A Loaded Dais

by Roland Keith, for Quokka Sports on 26 Oct 2000 America's Cup skippers such as Dennis Conner, Russell Coutts, Peter Gilmour and Chris Dickson took the stage in Bermuda and offered upbeat feelings about the Auld Mug's future.



Wall Street might have the jitters, but for America's Cup skippers with their eyes on Auckland, New Zealand, and the next challenge for the Cup in 2003, the word is full speed ahead.
The biggest gathering of Cup luminaries since Team New Zealand's 5-0 victory last March is currently gathered in Bermuda for the Colorcraft Gold Cup, the last event on this year's inaugural Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour. After two days of preliminary competition, eight hopefuls have already been thanked and dismissed. Of the remaining 16 contestants, all are ready to sail tomorrow and all but one have major roles in the next Cup or are looking for one.

Nine of the skippers were on the dais today for a relaxed press conference, notable for its bonhomie and good cheer. A 10th participant was Russell Belden, the confident, 26-year old CEO of the (other) Seattle Challenge out of the Seattle Corinthian Yacht Club. Belden's 22-year-old skipper Dalton Bergan has won his way through to the championship round, but it was the salesman and not the sailor who did the talking today. As skippers like Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg admitted they were still not signed up for the next Cup, the young entrepreneur confidently predicted that he would sign a title sponsor before the year's end.

From others at the conference table, the mood was less brash and more reflective. Russell Coutts traded quips with his old opponent Dennis Conner, while Chris Dickson and Peter Gilmour lavished praise on Team New Zealand's accomplishments in back-to-back Cup victories.

Baird led off the opening verse in a chorus of appreciation for the new lease on life the involvement of a bunch of billionaires is expected to bring to the Cup. And young Kiwi Dean Barker who was thrust into the skipper's role at Team New Zealand, went out of his way to acknowledge the debt that his country owed to Coutts and the other team members who migrated to other Cup programs half way around the world. Surprisingly, Holmberg who sailed last time with Conner, said that he hadn't signed with anyone for the next go around.

The only Cup notables absent from the table were 22-year-old Aussie skipper James Spithill who is racing in Bermuda but didn't come to the conference, and Italy's Francesco de Angelis, who didn't come to Bermuda because he was meeting his thousands of fans and supporters at the Genoa Boat Show.

The biggest news from the conference came from Sweden's Magnus Holmberg who revealed that just day's ago he and his four Stora Enso match racing team members had signed up with that country's challenge for 2003. They already have a trial-horse, New Zealand's NZL-38 and with German Frers as their designer are planning two boats and looking well beyond the next challenge.

The conference opened with some general remarks and Conner, in rare form, drew applause and laughter from an appreciative audience with the first quip of the night. "On a positive note, the last match racing event I can remember doing, I won," he said. "The only problem is, that it was at the Congressional Cup in Long Beach in 1973 ... so it has been 28 years since I sailed in a regatta of this sort. I hope I can repeat."

Belden who was virtually pinned into his seat by Conner's shoulder, said it was great to be rubbing elbows with the America's Cup names on the podium. He might have added, literally rubbing elbows. Turning to Conner, he said: "Mr. Conner, you won your last match race the year I was born!"

Conner retorted with a smile: "Better to be a 'has-been' than a 'never-was!'"

Baird was the first of several conferees to prophesize a new era for the Cup. We are seeing a continuous progress of the challengers as a group to move forward and put stronger and stronger campaigns together, he said. "That is going to make this next event extra special."

Barker described the months following the departures of many Team New Zealand members for other countries as "a very interesting time." He added: "For us the biggest issue has been getting the funds in place to match a lot of these challengers in terms of salaries and things."

Conner agreed with Baird that the next Cup has the markings of a special event. "With the interest of these wealthy individuals (billionaire challengers) we are going back and repeating history, whether it is the Vanderbilts, the Morgans or the Liptons. The rest of the world will see this event now as regaining some of the luster it had 100 years ago."

He cautioned not to underestimate New Zealand's ability to defend the Cup in 2003, despite the defection of many of its key team members to challenging syndicates. "I have such tremendous respect for the P Class sailing program (youth sailing) and the New Zealand people have such a strong will to win and fantastic ability. Anyone who writes off Team New Zealand at this point is remiss."

Dickson and Gilmour joined Conner in acknowledging New Zealand's back-to-back Cup victories. "The totality of their achievement is really quite amazing when you sit down and actually spend a little time dissecting it."

In 70 minutes of give and take notable for its introspection, it was Conner who offered up the most candor. Asked if he would challenge next time from the New York Yacht Club, Conner revealed that he wanted to represent New York in Fremantle in 1987 and in Auckland last year. "I've had two unsuccessful bids, you might say, to represent the club," he said. "It would be a nice dream for me to win the Cup and bring it back to New York and the trophy room at the New York Yacht Club. It would be nice closure. While it might be a dream, I would relish the chance for it to be reality.

"I have had a chance to win the Cup back for the United States (since the loss in 1983) to San Diego and frankly it was a hollow victory. I think the tradition of the Cup belongs to the Northeast, San Diego didn't appreciate it. It started there (in New England) close to 150 years ago and they really appreciate it. I think New York City would be a wonderful venue but we have to win it first. I can't speak for the club but, we're close to a deal."