From the feedback - 9/05/01

The problem with the Admiral's Cup is one of credibility. If you look at it from a foreign owner's point of view, is it really worth the expense of sending a boat to England for a sizeable chunk of the summer on the basis one might win a series billed as 'the unofficial world championship of offshore racing', but which actually involves poncing around windward-leeward courses in the Solent and Christchurch Bay, and then going offshore for all of one night, whilst you watch most of the series from a motor launch, unless it's a windy day and the hopelessly slow IMS money pit that you own requires a bit more weight on the rail to keep it vaguely upright?

Personally if I had the wherewithal to put a racing campaign together, I'd want a boat that was fast, stable, fun to sail, and had some sort of residual worth in three years time. I'd want to sail it in an event that stretched me and those in my crew, and above all something which not only gave one pride in winning, but was enough of a challenge to make taking part and representing your country something to be proud of too. An event that could be billed as 'the unofficial world championship of offshore racing' with some justification, based not only on the quality and number of entries, but the challenge it provided to the sailors too.

From Steve Shaw
What would you do to save the Admiral`s Cup? I feel that the best way for the Admiral's Cup to go is as a regatta for the owners. Classes such as the Farr 40 and Mumm 30 would provide good close racing which is enjoyed by the owners. Some people have claimed that by choosing these types of boats the wealthier owners may be driven away from the event as it doesn't give them a chance to show their wealth, but I do not think this is the case.

Billionaires such as Vincenzo Onorato and Ernesto Bertarelli have both shown their faces in these classes in the past year and have enjoyed the competition that they have faced. I also feel that the suggestion by some that the VOR 60s could be introduced as an offshore boat for the AC is poorly thought out. There are only a limited amount of boats available and within those there are vast performance differences. Also the cost of campaigning these boats would make their use prohibitive.

From Nigel
Is good funding the reason why Iain has done so well? There were many reasons the sailing members of Team GB did so well in Sydney. In summary they were an exceptional talent, supported by the best organised national governing body (the RYA) and an Olympic programme run tirelessly by John Derbyshire, who left no stone unturned. Lottery funding that brought our resources on par with other nations and allowed us to invest in areas such as sports science and technical development that clearly made a medal winning difference. Iain is an exceptional product of the above ingredients but, for all the support around him from David Howlett, Bart Simpson to Pete Cunningham, there is only one person in the boat.

From Ian
Do all you Laser 4000 sailors think we were fair to your baby? How can you define the Laser 4000 as the definite modern single trapeze racer when you haven't reviewed the other boats in this part of the market? Both the Fireball and the 505 have equally modern constructions using foam sandwich and because they've been around longer have ironed out the bugs associated with the newer boats. I'm led to believe both the Laser 4000 and 5000 have suffered from mast problems, as did the early RS 200s. Looking at the build figures for the last few years the Fireball is set to probably out-sell the 4000 within the next year or so which must be some indication of the quality of the boat and the racing. So, come on guys, be fair in your assessments and try all the boats before making your comments, or are you being swayed by the advertising budgets of the big boys?

From Matt Critchley
Is good funding the reason why Iain has done so well? Funding is certainly an important element towards achieving your goals (whatever they may be!) but it is not the only aspect. To fulfill your ambitions you also need talent and time. I have been lucky enough to have served as an Officer in the Royal Navy for the last ten years and whilst (during the good times) there has been the time, funding has been another issue! However, do not make the mistake of thinking that we have an easy ride of things. Increasingly we are being called upon to do peace-keeping in Africa, the Balkans and elsewhere or to provide Military Aid to the Community (Foot and Mouth?) and therefore cannot guarantee the time.
Additionally, we are publicly funded organisations and therefore are accountable when it comes to money. Good luck to the likes of Rory Underwood and his international rugby career. Those who succeed under that type of regime are few and far between compared to the remainder with ambition and vision but who have been thwarted by the 'needs of the service'. Do not think for one moment that I (or any other serviceman) are complaining as all we would wish to do is to address the facts which are; that to be the best (and how you define 'the best' is another matter) depends upon sufficient quanitities of all three elements: time, money and talent.

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