Your Feedback

Your comments on a weeks news in the sailing world

Mark Chisnells comments on the structure of the America's Cup has brought in a huge response this week. However all concerned firmly believe the 'winner takes all' nature of the cup is what makes the event so special

From Bruce Copeland:
The risk and win/lose everything nature of the AC is what attracts the big spending billionaire risk takers club, which has always been the AC circus. Don't worry about continuity, it may die away and the billionaires and sponsors will go elsewhere but the event can then emerge again in another fresh form. This evolutionary cycle is good for the sport, if no one wants it, bury it until it can be recreated. In terms of bidding for the event, NZ and other small players would never compete in these Olympic style political / money games - we can't even co-host the Rugby World Cup. Under the current situation anyone can go and take it if the time is right and they want it badly enough. These quirky, nonsensical elements are the AC. They aren't problems they are great - unless of course you need a steady job!

Jesse Deupree does not want to see sailing go the same way as Formula 1
Mark is right only if all he cares about is money for the sailors. Look at Formula 1- Bernie Ecclestone is crooked, the racing is crooked, and it is just a spectacle- how often is there an on track pass? It is an awful structure for the America's Cup to emulate. Believe it or not, NASCAR is the sport that has done the best job of embracing sponsors and having great sport as well. Jesse Deupree

Nick Daniels believes the competition should stay the way it is
No, he is not right. It is the very nature of the winner takes all that makes the Cup more exciting than any other form of sailing. This would be a very simple method of taking something that is different from any other event in sailing (or other sports for that matter) and making it the same as the rest. If the current format is bad why are so many teams competing?

Andrew Banks also believes the 'Formula 1' route would lead to the demise of the cup's popularity
When people aspire to creating a successful business structure, along the lines of Formula One, whilst at the same time trying to remove the politics from a sport, you know they're on a hiding to nothing. Firstly, Formula One is one of the most political sports around, - demonstrated by Sir Frank Williams who when asked at the French Grand Prix what his role was over a Grand Prix weekend, replied 'primarily political'. In an earlier interview Williams was asked whether F1 was sport or commerce, and he replied 'Commerce, -except for 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon'.

It's also worth remembering that there are powerful forces in Formula 1 lobbying for change. The biggest investors in the sport, the manufacturers, are lobbying for change and threatening a break away series, and many of the team owners are unhappy with the way things are run. Mark mentions that sailing, and the Americas Cup specifically lacks a Bernie Ecclestone figure. Again it appears that by aspiring to be like F1, he feels that a carbon copy approach is required.

The nature of F1 has always been far more insular than in other sports, even sailing, and this was a contributing factor to Ecclestone's emergence. The only comparable figure in sailing is Phillipe Facque, - the man behind the 60 ' multihull circuit in France, - again operating in quite an insular, localised environment, where it is easy to build a power base. When establishing their authority, neither men had to stand up to teams run by Billionaires with a raft of lawyers in their pockets.

Also, short of George L Schuyler (the originator of the Deed of Gift which controls the cup) coming back from the dead, any wholesale reform would mean spending another few years in the Courts, in spite of what Larry Ellison rather vaguely promises, 'when' he wins. I'd also take issue with Mark's assertion that without the transfer of technology, 'second-hand' IACC boats are of limited value. Judging by what happened after the last cup, it seems unlikely that most teams didn't recoup the material cost of building their boats when they sold them on.

His own syndicate were rumoured to have paid top dollar of Stars & Stripes USA-55, and America True, and the Japanese didn't exactly sell the Nippon boats to Peter Harrison for pence. The winner takes all element is a crucial part of the Americas Cup game, as the man explained to Queen Victoria whilst watching America dominate the race around the Isle of Wight for the 100 Guinea Cup, 'there is no second'. I would also venture that the general (non-sailing) public are more interested in sports where there is a high degree of dramatic interplay, - what's more dramatic than watching someone who's just spent $100 million dollars on a four year campaign watch it all get flushed down the toilet?

As for the notion that the event should be farmed out to whichever location offers the most money; do you really see Dennis Conner going to sponsors to raise money, in order to 'bring the Cup home to the good old US of A' so that he could defend it off, say, the Jumeira Beach Hotel in the United Arab Emirates?

The sinking of USA77 has made Robbie Smith wonder how this could have been allowed to happen
Boats are continuing to be developed on the edge. Everyone is counting on the strength of newer materials and specialized designs. Look at how many masts are ending up in the deep blue sea. Fortunately for DC, USA77 was in shallow water. Earlier in the day the depths were more like 2000 feet. USA77 would have joined Australia's boat in the California briny. Boat design should be required to have a larger safety margin.

Stephen White has nothing but praise for Cork Week
Only one complaint about Cork - not enough breeze! Great management and venue, fantastic hospitality, good courses although they could be a little longer. Roll on 2004!

Mike thinks Tony Buckingham deserves a mention when the Tour Voile is being reported on
What is not mentioned in your report of Panthers progress is there was another British boat in the 2000 Tour Voile. Easy Oars, Tony Buckingham's private entry finished 3rd Overall and was top boat offshore. This was due in no small part to having navigators of the quality of Steve Hayles and Ian Moore on board for various legs and seasoned offshore sailors like Barney Walker and Tim Dengate tied in with inshore experts and helms Kevin Sproul and Ian Budgen, the event is not easy and is difficult to win, Barlo did a fantastic job from the start whereas it took a while for the Easy Oars team to get going. The Mumm that was Easy Oars for that event won the next year as Virbac St Raphael.

An anonymous reader thinks the proposed start date for the Round Britain and Ireland Challenge is all wrong
The proposed Round Britain and Ireland Challenge by Challenge Business and The Daily Telegraph in 72ft one-designs is surely an attractive race. Nearly all aspects sound appealing, as one would expect from these experienced organizers. 'Nearly' because there is one objection. The start date of 19th April is too early and has every chance of spoiling this major event. The sea is very cold indeed, the weather if unsettled can dish out winter type storms and the darkness is unduly long, especially in far northern waters. The Royal Ocean Racing Club never begins its very first offshore races each year in British waters until the last days of April. My opinion is based in completing this course myself twice and more recently continuous year round liaison with individual record breaking attempts over the same course. The start should be moved to at least a month later, maybe slightly more.

Rene' Serrao is looking forward to airborne monohulls
I would say that we can look forward to some record breaking 60ft trimaran 24hr distance achievements in this years Route du Rhum with this tri foil development. I also see some structural failures caused by the speeds involved coupled with the early learning curve phase of the foil design development so far. But Hey!! This is fantastic multihull ocean racing development and here's to solving any problems with a minimum of set backs.

Doug Lord informs us some airborne monohulls already exist
I firmly believe that monohulls like the Open 60's and some others like mini6.5's will be sporting full flying hydrofoil systems before too long. My company builds production radio control sailboats and full size prototypes. Our newest model ,a little over a meter in length called the aeroSKIFF(tm) is the first KEELBOAT- model or full size to be offered with a fully flying hydrofoil system! We are doing a 16' prototype for a large sailboat company that is an"off the beach" monohull hydrofoil with only two foils similar in concept to David Luggs I14--yet very different. Check out our model website at:www.microsail.com and our fullsize site at:www.monofoiler.com

NB: If you want to take part in the debate ( click here to send Feedback) then please ensure you include your name and surname, email address and the town and country from where you come.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this feedback page. If you have any further comments on these or any other topics, please click on the Feedback button above. Remember to state your name and where you come from. Each contribution may be subjected to a rigorous process of editing for language, taste and imparted wisdom. The opinions expressed in From the Feedback do not necessarily reflect those of the management, staff or investors of mad for sport .com. Instead, and much more importantly, they reflect your views.