Idler in Europe

We speak to owner of the 1999 Admiral's Cup George David about his program and the prospect of a new boat

Aside from George Kahlbetzer's Bumble Bee 5 from Australia, the boat second furthest away from home at last week's Rolex IMS Offshore Championship was George David's Nelson/Marek 50, Idler normally based in Newport, Rhode Island. Idler was the only American boat taking part in the supposed IMS World championship.

So what was Idler doing so far from home? "It's clear that the best IMS competition is in Europe," David explained to The Daily Sail. "The number of IMS certificates in the US is relatively small. I guess it has gone up in the last year or two, but it was in decline for several years before that. The toughest competition in IMS is clearly here in the Mediterranean."

While one design racing in Melges or any number of Farr designs has become the most popular expression of big boat sailing in the States, David says he prefers handicap racing. "We wish Europe was a little closer," he says. "Americans are not doing IMS anymore. Fundamentally Americans are doing one designs and have had great success in the Farr 40 class in particular." He adds: "I've always had IMS boats and I like the idea about design."

But he admits that campaigning Idler has become tough because of her age. "This boat is in its fifth year and it is pretty clear that you need to be inside three years because there is a design evolution just about every second year. But we knew that. Everybody comes to an event with an expectation of doing well and you work hard and everyone is motivated but when you are in the fifth year of the program you have to pay attention to the fact that's it's going to be tough."

This is David's fourth Idler, following an IOR quarter tonner in the late 1980s, a 2 tonner and an IMS45 in 1994.

The current Idler was originally built to take part in the Admiral's Cup in 1999 as part of the US team that finished that competition fourth. "We did the Admiral's Cup in 1999 and that was a nice program although that was in England and the Mediterranean has the benefit of great food and nice climate and good weather and very good race organisation and a lot of shore support. This group really work hard for the benefit of sailors and the sailing programs," he said of the IMS Offshore Worlds organisation.

Racing a five years old boat alongside the gleaming new examples in the Mediterranean, several of the Idler crew seemed to be itching for David to get a new boat. "A new boat? They were taking about that when the boat was a day old!" quips David. "I don't know. I have to have a look at our economy. It is a tough time for business in general. Also one of the things that is a little different in the US versus Europe is that there is essentially no commercial sponsorship in the US and every one of us pays with after-tax dollars. And so if you haven't got sponsors you haven't got an facilitation with the income tax. It makes our bar a little higher."

David's day job is as Chairman and CEO of the US$28 billion Hartford, Connecticut-based company United Technologies Corporation, the parent company behind the likes of Sikorski helicopters, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and Otis elevators.

If David were to get a new boat, he says it is likely to be around the same size as the present Idler. "Frankly the 50s are a great size boat. The low 50s are perfect because crew sizes are 12-13 and are manageable. This thing is a corporation fundamentally in terms of the level of commitment and expenditure and organisation and it is a big team. But beyond this, to me the next step to go really big would be for distance racing, 90-100ft. I don't particularly like distance racing. We like round the buoys, but it is a function of time on the course, so if you're going to do distance racing you need a bigger platform. That is a good rule."



Part of the reason behind David's hesitation to get a new boat has been over uncertainly with the rules. "We need a revival of IMS. We also need the rule to settle down. The hardest burden for sailors and owners is that it is very difficult to build a boat in the face of rule uncertainty. That is the same for every owner that I have ever spoken to. We need ORC to say 'this the rule and that is it'. And not to take years to make up their minds. Delay is very expensive. We have to get consultation and discussion but to take multiple years to make a decision is adverse for the sport in my opinion."

When we broach the subject of a possible new international Grand Prix rule, David says he is all for it. Just, please, would someone make up their mind. "I think it would be great. I think any new rule where people say 'this is the new rule of a number of years going into the future' I think would be terrific. I think it would launch a bunch of new boats. I think there are a bunch of people just waiting - I am one of them - waiting in part because IMS has been in decline in the US and there is a lot of rule uncertainty so everyone waits and waits and waits, but there are only so many years in our lives..."

Idler's program in Europe is uncertain. She would not easily fit into an Admiral's Cup team in its present format. However George has said that he plans to enter her in this year's Gotland Rund, when Stars & Stripes helmsman Kenny Read will be back in the driving seat.