Burling to skipper Cup defense

[MarkMT 68]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12035834

 

If they lose Ashby as a result it will be a very sad loss. Even making a public announcement about Burling's promotion without commenting on Ashby seems like pretty poor form.

[Priscilla II 392]

Has Ashby got a contract with ETNZ to continue on.

Glens skill set is with multis so he may well be redundant with the move to monos whilst Burling being a kiwi is a far better potential sponsors fit.

If ETNZ toss him a DCM I agree it will very poor form.

[MarkMT 68]

Pretty sure the article has been updated since first published. Now includes this:

 

 

When contacted for confirmation, a Team New Zealand spokesperson said both Ashby and Burling would be part of the campaign, but insisted no specific roles had been defined.

 

"Glenn and Pete are both committed to the team and a successful defence. Pete is on the Volvo Ocean Race at present and as such there has been no specific roles defined with the greater sailing team yet."

 

which makes it sound as if Davies might have been getting a little bit ahead of the intended PR strategy.

[Fish 0]

Glens skill set is with multis so he may well be redundant with the move to monos whilst Burling being a kiwi is a far better potential sponsors fit.

 

I would have said Glen's skill set was in fast twitchy foiling boats and considerable America's Cup campaign experience. He did develop that skill set via multi's, but now he's got it, it's equally transferable to foiling what-evers. The platform / hull isn't in the water anymore so its not relevant.

 

That said, Burling does have more gravitus for the sponsors. I would be cautious going down that path though, one of our key strengths last time was that the driver just had to drive - where as several of the competition drivers were skipper, CEO and bottle washer (Ainslee, Barker, the French guy) - worrying about funding, VIP meetings, tactics, staff management, PR, the weather, foil selection, race briefings...

 

You can't concentrate on driving Miss Daisy if your busy organising the automatic payments for the shore crew's salary.

 

I expect there are tactical advantages on the water of having a skipper separate to the driver. At the speed these boats go at, all of your cognitive ability is required for driving, skipper type assessment and decision making should not be on the wheel.