At last it’s over and so it has begun. The America’s Cup always was like no other sports event but now it is to be so different as to be weird. In no other sport would even a governing body try to control the activities of the clubs that take part, never mind one individual control the affairs of all the competitors and charge them for making him money. But that is what is happening in the America’s Cup as America’s Cup Management, which is wholly owned by defence syndicate backer Ernesto Bertarelli, issues not only a new protocol for America’s Cup 33 but a participation agreement for the challenger syndicates that will handcuff them completely. What may be good is that the experiment with taking regattas to host ports around Europe was such a success that it will be expanded - though how much compulsion there will be or whether they will count for a seeding system is yet to be unveiled. What is for sure is that such a level of dictatorship has to be either very self-disciplined or be transparently vulnerable to outside influence.
Filed under: America's Cup
The America’s Cup went into a two-day holding pattern, the Spanish royal family helicopter for Prince Felipe remained grounded in Madrid, elaborate prize-giving ceremonies were abruptly guillotined, hundreds and hundreds of bottles of Moet were left in the chiller and Grant Dalton was able to celebrate his 50th birthday without tears yesterday.
The seventh race of the best-of-nine, with the defender Alinghi sitting on match point at 4-2, was abandoned as the wind was so soft and variable that race officer Peter Reggio pulled the plug 45 minutes before the time limit.
Team New Zealand, of which Dalton is boss, lives to fight not just another day but two, as there is no racing scheduled for Monday. The forecast is much more optimistic for both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Both TNZ strategist Ray Davies and Alinghi design co-ordinator Grant Simmer said they were content. “We are happy with the decision and we’ve just got to get ready for Tuesday,” said Simmer, adding that the difference between winning and losing often came down to just a few metres of advantageous boat position.
“It’s probably good to have a little bit of a breather,” said Davies, who has seen his team lose three in a row.
