Ken Read interview - part 2

Today the Stars & Stripes helm recounts the story of USA-77 sinking, AC sail developments and North Sails' role

On the America's Cup generally Read will not be drawn on how he thinks they are lining up against the other challengers. "We work really hard at not getting involved in the hype of how good we are or how bad we are, as told by other people. We also don't get caught up in who's rated where. I mean who would have put their money on us being a race away from the finals last time? And at the same time who would have put money on Young America not even making it to the semis? So there's going to be surprises and it's not even worth the time of day to make predictions. We'll leave that up to you guys."
However Read is impressed by how much the game has been raised for this Cup. "The general preparation of all the groups and the leave-no-stone-unturned strategy is clearly way ahead of where it was last time - just the sheer amount of money which these teams have been able to pump into it. Would it shock me if someone came up with an Austalia II wing keel break through? Maybe not this time.

"You've got canards sailing all over the place and who knows what people have tried." Canards can be spotted whenever a boat leaves its compound with a fleet of tenders around the bow - or when a boat goes into the shed overnight, bow-in. "I think all the teams will far surpass Cups of the past and therefore we have to be that much better prepared at the same time. So it will be a fun challenge."

Read says he doesn't know the numbers for how Team Dennis Conner are stacking up financially this time, but the indication is that the New York Yacht Club challenger's budget is adequate, enough for two boats, although probably only a fraction of the $100 million figure associated with some of the 'mega' campaigns. "It is like any America's Cup programme - you never have enough time or enough money. We are paying our bills. We're still training. Our programme is the same as it was planned about three years ago. We're moving forward. Dennis is not a deficit spender. He won't go spend what we don't have."

Meanwhile Read has been able to take his helmsman's job with Team Dennis Conner by taking a leave of absense from North Sails, where he is Vice President. It no doubt helps that his boss Tom Whidden, is also alongside him in the afterguard. "Tom [Whidden] and I are obviously quite good friends. He sees the benefit of my being involved with something like the AC, not just to make the product better, but to get recognition as an expert in the sailmaking business. So hopefully the return on investment for North Sails is I'm either a better manager, or sailmaker or sail expert, so when this thing is all over so I can do my job better at North Sails.

"It is a win-win deal. The only frightening part is that Tom and Dennis are like best buddies, so they gang up on how they're going to mow me down in the future. If they have their way somehow between the two of them they're going to get me working for free for the rest for the rest of my life!"

So in a team where you have both the President and Vice President of North Sails, who actually designs and makes the sails? "We have JB Braun, who is designing the sails and Mike Toppa, who is also part of the North Sail teams is one of our trimmers, he is in charge of the sail programme for us," says Read. "And we have Vince Brun trimming our mainsail who's the head of North Sails One Design. So we have a pretty influential North Sails group on board.

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