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37th AC


Jon

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How is it that these guys can just jump ship and take all the secrets with them? 
Where is the non-competition clause?
All my job contracts prevent me from working with a competitor for several years...

 

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Not a lot of secrets after the last one, Burling has not been involved in the design details going forward , and with a lot less crew needed for the next one -its all new , will anyone be ready for 2027?

To understand professional sport take a look at F1, the English did not hurl abuse at Mansell when he went to Ferrari -they celebrated his achievements, unlike here, where the loyal campaign was started by people with no idea of yachting and a liking for the bottle. 

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Hopefully with lack of detail and challengers currently, a deed of gift challenge will materialize to inject some interest back and get some real sailing underway soon, TP52's anyone?

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6 hours ago, waikiore said:

Hopefully with lack of detail and challengers currently, a deed of gift challenge will materialize to inject some interest back and get some real sailing underway soon, TP52's anyone?

Now we have SailGP, I don't think you will ever be able to generate interest in the AC. Match racing is just boring as bat sh*t for spectators, more so with uneven boats and rules skewed to favour one team. The team that wins the start wins the race.

Speaking of SailGP, Portsmouth is on tonight.

Be interesting to see if Team USA can sort their sh*t out. Was a winning team, then they sacked Jimmy Spittle as driver cause the wanted an 'All American' Team, and ever since have failed miserably at fairly much everything. Two capsizes due to crew incompetence and can't get better than about 10th unless it is a driftathone.

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TNZ lost the room even more when they headed offshore, its a bit deeper than that though.

F-1 has a lot of followers for many reasons but its as boring as batshit if you're into actual car racing, trainspotters love all the tech detail and the glitterati love to be where they can show off to each other but the cup has a much smaller more fragile public fanbase and with the rise of oil pumpers and end of actual crew work its become F-1 on the water but more dull if thats even possible. Liberty media the owners of F-1 realised what was happening and thats why the whole drive to survive series came about which was a huge boost, people are interested in personality, rivalry, struggles to achieve, underdogs and true champions. In other words all the human drama as well as the cars, however the AC seems to be pretty dull on that front at present. No fiery team principals bagging each other, no more dirty Dennis and upstart Aussies. Its mostly tech and legal complications.

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Be interesting to see if the Italians can have the sight up and running and finished in 20 months.. All the other changes had to happen or Grant and Matteo would have been left sitting on their own .... 

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What we had this week was a choreographed press release -to try and stimulate interest, the devil as always is in the details, now there is a short wait of about 25 days to see if there are any entries -other than Ben and Italy 

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On 14/08/2025 at 6:02 AM, Zozza said:

AC has become a laughing stock of a race - read the cutting views of the punters in the comments.....

 

The AC is pretty big (or was) here because we are so tiny and the AC made a huge impression. Blake, Coutts and Dalton have done an amazing job, winning and defending this trophy. That is something to be very proud off, but the event has gone a bit off course. The public want to get behind and see local heros sailing, and out of a NZ location if possible is the feedback I'm hearing. If we accept its just a technology race, then whats the point of sailors, whats the point of one design elements? If you want the quickest boat around a racetrack, you dont need any of the above. Batteries, software and robotics will do it better, the tech is there right now.

I am still of the opinion that a format where sailors matter more than computers, where teamwork and boat handling including flying extras would be far more popular if the aim is to grow the event and broaden its appeal.

 

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10 hours ago, Psyche said:

I am still of the opinion that a format where sailors matter more than computers, where teamwork and boat handling including flying extras would be far more popular if the aim is to grow the event and broaden its appeal.

For me the Cup is at it’s best when technology and crew skills are a happy marriage.

IMG_0527.thumb.jpeg.22e4195098b24a69f1c4778b37ee28c1.jpeg

 

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13 hours ago, Psyche said:

The AC is pretty big (or was) here because we are so tiny and the AC made a huge impression. Blake, Coutts and Dalton have done an amazing job, winning and defending this trophy. That is something to be very proud off, but the event has gone a bit off course. The public want to get behind and see local heros  sailing and out of a NZ location if possible is the feedback I'm hearing. If we accept its just a technology race, then whats the point of sailors, whats the point of one design elements? If you want the quickest boat around a racetrack, you dont need any of the above. Batteries, software and robotics will do it better, the tech is there right now.

I am still of the opinion that a format where sailors matter more than computers, where teamwork and boat handling including flying extras would be far more popular if the aim is to grow the event and broaden its appeal.

 

Agree, its a bit sh*t.  I'd love to see dirty great big spinnakers, tacking duels and exhausted bowmen.  Even TP52 racing, while spectacular is too techy.  Give me a pole dip any day.

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1 hour ago, Steve said:

Agree, its a bit sh*t.  I'd love to see dirty great big spinnakers, tacking duels and exhausted bowmen.  Even TP52 racing, while spectacular is too techy.  Give me a pole dip any day.

This could happen in a return to highly cashed up individuals or corporates holding a duel of honour.

What we have now, across all forms of sport, is corporate teams performing in a spectacle made to appeal to the masses in a timeframe designed for ad breaks and at a pace that discourages channel-swapping.

It's Love Island, with a finish line. 

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The sameness, the sanitisation, and monetisation of all forms of sport... and apart from the nerds, people get over the tech and the branding pretty quick and want to see human drama.

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Even practice racing for the Sail GP has more drama than the entire America's Cup.

Today in Germany the French boats rudder underwent a self initiated kinetic disassembly at over 90 km/h, resulting in a violent nosedive and rapid deceleration, leader to the driver being sent to hospital. Not to mention said rudder flying through the air like an exocet missile.

Then, seconds later the Brazil team came off the foils at about warp factor 2 resulting in the front beam collapsing, the rig coming down and the two hulls coming together.

Luckily no serious injuries, although there are going to be some very bruised and tender sailors out there.

Sure, you could wait 2 years for something to happen in the AC (that isn't lawyers), or you could watch Sail GP every 2 weeks and actually enjoy some on the water action...

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4 minutes ago, khayyam said:

As long as you mean crashes, yes sailgp has 'action'. If you mean interesting sailing? Not so sure.

Yeah,

Well, I've never seen a lawyer in Sail GP...

Oh,

And we know when and where the next event is, too.

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