Regardless of my personal feelings. There is no turning back from the future. Already, what was new and revolutionary, is now normal and expected. Speed thrills no doubt about it.
Since the beginning of time man has sought to go faster, somehow, we have found a logic to deny this. Herreshoff designs both power and sail were always focused on speed. The triple expansion engine and narrow power boats.
Anyone curious about the French take on the America’s Cup fiasco is in for a lesson on the difficulties of translating colloquialisms, bureaucratic frustration, and swears.
Le Monde recently covered the fiscal tussle surrounding the incredible shrinking regatta: Organizers claim sales and hotel tax revenues from the race will suffice to offset anemic private fund-raising.
This was not part of the original arrangement; the city was supposed to be made whole beforehand – with tax revenue serving as a cherry on top. Per the contract, however, the America’s Cup Organizing Committee must merely “endeavor” to meet its fund-raising goal.
“I’ve shouted publicly to the rooftops how ashamed I am that I see that language” – the vagueness about “endeavor” — “and not reading into what it said. I was fucking played. All the members of the Board of Supervisors were fucking played,” Supervisor John Avalos told SF Weekly on Feb. 20.
Here’s how Le Monde translated that:
“J’avais publiquement crié au scandale pour dire mon opposition à l’emploi du terme bancal ‘s’efforceront,’ et je peux aujourd’hui dire que tous les membres de l’assemblée se sont fait foutrement avoir,” a-t-il déclaré le 20 février dans l’hebdomadaire SF Weekly.
This is a solid — but not exact – reconstruction of Avalos’ lament (“I shouted publicly to the rooftops” wouldn’t mean the same thing to a French speaker). Here’s a translation of their translation:
“I publicly cried scandal to express my opposition to the use of the wobbly term ‘endeavor,’ and I can today say that the members of the assembly were fucking played.”
Incidentally, running the business end of Avalos’ quote through a Google translator results in an incorrect — but vastly entertaining — result: “I can say all members of the assembly are done fucking you.”
by Michelle Slade
These days, Russell Coutts spends a lot more time in his office than out on the water. But for the America’s Cup’s most successful skipper, it’s all part of the challenge of the game. In fact, he appears to be thriving amidst the barrage of criticism from fans, other teams, and San Francisco politicians. Though, to be fair, many people have been much more positive about the new look of the America’s Cup. He remains confident that once the event starts, the negativity will die down considerably and the racing will command everyone’s attention, just as he hoped it would.
Oracle Team USA is on Day 20 on Boat 1 with Wing 2. Boat 2 won’t launch until the end of April; what’s the plan to ensure the Defender is ready for the main event in September?
RC: We have our two foiling AC45s, which we’re training on, and once we get our two 72s on the water—the boat should launch at the end of April—we plan on sailing and racing those two boats against each other up until the end.
So, you’re feeling confident that things are looking good for the team?
RC: Yes, I think so far, so good for Oracle Team USA. We recovered well from the capsize, and that seems like a distant memory now. As long as we don’t get a repeat of that, we’ll be in pretty good shape. Rod Davis recently made a comment about the deception that goes on in the AC, but in my experience, that doesn’t really matter a damn. It doesn’t win or lose you the Cup. I just don’t think it’s been a big factor in any America’s Cup I’ve been involved with, it’s the media that make more of it. Whether we did or not [spy] in my opinion wouldn’t affect the outcome one little bit. When I assess our program, not only do we have a very good design team, we also have a very good sailing team, so I think we’re looking good.
Oracle and Artemis have not had the opportunity to train together for a variety of reasons. Explain why this is a good or a bad situation for Oracle.
RC: Probably bad because it’s always good to work out with another team; the more we can sail with a team like Artemis on a regular basis, it enhances the competitive juices and shows you a different perspective about things. You can learn a lot.
After Artemis had a brief chance to sail alongside Oracle’s second AC72, they then decided to add foils to their boat. Can you comment on that chain of events?
RC: Things are changing so fast with the technology, and I don’t think any of it is particularly earth shattering in that foils have been around a long time. I think there’s design talent in that team that could analyze the situation pretty quickly. Probably they’ve also got an AC45 that they’re practicing foiling in. They could probably learn a lot just from looking at what some of the other teams have done and factor that into where the future is going, and they may end up just as well off, or even better. The playing field is changing so fast I don’t think it’s necessarily all about sailing time on the water and time with the equipment. It may be more about the choice of the equipment you choose to build and how you apply that to the boat at the end of the day that matters. In 1995 AC Team NZ launched our boats literally just months before the Cup—I think two months before racing began. Some other teams sailed much longer that that; developed boats full size etc. But we chose a better design path, got a better design product, and that was the winning factor. There are plenty of other examples over the years. It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, “We’re doing more, and therefore it’s going to be better.” I don’t necessarily think that’s the case. I only think you need to have to have the best equipment on race day, nothing else matters.
How will the course on San Francisco Bay be adapted to manage AC72 racing?
RC: I don’t think there’s going to be much difference, and the sailors will adapt to the shorter confines of the course. Just like any of the boats over any of the AC generations, people start off by saying that they’ll never be able to sail about, that they’ll be so difficult, and so on. After the crews become pretty good at it, they say, “Well, actually we can.” Even the Version 5 boats, racing them inside Auckland Harbor, if you had gone back to the very origins of that class, people thought we couldn’t possibly do that. It may start off being a really tight racetrack for the teams, but after a while they’ll get used to it.
What was your favorite World Series venue, and what’s the plan for continuing it beyond this spring?
RC: There is a plan to continue and expand the concept, there’s no doubt about it. If Oracle Team USA were fortunate enough to win, there’d be a break while things got reorganized, but the plan would be to continue it for sure. San Francisco was probably the best just because of the wind conditions, etc., but I also thought Newport was good. Frankly, they’re all good—Plymouth was a good venue when you look back. It has been a great series. You have to remember that two years ago—August 2011—this thing started. Before that we had nothing. There have been a lot of situations where you could have done a lot of things better, but that’s good news for the future. We now have a concept that did work, that did create excitement, and that did turn out to be a good television product. I think it’s nicely in a position of refinement now, making sure that costs are well managed, making sure that the television production follows the right process, making sure that the competition itself develops into a meaningful format in that there’s more teams in the game. These things will make the product better in the future.
You’ve won the Cup for other countries and seen the national response to sailing in other countries. What do you think are the key differences about the perception and response to sailing in the United States?
RC: I don’t think there is that much difference actually in the U.S. Let’s wait and see after this America’s Cup and after the national broadcasting. If you’re comparing the America’s Cup in San Diego to some of the other America’s Cups, it was hard to get interested in San Diego when there was no real event village and the racing was miles out to sea, where no one could see it. You’d have to be an extreme optimist to think that was going to be a great series. Now we have a proper event village, a festival of activities, and racing will be right on shore for people to see it. Just as they started to at the World Series events, Americans are going to think this will be a fun thing to come along and be part of. In Newport, R.I., the town itself almost because an America’s Cup village. Imagine if they had opened up racing inside Newport Harbor what it would have been like. As it was, it was pretty good. Moving it into a major city is another jump again. I say let’s wait and see how Americans respond this time.
If you win the Cup, what changes would you foresee?
RC: I think the idea of ACRM has been a good one, where you have an entity that manages the competition on behalf of all the competitors. That concept could be expanded more widely to the America’s Cup, where you do things more collectively rather than as one entity. I think you also could, with cooperation from all the teams, do things for a longer term to allow the media and sponsorship partners, etc., to participate for a longer term. For example, all of the competitors who enter next time would agree to keep to a certain format and certain type of boat, certain venues in the World Series, etc., even if they won the next America’s Cup. And instead of extending [a format] to only every four years, you’re up to eight straight away which gives you more scope to develop the product and create more value for the commercial partners and media. A simple example is media rights. A lot of the big media players would probably find this much more valuable if they could sign up for longer term rights. If you know your entries and you know one of them is going to win the next America’s Cup and they agree to take over those rights should they win, then all of a sudden you can give those media companies what they want. It would make a big difference, for example, if we knew that after this event, NBC would be carrying on for the next one as well. These are the sort of things that could be expanded in the future.
Do you miss being on the boat?
Some days, but other days not. The America’s Cup is an incredibly challenging world. There are lots of things going on, and that’s the great thing about it. I certainly love my time sailing, but I also like the complexities and challenges involved elsewhere as well. It’s fun at all levels.
Tickets Go On Sale For 2013 America’s Cup In San Francisco
Individual tickets for up to 50 days of action during the Summer of Racing can be purchased starting at just $15.
Individual and group tickets are available in the following seating locations:
– America’s Cup Village: The America’s Cup Village represents the largest, most centralized land-based viewing experience. Located in the heart of Marina Green, the grandstands offer unobstructed views of the Bay and the starting line for spectators to enjoy the racing. Fans will experience live race commentary and have access to nearby stores and exhibits. Within America’s Cup Village, fans can purchase tickets to The Deck, East Grandstands, West Grandstands, and Race Course Bleachers.
– SS Jeremiah O’Brien: Historic WWII Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien offers a “50-yard line” view of the race course. “Liberty Ship Experience” guests will witness the intense AC action up-close from the decks of this National Historic Landmark, while enjoying luxurious appointments, modern amenities and access to the finest food & beverage concessions.
– PIER 39: Complete with open bleacher seats and a lounge area with reception-style furniture, the PIER 39 Rooftop Lounge experience is the premier public spectator event for the 2013 America’s Cup. Its elevated nature offers unparalleled views of the entire race course for the America’s Cup Finals. Live race footage and commentary will be broadcast throughout the venue. Gourmet catering options, including alcohol, are included with each ticket.
– On-Water: Fans will have the opportunity to purchase individual tickets or charter an Official Stake Boat or Support Boat to view the action at a premium location on the Bay. This program includes a wide variety of vessels to accommodate all price points and capacities.
A full overview of each space, including amenities and pricing, can be found onwww.Americascup.com/experience
The entertainment permit that would allow dozens of concerts to be held at the America’s Cup Pavilion was approved unanimously Tuesday night by the Entertainment Commission, despite objections from surrounding neighborhoods.
As many as 30 nighttime concerts could be held at the 9,000-seat venue, located at Piers 27-29 as part of the America’s Cup Village. The venue will be used as a viewing area for races during the America’s Cup and related events this summer and fall.
Entertainment Commissioner Glendon Hyde applauded Live Nation’s outreach with neighbors before Tuesday’s hearing.
“I do understand it’s going to be an inconvenience,” he said. “But I would’ve rather seen the neighborhood lobbying their mayor and supervisor for money to go from this inconvenience to tackle the gang warfare from happening on Broadway. I don’t think stopping these concerts is the answer.”
Neighbors with the Telegraph Hill Dwellers submitted a letter to the commission, stating that while progress had been made, they’d still like to see more compromise from the venue and its organizers. Neighborhood groups hope to have the number of maximum events drop to 20 and have events end 30 minutes earlier than currently scheduled. Weekday events are expected to end by 10:30 p.m., while Friday and Saturday events are expected to end by 11 p.m., per the amended permit application.
Matt Prieshoff, chief operating officer for Live Nation, said the outdoor pavilion is a unique opportunity for The City.
“The most musical city in America is San Francisco,” Prieshoff said. “Two out of every 1,000 habitants are artists. The arts are incredibly important to San Francisco. It’s unique for San Francisco not to have an outdoor amphitheater.”
Concerts will start May 31 with Imagine Dragons. Sting, Jason Mraz, Steve Miller Band, Train and the Jonas Brothers, among others, have already been confirmed for shows throughout the summer. Concerts are not expected to be held past Oct. 15 since America’s Cup organizers need to turn the pier back over to the Port of San Francisco by Oct. 31.
akoskey@sfexaminer.com
Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/development/2013/04/america-s-cup-venue-music-events-given-approval#ixzz2PUhE3Pz7
Currier and Ives produced a series in 1885 after Puritan successfully defended the America’s Cup. I was shocked the first time I saw this lithograph. As always, Things must be looked at in the context of time.
I thought I understood that the challenge by the African Diaspora had been dismissed. Apparently it is a chapter in the America’s Cup that is not entirely yet written.
America’s Cup returns to the New York Supreme Court
An appeal of the complaint by plaintiff African Diaspora Maritime’s against defendant America’s Cup trustee Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) will be heard April 3, 2013 by the New York Supreme Court. The complaint alleges, among other things, that GGYC denied the plaintiff’s application to participate in the 34th America’s Cup. (click on headline for details)
Team New Zealand has a problem when the wing is in a lift in a breeze.
SRM: How would you compare and contrast your role on the AC72 to people’s established perceptions of an bowman on the AC monohulls of old?
Brad Webb: It’s a complete departure. Those who have followed the Cup over the years will be familiar with the old monohull style where there was a foredeck team and we were putting spinnakers up and down all day, doing jib changes and gybe-peels and all of that sort of fun stuff. Back then the bow team needed to be three, four or even five people, including the pitmen, to choreograph all the manoeuvres.
Now that has all gone. On the AC72 we are picking a downwind sail to start the race with and that will be already hoisted at the start, we are more or less picking a jib for the day – or at least we will certainly be picking a jib for the race, come the Cup.
The other difference is that, in the past it was an hour and a half or two hour race around a 12 mile course, whereas in the 34th America’s Cup it will be a 35 to 40 minute sprint up and down the San Francisco city front. There will really only be one drop at the bottom with the gennaker and one hoist at the top – maybe another pair of those if they send us round twice – and that will be it.
So that old style bowman job has gone and been replaced with a high energy role with a lot of grinding and running from side to side. I think the defined roles of bowman pitman and grinder have all been blended a lot, so we all need to be skilled up on all the systems of the boat and ready to jump into any role anywhere around the racecourse. In particular, I think the biggest new aspect to the role is dealing with the boards.
SRM: So the classic shot of the bowman up on the headstay calling time and distance to the line with the fingers of one hand have gone?
Brad Webb: It really has – now we are just another one in the pack and that role has kind of gone.
Also if you look back to the IACC days, we were starting the boat upwind and just having that jump of a metre or two could make a huge difference. Now in the AC72s, because they are travelling so fast, getting a good start is more to do with your position on the line and your trajectory to the next mark than it has to do with ‘boat relative’. You can actually be a metre or two behind your competitor but have a better angle to the first mark and go smoking by.
The other thing is that there is really no bow to speak of on these boats so you are not going to send somebody up on the spine to call the line.
SRM: Looking specifically at a tack or a gybe, what are your responsibilities as a bowman?
Brad Webb: Well pretty much everyone is grinding, either to power the hydraulics or to bring the new sheet on. If it’s a gybe we may do a half furl of the gennaker to help get it around. Then there is the wing as well which has to be trimmed. So yes, everyone is grinding, right back to the tactician and the strategist on the back.
My role currently is in cockpit three and because I have a background of working in hydraulics, myself and Simeon Tienpont we are responsible for getting the boards up and down. The foils are such a crucial part of these boats, especially now that they are foiling. I think the sailing world has become pretty aware that foiling is where we are going with the Cup in these boats.
The speed difference when the boat is out of the water is dramatic, so it is about keeping the boat on the foils as much as possible and through the manoeuvres that requires us to operate the boards in the most efficient manner possible to keep the boat foiling in and out of the gybes. So, making sure we minimise drag and maximise the efficiency of the foils is one of our main roles.
SRM: Tell us about how you communicate on the boat. It must be pretty noisy so you all use headsets. What is the conversation like?
Brad Webb: It is pretty noisy. On our boat we are all in a line there onboard and those of us who are in cockpit three and around Jimmy can hear him a lot of the time. But certainly the guys in cockpits one and two can’t hear anything. There are times of course when we are on opposite sides of the boat and then our communications become very important.
We are really still trying to figure out who we need to hear onboard. We started out on our programme with a lot of people talking and as we have learned the boat and as we are learning the racecourse and what goes on in the manoeuvres we have actually reduced that down to just the helmsman talking. We amy bring people back in – the trimmer and the tactician for example – as we get towards racing and we need to start hearing the big picture information about what sort of manoeuvres are coming up.
Right now, in training, just knowing the next move is enough for us.
SRM: One thing fans of the America’s Cup all want to know is if we are going to see any actual match racing in the pre-start period?
Brad Webb: Yes, I think that also remains to be seen but I think we will like we have seen it in the AC45s. We haven’t seen Team New Zealand and Prada practise it to any great degree yet and obviously we didn’t get a chance to get to that with Artemis to get to that.
I think there are two sides to it too. You know a lot of the stuff that people say they will miss – like the dial up and the jockeying to the line that was seen at Cups of old – was pretty difficult for spectators to really understand. Like why two boats were sitting head to wind in the middle of the line and not going anywhere. Although that was extremely tactical and strategical in terms of how you went into that and how you came out of it, it was hard for a non-sailing fan to really understand.
Now what all that has been replaced with is these incredible reaching starts where the boats are instantly going to be doing 35 knots on that first reaching leg. Straight after they we will be deploying spinnakers and spearing off towards the city front at speeds in the high thirties.
So the game has definitely changed but I think in general in terms of the spectacle, it has only gone in the right direction.
The America’s Cup will pump approximately $780 million into the Bay Area economy, generate about 5,500 jobs and lead to about $14 million in revenue for San Francisco, according to a soon-to-be-published report.
“This is a good news story,” said Stephen Barclay, CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority, who has seen a copy of the Beacon Economics study expected to be released Tuesday.
The numbers are smaller than those first touted by many city leaders when they sought to bring the America’s Cup to San Francisco.
A 2010 study by Beacon Economics predicted the event could pump as much as $1.4 billion into the Bay Area economy and generate some 8,800 jobs. That previous study also assumed more than a dozen teams would participate in the America’s Cup.
But a number of teams have either pulled out of the America’s Cup or did not enter at all. Four teams are expected to compete in the America’s Cup that starts on San Francisco Bay on July 4 and concludes Sept. 21.
The current economic impact numbers may color the discussion of an upcoming hearing called for by San Francisco SupervisorJohn Avalos. Avalos said he is concerned that the city may be on the hook for about $18 million in expenses if a private, nonprofit group does not raise more money to offset the city’s costs. So far that group, the America’s Cup Organizing Committee, said it has raised $14 million and its goal is about $32 million.
Barclay said that while the impact of the America’s Cup may not be as high as originally thought, it still represents a positive turn for the regional economy.
Moreover, he said, the city likely will not have to spend any money on the event.
“It will be a wash” to the city’s coffers, he said, when the $14 million raised through private means is added to the approximately $14 million that the event will generate in additional San Francisco tax revenue.
I will be very interested to see the numbers after the fact. While Newport was very satisfied with the AC tour it hosted in July 2012, the economic numbers were far lower than projected.
ALAMEDA — The Italian sailing team Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 will be based in Alameda as it competes on San Francisco Bay for the 34th America’s Cup this summer, the second team to be based in the city, officials announced Monday. Luna Rossa, which represents the Circolo della Vela Sicilia Yacht Club, will join Sweden’s Artemis Racing at Alameda Point, or the former Alameda Naval Air Station. Luna Rossa, or “red moon” in Italian, will lease a 65,400-square-foot former aircraft hangar for the next seven months, city officials said. “Alameda is an excellent location that will allow us to operate quickly and efficiently,” Antonio Marrai, logistics manager for Luna Rossa, said in a release. “Even though we will race from Pier 30-32 in San Francisco starting in July, we will keep our base in Alameda.” The terms of the lease were not immediately available. But the announcement that Luna Rossa would set up in Alameda comes just a day before the City Council will consider renewing the lease for Artemis Racing for up to one year at 1050 West Tower Ave. Along with providing a 110,561-square-foot former hangar, the lease will allow the Swedish team to use 22,604 square feet of former aircraft taxiway and portions of the Seaplane Lagoon at the former military base. The city has already entered into an agreement with the Navy for access to the lagoon. The base monthly rent for Artemis will be $23,400 between January and May 30, and $25,000 from June until the lease expires. If the team remains in Alameda and does not use the taxiway or lagoon, the rent will drop to $21,600 each month. Artemis represents the Royal Swedish Yacht Club and initially signed a one-year lease in May last year. Fashion house Prada is sponsoring Luna Rossa at reportedly $55.2 million. Patrizio Bertelli, Prada’s chief executive officer, launched the team in 1997 under the name Prada Challenge to compete in America’s Cup 2000. Lusa Rossa also participated in 2003 and 2007, when the Italians reached the Louis Vuitton Cup final for challengers before losing to Team New Zealand. “2013 is the ‘Year of Italian Culture in the U.S.,’ and we are very proud of Luna Rossa’s participation in the America’s Cup,” said Mauro Battocchi, the consul general of Italy in San Francisco. “Italy is a nation of sailors and sailing is very popular with the Italian public. Italy will follow the America’s Cup step by step and we do hope for a great performance.” Christopher Seiwald, chair of Alameda’s Ad Hoc Committee for the America’s Cup, said the two teams will boost the local economy, noting that as an island the city has a strong sailing community and many maritime-related businesses. Both Luna Rossa and Artemis Racing are taking on defender Oracle Team USA of the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Emirates Team New Zealand is also competing. For information on Alameda and the America’s Cup, go to www.alamedawaterfront.com, a website created by local residents, or visit www.cityofalamedaca.gov/City-Hall/Americas-Cup-Ad-Hoc-Committee. |
