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Views on America's Cup, Volvo and the epic record attempts of Francis Joyon and Thomas Coville

Much debate continues at present with readers writing in about the America's Cup, Volvo and the epic record attempts of Francis Joyon and Thomas Coville. If you wish to add to the debate - email us at batmail@thedailysail.com

On the subject of the Volvo Ocean Race Tom Hurwitch from Massachusetts, USA writes:

I am disappointed about how the Volvo Ocean Race is shaping up on two levels.

First, I was hoping they would have 10-12 boats. I expect attrition will be less than the last edition of the event but even losing a boat or two on a single leg will reduce the competition to a parade.

Secondly, and I suppose this is a necessarily evil of sponsorship and the dollars, pounds and otherwise to put on such an event but I resent the fact that the route is essentially a treasure hunt for cash. I had hoped they would have held firm to the traditional route with an exception or two. This route has no resemblance to the test of man of machine we loved.

Cheers & Happy Holidays.

Sticking with tradition and making profound changes is always a difficult one for race organisers. Events such as the ones in France like the Route du Rhum and Vendee Globe or even the America's Cup we feel have developed a great history because they have resolutely stuck to the same course or same race format. However race organisers are in the game for business reasons and the costs required to mount a Volvo campaign are such that these days they have to entirely follow sponsor demands. One of the fundamental problems with the Volvo that the campaign costs are astronomic. There is a strong view that the Volvo would be a much stronger event if it were raced five or seven up in Open 60s (albeit with some refinements to rigs rules...) With say 20 smaller boats entered you have a yacht race and still have a yacht race if half of your fleet drops out. Or maybe why not go the hole hog and sail the event in 100ft multihulls with a comparitively small crew. Joyon singlehanded on IDEC 2 versus a fully crewed VO70 - that would be an interesting race and we have little doubt who would win..

In California Lehel Garami has the America's Cup on his mind:

It appears the SNG’s approach and intentions for this next America’s Cup are quite questionable. Even though I would consider a court action as only a last resort, I feel compelled to side with BMW Oracle in filling a court action.

It also appears SNG has made little effort in easing many of the valid concerns the challengers have and perhaps even are purposely “fueling the fire” so to speak.

Personally, I’d like to see these two teams take to the water and settle this racing each other, winner is defender period. Conditions, next Cup is in valencia and all teams, defender and challengers mutually come to an agreement on a protocol and boat.

Right now, as it stands this america’s cup appears like onesided dictatorship.

You and the rest of the sailing community, not to mention a whole bunch of professional sailors now seeking alternativve employment... Why can't Russell and Brad just sort it out on the golf course?

Also on the America's Cup fiasco Phil Lawrence writes:

We now read that the hearing re the settlement order will be held on January 14 (with a decision sometime after that) and that Alinghi are contesting everything except theJudges right to find the challenge from CNEV invalid (and they will probably appeal that anyway).

It’s pretty clear now that Berterelli is going to do everything to drag this out and delay AC33 as long as possible and that means no ‘traditional’ event until 2011 at the earliest…… Maybe a Deed of Gift Cat gig in Summer 09, but this could be mired in the courts for another year.

So its reality time for all the challengers who will soon start laying off their staff and running down their operations…..

The upside is that it’s all good for the Volvo race and more importantly, it will leave plenty of space on your excellent website to keep us up to date with the incredible Francis Joyon……..

The present AC debacle is getting immensely boring. Yes, a delayed America's Cup is good news for those who want to go to the Olympic Games. It's good for those who wish to race in the Volvo as well. Ian Walker was certainly looking most relieved about this when we spoke to him last week.

Again on the America's Cup former GBR Challenge designer Hugh Welbourn writes:

Its back to the perfect scenario, a clash of two massive egos with budgets to cope with the overheads incurred. Isn't that what the America's Cup is really about??

As a parallel - look at the sadly defunct Admiral's Cup...it was progressively dumbed down to smaller boats to make it more affordable and attractive to more and cheaper campaigns - but lost the whole point...the big boys do not want to play with the smaller fry. So where did all those owner types go? Swan Worlds....the entry fee to that club keeps the standards where they should be for those owners and Americas Cup is no different.

Gotta bet that column inches and hot air regarding the Larry and Ernie Show will exceed the last AC total by far!

True enough. We've always maintained the America's Cup to be a soap opera, not a yacht race.

On the Coville versus Joyon/Sodebo v IDEC 2 debate, New York wheeler dealer Andrew Beesher writes:

Sodeb’o probably has a bit of a speed advantage and Thomas Colville is a fine sailor, but let’s face it, Francis Joyon is Superman…barring a run-in with kryptonite (or falling asleep near shore) he is going to put up a number that will require absolutely perfect conditions to fall together to break.

Very impressive use of the apostrophe. Joyon is a truly pheneomenal human being, and particularly so since he has chosen to make his voyage only using alternative energy.

Trimaran veteran Dr David Bains of Brighton writes on the same topic:

On paper Coville has a slightly faster boat but at the price of much more technicality. With this comes reliability issues. On a round the world trip even more important is the skippers personality, his ability to endure the conditions and remain calm yet focussed. In this I suspect Joyon has the edge yet his performance so far is still staggering.

Coville is taking quite a risk setting off now and his boat could suffer early damage necessitating a restart. A truly fascinating duel in these Irens tris whose long buoyant bows seem to offer a real advantage when surfing.

Let's hope that both skippers complete their trips and deliver the impessive records the boats are clearly capable of. It's wonderful to see what Nigel Irens can produce freed from even a box rule.

Pretty much our assessment too

Vendee Globe skipper Conrad Humphreys writes regarding the Barcelona World Race and Guillermo Altadill and Jon McKee decision not to continue:

Now there's a suprise!

I'm flabbergasted that Estrella Damm skippers Guillermo Altadill and Jonathan McKee have reached this decision. With the allowance of a stop and a full shore team to replace the rudder they would have been back in the race with still a good chance of a podium finish. There will be plenty more drama yet to come and it would have fantastic to see how much they could have pulled back.

Why is it that we are seeing so often in major events skippers and teams are not compelled to finish what they set out to do and yet in the Vendee Globe - the sailors will move mountains to finish the race? I guess this is the value that the Vendee has and the feeling that completion brings.

The decision by Jonathan and Guillermo has probably more to do with getting the boat back to Europe in time for the Transat for the next sponsor.

What a great shame for the BWR.

Over to the conspiracy theorists on this one....Did they count the winch handles?

If you wish to add to the debate - email us at batmail@thedailysail.com