Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

America's Cup: The Voice of the America's Cup calls Edition 13

by Suzanne McFadden 14 Mar 2021 04:56 PDT 15 March 2021
Peter Montgomery interviews Peter Blake with Russell Coutts after the 1995 America's Cup win in San Diego © Montgomery archives

Peter (PJ) Montgomery is thriving in his 13th America’s Cup - 41 years after covering his first Cup regatta in Newport, Rhode Island, when Dennis Conner's Freedom defeated James Hardy's Australia in 1980.

Next week, Montgomery will be inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, which has its physical address in the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Rhode Island. He’s only the sixth ‘chronicler’ to join the hallowed hall, usually reserved for Cup sailors, designers, boat builders and syndicate bosses.

It’s not only for his services to broadcasting, and making the America’s Cup understandable for millions of land-lubber fans around the globe. He also helped convince Sir Michael Fay to enter the first New Zealand campaign in Fremantle in 1987. “He still says to this day, ‘You cost me a whole lot of money PJ’,” Montgomery laughs.

Although he retired eight years ago from his regular radio gigs hosting weekend sports shows and roaming the rugby sidelines with a microphone at Eden Park, he keeps getting called back to call the America’s Cup.

“It’s a bit like riding a bike, you remember what to do,” says Montgomery, now in his late 70s.

Anchoring the radio commentary for Gold AM, Newstalk ZB and iHeart Radio, Montgomery’s studio isn’t big, but it’s welcoming. The glass doors are flung open so anyone can stop and listen, and watch the racing on a TV screen out front. Policemen, St John’s staff and ‘city skipper’ volunteers stand under the pohutukawa trees watching Montgomery, wearing colourful spotted socks, in full flight.

It's fascinating witnessing Montgomery at work. He’s very animated - pointing at the bank of screens even though the listeners can’t see - and a master at getting the most out of the sailing experts he surrounds himself with. He never sits down.

His producer, Louis Herman-Watt, says in this America’s Cup, Montgomery has been “reinvigorated by his millennial sidekick”, Kiwi international match racer Chris Steele.

Montgomery invites Steele to give his expert opinion with a quick tap on his shoulder, then asks him to explain to “the little old lady in Riverton” why Team NZ have tacked away from Luna Rossa.

He calls in guest commentators like American Magic helmsman Dean Barker and round-the-world sailor Bianca Cook, and phones old friends out on the racecourse, like former Team NZ sailor Dan Slater and wind guru Jon Bilger, to recount what they’re seeing.

Over the years he’s had some of the Cup’s great sailors as his wing men – winning helmsmen Buddy Melges and Ed Baird (who’ll also be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday), Sir Russell Coutts and Spithill. If it wasn’t for Covid-19, he would have had American sailing legend Gary Jobson doing expert analysis this time, “but this is the first Cup he’s missed since 1964”, Montgomery explains.

“But I’ve really enjoyed working with younger people this time.” A voracious reader, he knows it’s critical to stay current as sailing evolves, especially when you’re trying to paint a picture of never-seen-before foiling monohulls.

“This Cup has been interesting with these incredible flying machines,” he says. “But I’ve been frustrated that with the lockdowns and the whole Covid pandemic we haven’t had the international flavour."

He’s also disappointed by “people who make a sport out of knocking the America’s Cup.” As we sit on the edge of the Viaduct, watching kids leaping into the water, he points out “this was a cesspit in the early '90s, and thanks to the America’s Cup in 1995 and Blake’s vision, Auckland finally has a front door we can be proud of.”

He’s impressed by the AC75s - “when the breeze is up and they’re going, they are spectacular” – but he misses the 12m and IACC Cup boats where you could see the crews at work, particularly the bow and pit men like Team NZ's Joey Allen and Matt Mason.

“Now all you see is the helmets of the guys in the afterguard. What are the rest of them doing?” he says. “The grinders are as aerobically fit as any of the martial arts guys, and all they generate through their grinding is somehow stored. You can see a bunch of TV sets behind Burling, does that allow him to see what’s happening down to leeward?

"There are a lot of secrets that we’re missing out on. That’s the shame to me.”

For the full story click here

A look back at 41 years of America's Cup and sports broadcasting

Related Articles

America's Cup fillibustered by Challengers
A Cup in turmoil - Protocol is unsigned - with entries due to open on Sunday. Updated story: America's Cup got underway in Rome on Monday, with Round 2 of the official welcoming ceremonies on Wednesday in Naples. However three teams are working in collusion and have again issued statements within minutes of each other. Posted on 29 May
America's Cup enthusiastically received in Naples
The Castel dell'Ovo, was the venue for the arrival of the America's Cup in Napes The Castel dell'Ovo, set on the tuft peninsula of Megaride was the outstanding setting for the Official Host Venue Presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup. Posted on 28 May
Italian PM welcomes America's Cup in Rome
Prime Minister Meloni set out a bold vision for the regeneration planned around AC38 The magnificent setting of the Casino del Bel Respiro, commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1644, in the grounds of Villa Pamphilj, was the outstanding and historic setting for the formal presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup. Posted on 26 May
America's Cup: Big changes in crew line-up
Women and Youth crews to sail in AC75 in the next Cup - Final Draft of AC38 Protocol Historic changes are proposed in the Final Draft of the Protocol released by the America's Cup Defender. For the first time a Female and Youth crew members will be part of the six-crew lineup on board the all-electric AC75s. Posted on 23 May
America's Cup: The Blitz of Statements
Various parties associated with the America's Cup released statements calling for more transparency Various parties associated with the America's Cup released statements calling for more transparency in the America's Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand responded by releasing what is tagged as the Final Draft of the Protocol. Posted on 23 May
America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ respond
Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight (NZT) Emirates Team New Zealand has responded to the statements sent overnight by two Challenger teams calling for more transparency in the negotiations over the Protocol and venue for the 38th Match. Posted on 22 May
NYYC American Magic team statement
Concerns over transparency and cooperation necessary to secure a fair Protocol Over the past seven years, we've competed with pride, purpose, and perseverance in two editions of the America's Cup. It has been an honor to represent the New York Yacht Club and the United States on the global stage. Posted on 22 May
Athena Racing concerned over 38th AC transparency
Around the recent announcement of a Host City for the Cup in 2027 Athena Racing, representing Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd. as Challenger of Record for the 38th America's Cup, is concerned by the ongoing lack of transparency around the recent announcement of a Host City for the Cup in 2027. Posted on 22 May
America's Cup: Part 2 - No Excuse to Lose
The last race of the (63+254i) America's Cup has begun where tension deepens and strategy sharpens The last race of the (63+254i)th America's Cup has begun. Earth's syndicate, led by the New York Yacht Club, faces off against the Thalassocratic League of Deniau in a final match — winner takes all. Posted on 18 May
Dalton claims Alinghi are still recruiting
Emirates Team NZ CEO claims the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi are still actively recruiting. In the course of a TV interview following the announcement of the venue for the 38th America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO claimed that the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi, were still actively recruiting, despite being in an "orderly wind-down". Posted on 17 May
PredictWind - Offshore App 728x90 BOTTOMPalm Beach Motor YachtsTrofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca 2025