Whatever you might think of the America’s Cup – and it is by no means to everyone’s taste – the event itself is undeniably spectacular. Watching those huge 75-foot yachts gliding around the course at velocities that would earn them speeding tickets on New Zealand’s highways never gets old. There is something surreal about seven-plus tonnes of boat ‘flying’ above the waves on tiny hydrofoils.
The venue has proven to be an inspired choice. For all the controversy and bitterness when it was announced the Cup would not be contested in Auckland, it’s easy to see why Barcelona was preferred. The vibrant Catalan capital has it all – great facilities, good weather,
a huge range of accommodation and hospitality options, and easy access to the sea. The sailors love it and the flood of spectators, including many Kiwis, shows the fans love it too. The international press certainly does, with coverage of this event the most extensive to date.
Of course, for us at home there is the inconvenience of having to get up in the middle of the night to watch races live, though there are plenty of options to catch them later. Choosing more convenient times is how I have been following the racing, including the AC40 Youth and Women’s America’s Cups. To be honest, with close fleet races and truly national teams, I often found them more interesting than watching the larger AC75s match-racing in pairs.
Because here’s the thing – for all that AC75s are awesome, magnificent machines, the racing itself has been somewhat anti-climactic. Most of the interesting stuff happens during the pre-starts and race winners seem to be determined by who crosses the start line first. Lead changes are rare enough while full-blown overtaking manoeuvres are rarer still.
As I write, after Day 3 of the America’s Cup regatta, we are four races into the best of 13 series. Racing has been close but ETNZ leads Ineos Brittannia 4-0. And if ETNZ wins the Cup again, which looks likely, I’m picking the whole circus will probably return to Barcelona for the next edition, or maybe the Middle East – Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar? Certainly not Auckland…
On a different tack, congratulations to the organisers of the Lake Brunner Classic Boats Getogether for running a highly successful weekend October 12-13. Fifty-four classic and retro boats turned up from all over the South Island!
Happy boating
Editor
John Eichelsheim
