# Americas Cup



## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

So Emirates-NZ have won the chance to spend some more money fighting Alinghi for the America's cup. Ozzie and US contenders please note: "More cash required next time".


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## 2ndimpression (Jul 5, 2006)

I was really suprised with that final. It didn't seem to matter what Luna Rossa tried, they always got screwed. I was a little bit dissipointed with the pre start. It was good but I thought they would of been willing to risk more to give NZL a pen. They seemed to be good at it when they raced oracle.


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

Sometimes money just isn't enough.... BMW Oracle had it all and they could not get by Luna Rossam who also bombed against Emirates! I can't wait for the Cup. I have no idea how good Alinghi is...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Sounds kind of like the Yankees..


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

Me, Myself And I...are ALL Laughing Very Very Hard!!!!

Any clues as to who I am supporting???


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Giulietta said:


> Me, Myself And I...are ALL Laughing Very Very Hard!!!!
> 
> Any clues as to who I am supporting???


Isn't it your bed time over there???!!


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

I see a squiggle on the golf shirt...Let me guess...its red so it must be...team Canada?


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

Waymar83 said:


> I see a squiggle on the golf shirt...Let me guess...its red so it must be...team Canada?


How about a small photoshop???? do you really want it???


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Might just have something to do with the Red logo on your shirt... maybe...

As for the Photoshop... I think you should photoshop Waymar83, since you haven't graced us with one in a while.


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

Unlike the Italians or the French....we don't surrender.....


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

Waymar83 said:


> Unlike the Italians or the French....we don't surrender.....


Someone would have to want to invade first!!!

G- Isn't that the emblem from Napoleans coat of arms???


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Giu-

I think T34C is calling you a Frenchman...


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

Regardless of this being something of an indulgence for the rich, it looks like we have a good contest here with evenly matched boats, top crewing, and a battle of wits as to tactics and strategy. Even the cut and look of the sails is superb and instructive. It is a pity it gets so little coverage because it shows how challenging racing can be and how much is mental.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

*"something of an indulgence for the rich"*
You are kidding right???? Have you seen the average salary of an NBA player, or NFL, or MLB???? For what it costs to field a team of pro athletes these days, The AC may very well be the cheapest professional sport there is.


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

I guess they either sell seats or sponsorship. A successful campaign probably costs around 300-400 million over 4 years. Three of the major contenders had billionaire backing. All relied on sponsorship. Payback depends on exposure, which depends in part on funds to be viable and on interest. Interest might be higher if the teams were national. It is theoretically club based yet there was only one entry from the US this time and none from Australia for instance, so cheap or not $ may be a barrier.
However those are side issues. Even if it doesn't attract much media attention, my major point was that sailors particularly those with an interest in racing may miss a great contest.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

chris_gee said:


> I guess they either sell seats or sponsorship. A successful campaign probably costs around 300-400 million over 4 years. Three of the major contenders had billionaire backing. All relied on sponsorship. Payback depends on exposure, which depends in part on funds to be viable and on interest. Interest might be higher if the teams were national. It is theoretically club based yet there was only one entry from the US this time and none from Australia for instance, so cheap or not $ may be a barrier.
> However those are side issues. Even if it doesn't attract much media attention, my major point was that sailors particularly those with an interest in racing may miss a great contest.


You only need to look at the sponsors to realise who they are targetting, stating the obvious I know bu there you are.

Reality is that the AC draws quite small amounts of interest except in the area where it is being sailed and in the nations who are fighting out the final. Maybe if someone can raise the dosh to get an Australian challenge up and running (with more hope of winning than breaking in half) then their mght be more interest but somehow I doubt it. To illustrate this, their was no free to air TV coverage of the event and the Sydney Morning Herald reported Allinghi's victory in half a dozen lines with no images.

Anywho, not the greatest of weeks for our good friends across yon Tasman Sea. Betcha the BC hurts more than the AC.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

The AC organizers must have really pissed-off the media. Hardly a squeak on any of the channels that Alinghi retained the jug for the Swiss.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

True, the mainstream media virtually ignored this event esp in North America - and of course esp the US once Larry was ousted. In Canada at least the OLN network carried the races last time round, but nothing this time.

However the coverage from Versus was quite good and all races are archived at TSN : YACHTING - Canada's Sports Leader in broadband on demand. The segments are approx 1 hour each, with full prestart footage and most all the commercials edited out. The LV finals and the Cup finals are there. Switch to full screen mode and sit 4 - 5 feet back from the screen and it looks OK.

The last race was a treat - "won" by inches. If you haven't seen the last few minutes - do so.


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

No I don't give a toss about football games between traditional rivals. I must admit to some disappointment with the AC outcome, however we were outsailed - old dog v young dog. However the racing was very close, exciting and illustrative of how much sailing is strategic and tactical and how both teams showed that fighting till the very end can pay off. There was very little between the boats and the crews, and those who missed it missed a treat.


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## Waymar83 (Jun 5, 2006)

Currently in Montreal.... I had to go online to see how it all ended! Nothing on the news networks... Just goes to show how much of a sailing town Montreal is  What with the Jazz festival, the U20 Soccer World Cup and a slew of other things.

If you look at the major sponsors of the well-funded teams (Alinghi and BMW Oracle) both CEOs are big sailing fans and I'm sure they had something to do with their corporations putting major $$$ behind the teams....I would like to know how much each of the major sponsors put into the competition.


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

what I think..

1) Altough here we are a large sailing comunity in sailnet, truth is the percentage of people that actually sail and people that like to see race boats sail (pretty boring to an outsider, due to complexity and lack of excessive movement - kinda like when I saw a Nascar race...) around the World and each country, is very small compared to the amount of people than don't care about it. So broadcasting for a small comunity is not profitable (unless a lot of advertisment is done, then no one watches), therefore no TV channel wants to get into it.

2) We all know that the big resourcefull broadcasters are in the US. Now the races were not in the US, and whatever is not in the US "backyard" or "outside activities of the USA" does not interest the US broadcasters, they're too busy with Paris Hilton, and Amos....so sailing..forget about it...besides we're out of it any way....

3) Media and TV coverage in Europe is a bit tricky and heavily controlled and moderated by the Governments and other constraints. TV channels struggle already to stay in business with the current broadcasts, so broadcasting something that interests only a 5% comunity is a risky move, non rewarding one.

4) The events were hels in Spain, not exactly a TV rich country, Spanish TV is pretty bad and uninteresting, and altough they had the wonderfull opportunity to host it, they didn't know how to mediatize and broadcast to the World...as usual...typical.....

5) I watch the America's Cup since the 80's and let me tell you, outside Eurosports or the sailing channel here in Europe, it never had a decent media and broadcast level, I allways had to struggle to see the races....

6) Losing the "country taste" also made it un-interesting, for those that are there...we don't know who's who...America is sponsored by Germany...the Swiss with no ocean win, NZ is sponsored by the arabs...what do you expect...it lost the sense of Colour, like it had...

7) The "cinema" and bad stories that come out of that "joke" the America's Cup became, looses people and loses interest....suddenly the interest is no longer the boat, but what colour Bertarelli's boxer shorts are!!!!!!!

my list goes on and on....

I used to love it, I used to "idolate" those guys...now....I don't really give a ****....

In my opinion should be a race between countries, as it started (do you know its the oldest cup in the World??), where the boats are designed by nationals of the Country (not import architects from other countries), built in the country, SAILED TO THE LOCATION, not flown, crewed by nationals of the country, painted with the Country's colours....

now its bulshit....nice boats, love the tech stuf...but its all bull ****...just like formula 1, I can't keep track of who's wgo anymore...un-interesting


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

I saw the finish of the final race on the Canadian national news, but they prefaced it by saying "you don't have to like sailing to appreciate this sort of finish..." which took the excitement out of it for me, frankly, almost as if the news broadcaster had apologized in advance for announcing results from the Special Olympics.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

I'm with you, Giu, on the nationality issues - these days, regardless of which "country" wins it, you can be sure it's got some Kiwi crew. No knock on the NZers, they are probably the nation with with highest general awareness of sailing and sailboat racing. As a Canadian I'll take comfort in the fact that Alinghi's well-regarded midbowman Curtis Blewitt is from B.C.

But it's not a nationality contest anymore, and that has taken the event down a notch.

There is still some trickle-down in terms of technological advances, but mostly only for those with deep enough wallets to take advantage.


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## ReverendMike (Aug 1, 2006)

I just saw that there is going to be a new class design for the 33rd Cup. Deliberately screwing the new teams? or helping them by leveling the playing field? And most importantly, do I really care about the answer?


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## BADG (Dec 24, 2001)

I watched the LV finals and the AC finals. LV was a snoozer and the AC was riveting, I couldn't wait for the next race. I thought it the best AC in years, I hope that the new class does more to make it even better for the 33rd - that will be determined by whatever the new class ends up being I suppose.


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