Tag: america’s cup

BOBBY CONNELL “PASSES THE BAR”

Word just arrived from my old friend Dick Enersen, that shipmate Bob Connell has “crossed over the bar”. Bob, I believe had sailed on 5 america’s cup defenders, all in the 12 meter era. I had sailed with Bob on 12 meters, and I don’t know how many offshore races on I don’t know how many different boats over the years. In the Mediterranean, Cowes, Admiral’s Cup, SORC, so many I don’t remember them all. Thankfully the 12 meter America’s Cup re-union took place in September 2010. Where shipmates could find each other once again.

Bobby was aboard the power boat that set the record between Miami and New York. A record that might still stand because no one wants to be that uncomfortable for that long.  I am not sure his back was ever right again, after that.

 

PALM SUNDAY/APRIL FOOL’S WEEKEND

Last night I listened to Tom Ehman speak about the “new” America’s Cup, a live video link with Kenny Read aboard Mar Monstro having rounded the Horn and now in the relatively calm South Atlantic.

For me, the selling of the America’s Cup is a little like when hollywood knows it has a bad movie it needs to advertise to try to boost the gate.

It was a moving moment to listen to Ken say the Southern Ocean had beaten him into submission. That he would not do this race again. Nature is relentless and without remorse.

Today is a lunch meeting of the New England Six meter class.

Palm Sunday and April Fool’s somehow don’t seem to go together.

HEAD FAKE?

?The America’s Cup will grace San Francisco not once, not twice, but thrice, citizens were promised: before  catamarans race for the main Cup currently held by Larry Ellison’s Oracle team in 2013, there will be smaller World Series races in October and in August, according to plans the race event authority floated before city leaders.

That may change, event organizers quietly mentioned in a release this week: the boats may in fact race here only twice. The August race could be in New York City, the Event Authority said in a March 5 release, issued to announce that NBC secured television broadcast rights.

This came as a surprise to San Francisco officials and New Yorkers alike, but is likely nothing more than a “head-fake” from an event authority angry over a scaled-down deal, a source told The Snitch. 
It was always the plan for America’s Cup-related races to crisscross the globe this year: in a month, the race heads to Italy. Other scheduled races are planned for Venice, and Newport, Rhode Island.

Three teams are competing in the AC World Series. The location of the August event — San Francisco or New York — will be announced “shortly,” organizers said in a release.

The races will be televised for the first time since 1992.

The Event Authority itself did not deign to speak to The Snitch; phone messages and emails were unanswered as of Wednesday afternoon.

The possibility of losing a race to New York is a “surprise” to Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, involved in negotiations to scale back the waterfront land giveaway promised to race organizers in return for gracing San Francisco Bay with their boats. “This was not something I’ve been told by the AC Event Authority,” Chiu told The Snitch via text message late Wednesday.

The America’s Cup is not unknown to New York City, though it’s been a while since the boats graced those waters. When the New York Yacht Club owned the cup betweem 1930 and 1983, the race was held there all the time. The race has not been held in the Hudson since the club lost the cup in 1983.

Reached via telephone in Newport on Wednesday, Michael Levitt, communications director for the New York Yacht Club, of which Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a member, said he had yet to hear of any plans to race sailboats in New York.

Whether this came as a surprise to Mayor Ed Lee is unclear; a spokeswoman for the mayor, who last week announced a vastly scaled-back event, said that the city is “waiting to hear” if the televised race will be held in San Francisco or New York.

“This is one of a series of sailing events even in 2012, so the impacts to the City [San Francisco] will be minimal of one race is held in New York,” Lee press secretary Christine Falvey wrote in an email. “Under either scenario, there will be a regatta here in 2012.”

A source close to the opposition movement called the Event Authority’s bi-coastal hedging a “head fake” designed to keep San Francisco on its toes after waterfront development rights were scaled back.

Under the original agreement, Ellison’s race team was to spend $55 million to rebuild Piers 30 and 32 in exchange for rent-free use of them for 66 years and title to Seawall Lot 330 — all prime, undeveloped waterfront property — nearby.

Those plans — which likely could have left the city in debt until the year 2100 — were scuttled last week, after the Event Authority failed to secure sponsorship rights.

NEWPORT, WATCH OUT

Last night, Like many of the sailing population of Newport, I sat and listened to Brad Read speak about the America’s Cup World Tour visit to Newport in June-July. The Bermuda Race will be done and dusted, but preparation for the event will be well underway even before the Bermuda Race leaves Newport.

The Ship which brings the traveling “circus” will dock at Quonset and 90 containers will be trucked to Ft. Adams.

Big efforts are being made to move the expected crowds in other than cars. Anyone who has ever driven in Newport, particularly in the summer recognizes the potential problem.  The Sailing will be best seen from land based on the description by Brad. And while I am excited to see the boats, the event itself sounds like everything I try to avoid.

I added the photo of Ft. Adams taken a few days ago which shows the trees which provided a buffer between those living in housing there and the public parking removed. I hope it proves to be a wise decision.

TWO BOATS FOR SALE

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When preparing for the 2000 America’s cup in New Zealand, the BMW/Oracle syndicate was having trouble getting enough time in the wind tunnel to test sail shapes and the costs were escalating. They hit upon the idea of designing a building to 1/3 scale models for on the water testing. Set up to be sailed by two people, they have all the sophisticated sail and mast controls of the full size boats and the mast placement in the boat can be varied for and aft.

Carbon fiber laminated hull and deck. Lead keel bulb with steel shank. Carbon fiber rudder and tiller. Exterior of hull and keel painted black.

Brokerage through Sparkman & Stephens, Inc.:
www.yachtworld.com/sparkmanandstephens/

Complete listing details and seller contact information at
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WATERFRONT WATCH VS. SAN FRANCISCO PORT COMMISSION

Another lawsuit for San Francisco brought by the waterfront watch for non compliance with the California Evironmental Quality Act.

It is going to be hard for San Francisco to be ready for an America’s Cup in 2013

These photos are today in Newport, It had been 60 degrees yesterday.

A REAL ESTATE DEAL MASQUERADING AS A BOAT RACE

As final approvals near, real draw of America’s Cup questioned

By: Dan Schreiber | 02/21/12 4:00 AM
SF Examiner Staff Writer
SF EXAMINER FILE PHOTO
Critics say the race’s projected economic impact was inflated.

The business formula of the America’s Cup seems simple: If you race them, they will come.

But as city officials consider a waterfront investment deal finalizing the terms of the yacht regatta, they are left guessing just how many will come.

Along with the complex long-term agreement for race officials to fix crumbling piers in exchange for lucrative development rights on public property, the event’s popular appeal also is raising questions.

The event’s power to infuse cash into its host city is commonly touted as only less than that of the Olympics and World Cup. But low turnout of spectators and racing teams could make The City’s massive preparations a costly albatross.

The eyes of the sailing world will be fixed on San Francisco Bay’s 58 days of yacht racing over the next two years, but members of the Board of Supervisors want to make sure they won’t only be watching through a television screen. They said an influx of hotel guests who eat and shop will be pivotal to the event’s success.

The City is set to spend $52 million preparing for the race, which it hopes to cover with sales and hotel taxes, plus fundraising by a nonprofit arm of the America’s Cup. But slow fundraising progress has raised red flags with city leaders.

Disappointing turnout for a November event in San Diego raised questions among local skeptics. Supervisor John Avalos said last week he doubts the claim that more than 5 million people will attend the 2013 finals, which could mean up to 500,000 people in The City on peak days.

“I’d say we’re not seeing that,” Avalos said.

A report conducted by an independent firm in 2010 says the regatta will create 8,800 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic benefits. But that analysis was conducted well before officials even agreed to hold the event here.

The analysis based its estimates on past America’s Cups in Spain, New Zealand and San Diego. The benefit estimates included a sizable economic impact from the racing teams themselves, which typically spend months building and testing vessels. But to date, only four of nine anticipated teams have signed up for the 2013 finals, casting doubts over such spending.

Critic Aaron Peskin, the local Democratic Party leader, calls the forecast laughable.

“We should be delighted if we get 25 percent of their pie-in-the-sky estimates,” Peskin said. “There’s no history of sailing regattas being a mass spectator sport in San Francisco or the world.”

Peskin called the regatta a “real estate deal masquerading as a boat race.”

Chief Operating Officer Stephen Barclay of the America’s Cup Event Authority says that while the benefit projections may be shaky, there is little doubt that plenty of sailing fans will come to enjoy a full schedule of events.

“Who knows if the numbers are underinflated or overinflated,” Barclay said. “It’s going to mean a lot of jobs and a lot of economic benefit — that’s the point.”

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2012/02/final-approvals-near-real-draw-america-s-cup-questioned#ixzz1nGbUqQom

FERRIS WHEELS AND THE AMERICA’S CUP

I remain fascinated by carnivals and amusements of the past. To see more click HERE.

 

The comment below again came from sailing anarchy, I am inclined to agree. The America’s Cup has long moved away from the public. Yet they need the public. Many years ago, when it was a race between challenging yacht clubs, not countries, it was very accessible by the public. There is some irony here.

It will be interesting to hear the reaction after the cup has visited Newport in June.

 

reader ranti don’t get itI am currently in San Francisco working about three weeks per month. So you can imagine how  excited I was to learn that Oracle Racing’s two week practice session coincided with my visit.  Moreover, my son Gavin, an Opti sailor, was going to be in town on the weekend that the two  catamarans would be ripping across the bay in 20 knots of breeze. I was sure that, in the face of  disappointing spectator interest and almost no outside sponsorship , Oracle Racing would be  pulling out the stops with a major PR campaign. Even though it was only a practice session, of  course there would be official spectator boats, tons of local exposure, an experiential village for the  public, rides on the catamarans for VIPs, insane social media execution, and an all-out effort to  build community around the event.Boy was I wrong. Neither the Oracle Racing website nor a Google search could produce any
information at all about the practice session. Not one mention! I only discovered the whereabouts of the Oracle Racing compound because I happened to meet a couple of the crew on the train to
work. Otherwise the boats are completely hidden from public view in a nondescript location well
South of the City. There is absolutely zero buzz or excitement in San Francisco (as far as I can tell)  about the America’s Cup. While my son and I did happen to see the boats sail by near St Francis  Yacht Club one afternoon, we got no information at all from Oracle Racing or the local press. You  get the feeling that the whole event will pass by San Francisco without anyone noticing.

I’m just a sports marketing guy and sailing fan. When I first heard about Larry Ellison bringing the  America’s Cup to San Francisco, I naively believed the event had the potential to bring the sport to  hundreds of thousands of new fans. I now see that the America’s Cup in 2013 will go down as a  huge missed opportunity. Our sport will continue to speak to a small and insular group of people,  and we’ll just write off any hope of building a larger fan base with our marquee event. – Anarchist Peter.