Sail-World NZ: Editorial - May 22 - America's Cup, Paul Whiting, RS Feva Nationals.
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 22 May 04:41 PDT
22 May 2025
In one simulation instance, the naves sail as J-Class yachts — a tribute to the golden age of the Cup © Pierre-Jean Cottalorda
A week ago, Naples was confirmed as the host of the 38th America's Cup - chipping in what is believed to be €100million (NZ$190.5million) for a turnkey event.
It was the final nail in the coffin of Auckland's hopes of hosting the Cup, indeed of ever hosting an America's Cup.
Three offshore venues were prepared to meet that level of €100million investment. Previously, the event was offered to New Zealand entities (Govt, Auckland Council and Private Backers for less than 80% of that amount, of which the NZ Govt's share was only NZ$40-50million. That excludes the usual Govt add-ons, such as traffic management, stormwater systems, Police etc) used by the politicians to greatly inflate the hosting fee which is regurgited by an unquestioning mainstream media. The NZ Govt's share was a similar amount to the Hosting Fee paid for the 2021 Cup of only NZ$40million - all of which went towards international broadcast costs.
But Wellington turned down Team New Zealand's generous offer.
A day after Naples was announced as the venue, NZ Finance and Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis rubbed salt in Auckland's Cup Hosting wound, announcing that the NZ Govt would be providing the film industry funding "needed to sustain the International Screen Production Rebate..an increase of $577 million across this year and the next four takes total funding for the rebate scheme to $1.09 billion over the forecast period," according to the NZ Govt media channel.
"At last count, our screen sector provided work for about 24,000 people and generated about $3.5 billion in annual revenue." Willis feared that many of those jobs would have been lost without the NZ Government's rebate.
By comparison, the New Zealand marine industry employs 39,000 people and has an annual revenue of $3 billion, of which $800 million is exported.
So why is it out of the question to invest in the America's Cup hosting with its benefits for the NZ Marine, Hospitality and Tourism industry?
It is very easy to talk about the need for growth, but it is something else again to make a positive investment that will benefit an industry that has proven that it can punch well above its weight. That is to say nothing of the marine industry's contribution to other international projects needing world leading composite engineers and big facilities.
Full marks to Auckland Unlimited for their efforts for the America's Cup hosting and the other backers involved. Auckland's best chance of some America's Cup action may be in hosting a Preliminary Regatta - but what is planned on this front has not been declared, and there is no indication of what or when that will be.
Outwardly it's all quiet on the America's Cup Challenger front. The start clock is running down fast.
With just over two years until the next Cup, only two teams have demonstrated serious intent - other than talk - towards the next America's Cup.
Luna Rossa will be on the start line at Naples for what will be their seventh tilt at the Cup - arguably their eighth - after withdrawing 18 months into the 2017 America's Cup when the class was changed from an AC62 wingsailed foiling catamaran to the AC50 one-design.
In this, the 38th America's Cup, the Italians were the first to sail in the first week of May in their AC40 sailing in One Design mode.
Quite what the point of that outing was, other than for media reasons, is not clear. No one can sail an AC75 or AC40/LEQ12 in test configuration until 12 months following the last Cup, or October 20, 2025.
Emirates Team New Zealand have announced a core sailing team, and look to be hard at work. Their boats and kit have returned from Barcelona.
But beyond that, there's nothing certain. The other teams - real and potential - are keeping schtum.
The French issued a note on social media welcoming the Cup again being held in the Mediterranean. Les Tricolores do have some useful kit, but have a lot of work ahead of them. Putting a note out on Facebook is a long way short of putting together $100million and assembling a 100plus team. Yes, it can be done for less. But the chances of success are also reduced. In terms of assets from the last Cup, the French, USA and Italy, do have the physical pre-requsites. Mixed messages still accommpany the Swiss and British efforts.
We have looked at this situation in more detail in a story in this newsletter.
Paul Whiting
About the time of the America's Cup venue announcement, I was one of more than 200 people gathered at the Ponsonby Cruising at a Tribute for Paul Whiting, who, along with his wife Alison, and crew John Sugden and Scott Coombes, were presumed lost at sea on January 9, 1980.
Paul was 28 yrs old at the time of the incident and a prolific yacht designer, beginning with his first successful design, the 25ft Reactor, at the age of 15 years. Along with his sister Penny, Paul started boat building underneath a few bits of corrugated iron in the alleyway between his father's factory in Mt Roskill and the cabinetmakers next door.
Paul is the youngest of four New Zealand designers who designed boats which won at least one of the three "Ton Cups", which first gained notoriety in New Zealand after Rainbow II's win off Heligoland in 1969. The other three were Ron Holland, Bruce Farr and Laurie Davidson.
He also had the distinction of designing, building and racing the 1976 Quarter Ton Cup winner, Magic Bus, when Whiting was just 24yrs old. The win in Corpus Christi, Texas, was the second in succession for New Zealand with the Bruce Farr-designed 727, sailed by Graeme Woodroffe, Roy Dickson, Rob Martin and Murray Crockett winning the trophy the previous year, and the Ron Holland design Eygthene winning the Quarter Ton Cup in 1973
When clearing up Paul's effects, his brother discovered drawers packed with yacht designs ranging from the 25ft Quarter Tonner to a 65ft "Maxi". Many of these were displayed on trestle tables and walls around three walls of the club on Thursday night along with photos and other memorabilia from the era. They ran out of table and wall space to show them all.
We'll have more of the Paul Whiting story later this week.
Fair winds, Chalkie
Sadly we note the passing of one of the likeable rogues of small boat sailing and the sailing media .
Ted "Chalkie" Bland passed away at the end of April. I first came across Chalkie, sailing OKs in my late teens, and then again when we sailed against each other in the first NZ nationals for the then new Int. Contender class, in the early '70s. By then Chalkie had moved on from the OKs to the skiff classes - mainly 18ft skiffs. He finished third in the 1978 18ft skiff Nationals, behind Russell Bowler and former JJ Giltinan champion Terry McDell. He stayed with the skiffs and club being Commodore of the ASC. He sailed Quarter Tonners, helming Pinto (the Farr 727 hull plug) to second in the 1976 Quarter Ton trials finishing a close second to Magic Bus which went on to win the Quarter Ton Cup.
Starting as a schoolteacher (hence the sobriquet), he moved into publishing with a major multinational, and moved across to several editorial roles in the sailing media - first at the former Nautical News where I started out as a freelancer in 1983. After NZ Yachting magazine folded, he started NZ Sailing magazine to fill the gap - where I was again a freelance contributor covering the major events as well as a monthly column, as I had been doing at NZ Yachting. He handed the ownership over in December 1999 to a couple of ASC mates Greg Roake and Noel Fleet who kept the NZ Sailing flag flying for another 12 months.
Chalkie thrived in the cut and thrust of the sailing media - on both the editorial side and the ongoing battle to get advertising support. He was a great and enthusiastic editor, and because of his sailing background he understood was right and wrong with the sport.
His heart was always in small boat sailing, both from a personal racing, and then shepherding his two children Elizabeth and Robert with their successes at dinghy level. As a privately owned magazine, it was alway a day to day fight in the publishing game. The Chalk relished calling on an extensive network of sailing networks - often to snatch a deal from under the nose of the opposition - the story of which would be regaled on the next visit to the office.
Each always ended with the phrase "You've got to get up pretty early to beat The Chalk", accompanied by his signature, toothy grin.
Hard to believe we won't see him a coming around the corner of a sailing club, about to launch with the latest story. Chalkie was 81yrs. We'll have more on him in the coming week.
317th America's Cup
In this edition, we have the second part of a "science-fiction" series which looks at the 317th America's Cup by French author Pierre-Jean M. Cottalorda, Ph.D. It is remarkable for the quality of English and how the language has been adapted. But the images developed with the assistance of AI are amazing. This story grows on you even if you aren't a Sci-Fi fan.
Foilers unite for the Gulf
"Foil4TheGulf", set to take place next Saturday, May 24, at Auckland's Okahu Bay, has been inspired by the Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana Marine Protection Bill's stalled progress in Parliament after its second reading in December last year.
The event, hosted at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, will bring together all kinds of foilers (beginners through to experienced), from across Tamaki Makaurau and beyond. It's a call to action to join the Black Foils on the water for a foiling challenge and show support for the Bill. Attendees don't have to get in the water to join in the action, with options to learn more about the need to protect the Gulf and an introduction to foiling available on site.
The ambition is to garner public and political attention at the event and draw attention back to passing the important marine protection Bill. With a target of up to 200 participants, the challenge could become the largest foiling event ever in the Southern Hemisphere.
Registration is at 1200hrs at Royal Akarana YC, Safety and Briefing at 1315hrs, and the event runs from 1400- 1445hrs.
We will keep updating the story on Sail-World. As of yesterday, there were 100 entries with more expected.
Mixed Junior crew win Open RS Feva Nationals
It was great to see 48 crews compete in the RS Feva Nationals conducted by the Murrays Bay Sailing Club on May 11-12. The biggest open two-handed nationals staged in New Zealand was won by a Junior Mixed crew of Finloe Gaites and Sofia Turner. They dominated the regatta, clinching the overall title by a 10pt margin. Competing in both the Junior and Mixed divisions, they were very consistent, never finishing outside the top three in any of the eight races, and securing four race wins.
The event attracted a diverse 48 crew fleet with 25 all-male crews, 16 all-female crews, and 7 mixed crews, totaling 57 male and 39 female sailors.
Between newsletters, you can follow all the racing and developments in major and local events on www.sail-world.com/nz or by scrolling to the top of the site, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
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