit a mistake, albeit it well intentioned; substitute Golden Gate YC as Challenger of Record, along with a Challenger of Record Committee - established as has happened previously; negotiate a new Protocol based on full Mutual Consent; get the Challengers who are outside the circle involved and get the show on the road for Valencia in 2009.

In the long haul, what real difference is it going to make if Club Nautico Espanol de Vela or a Challenger of Record Committee were representing the Challengers in the event?

Most fans couldn't even tell you who the Challenger of Records were in Auckland. It is a non-entity once the the formal process of Challenge and negotiation of the initial Protocol are achieved - which must be done in the best interests of the many, not the few.

The downsides of not acting before the decision are significant, and certainly holding out to stage a America's Cup in Dubai in 2011, would probably be a financial stretch beyond more than most teams can stand. And for what gain?

If Alinghi prevails in New York - what is there to look forward to - an event in 19 months, with just five or six teams - and the Defender sailing in the Challenger Series?

The objective must surely be to have an event in 2009 with around 10 teams competing, under Mutual Consent, Neutral Management, and with a separate Defender and Challenger Series. How the America's Cup family collectively achieve this goal is secondary.

The What and When of the 33rd America's Cup, are far more important than the How.

Over the weekend the OK Dinghy class held its 50th Anniversary, with the staging of the North Shore Championships and a Dinner.

The occasion was also the opportunity to induct Clive Roberts and Leith Armit into the OK Hall of Fame.

Clive is probably not that well known to younger readers. He won 10 National Championships, five Interdominions, and one World Championship in his 33 short years. But sailing exploits aside, Clive was probably the greatest salesman for the sport of sailing that New Zealand has ever seen. Aside from the unstinting promotion of the OK class (which was THE singlehander in NZ before the advent of the Laser) -and if you didn't own and sail an OK then you would have Clive on your case, until you did.

He was also the person who introduced the Optimist to New Zealand, bringing in a light blue fibreglass boat home from one of his international campaigns.

However Clive's greatest attribute, aside from his blinding ability to sidestep sailing bureaucracy, was his willingness to educate and tell others what he was doing in his boat, why and generally spreading the sailing gospel. The above picture of one of these sessions, in the boatpark at Takapuna was pretty typical, and generally started from someone coming up soon after the race and asking a question or making a comment. Soon the crowd had gathered - and a racing clinic was in full swing, again.

The scorecard of straight wins, visible just below the photo is pretty typical of Clive. This one was achieved in conditions ranging from 5kts to 35kts. No mean feat for a very solid boy, who liked his icecream!

Clive was killed in a car crash, on the way to speak present prizes at Thames Sailing Club. For many NZ sailors it was a JFK moment - everyone can remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of his accident. The reaction of all his friends was to continue the work that Clive had started, and the strength of sailing particularly on Auckland's North Shore is his lasting legacy. So too is the 3,500 strong Optimist fleet and current World Championship, that grew from Clive's idea of importing just one boat from Sweden.

We've reproduced a few other photos from that era of 1966 to 1974 to give an insight into a world and some characters from a very different era. (See: www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=38575) Maybe there's something we all can still learn from Clive's outstanding example.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

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