Your feedback

On Chris Law's comments about GBR Challenge and the Commodore's Cup debacle

There has been some heated reaction to Chris Law's comments on GBR Challenge . Stewart Dyer sent us this:

1. Chris made it very clear after the '99 Admirals Cup that he did not want to represent his country again. Why is he surprised (and 'hurt') at not being 'asked'? You are 'representing', even if you are not on the boat.

2. I would be surprised if Ainslie committed to the Americans because of lack of room at GBR, rather than the endless speculation and protracted rumour that GBR challenges seem to emerge through (another result of the antics of Law's generation). Clearly, residency was also a key issue during this time frame. If it is the case: wouldn't it be better to be a positive influence over these issues rather than creating division?

3. Percy has made it clear that he wanted to do the Star. He has 'checked in' with the GBR campaign and should have a future in the next cycle. His desire to partner up with Ainslie for the long term may have also been a factor.

4. There is no doubt that a higher profile created by the RYA at the Olympics has provided an impetus/confirmed talent pool, at a time when Harrison had a) the money b) the start up kit and c) the inclination. ...however there should be no confusion between these factors from which you can build a campaign and a starting concept that says 'this is the complete Olympic team': it has never been presented as such to the public, and it would be quite inappropriate to mount a campaign from this starting point (instead of getting the blend right within the budget/time frame.)

5. The RYA structure has driven 'team development' across the classes and avoided the kind of destructive turf war/politics that Chris' generation were (and still are) so good at. This is a strong influence even if the campaign is 'not RYA' - why should it be?

6. RYA 'squad' members (to name a few) as Chris well knows include: Walker, Stead, Covell, Beadsworth, Gray, Budgen, Sydenham: Edgerton is coaching. The rest are in the current olympic cycle.

7. Personal chemistry is the ball game (as Chris will know from (bitter?) experience) and you shouldn't have everyone just for the sake of it. (Unless it is to absorb them out of the equation of other teams - in spite of the 'bends in the road' this creates. As he will appreciate Oracle have done this in masterful fashion).
8. I can't see where Chris is coming from on the rules/analysis front: as a mere obsessively interested amateur I have worn these videos and the page numbers of the rule book out - are you telling me that GBR have not? Get real. If one wants to seek out a lack of rule knowledge amongst teams look no further than the (potentially fatal) off the water mistakes of OneWorld and Prada. And the on the water mistakes they have made in matches against GBR.

9. On the 'depth of understanding in the crew' front: yes non-sailors have filled the key muscle jobs and some of the others lack pure match experience. Is Chris really saying that Olympic medallists in their own right won't do everything to up there game (and everyone else's) as much as possible (within the budget/time frame?).

10. Spithill is performing very well: no doubt a result of his previous cup cycle experience (how not to the run the campaign) and the Gilmour 'experience' (experience, time, money, people, atmosphere, talent:'we are not a threat to each other because the campaign is bigger than both of us'.) Have Green/Walker/Beadsworth had this 'complete' AC environment to work in over a cycle? No. (Not sure Kolius' 2000 two boater can be called complete can it?)

11. Yes, Ian Walker has emerged as the lead player within the team. Given his background and attitude this is no surprise. I think Chris' recent 'form' (oneAus...Sydney '95, AC 97 AC 99) indicates he would be a threat to the team building as a whole rather than any one individual in it. He states that "I don't need to prove myself any longer". On the water this is probably (65%?) true, but off it? I can't agree. (And clearly nor can those who are paying.)

12. In AC experience terms GBR is clearly 'young' overall. Although the design talent is the asset in this respect.

13. Sorry Chris, Andy Claughtons move to Team NZ is widely known (as a subscriber to mfs I'm sure he knows why we know), and should be seen for what it is: an example of the brain drain that GBR have endured throughyears of inactivity at the highest level. (Hemmings, Chisnell, need I go on?)

14. Of course, AC campaigns from GBR are like waiting for a London bus...suddenly several come at once. Cue the playground scenarios of 'the mouthpiece' Hobday. I'm sure that his most recent uttering: "pro sailors..are a pain in the arse, self-opinionated and not that good" and the timing of Law's comments means that Chris won't be the slightest bit interested in 2006....

Stuart C in essence agrees:

Not again!!!!! How many times do we have to go through this cycle, hear this sort of stuff and then eventually it all goes off again. He's a good sailor but lacks other things that can make him an overall asset to a team on a long term basis. Others have come to terms with this!!!

However John Tattersall asks:

Surely this excellent result for Chris Law reinforces the point that GBR Challenge ought to swallow their pride and engage him as match racing coach before the Louis Vuitton commences ?

Richard Sydenham has a few corrections to make regarding the Tour Voile:

Barlo Plastics was in fact the top boat offshore in the Tour Voile 2000 as well as overall (Barlo never finished worse than 7th, Easy Oars had a couple of mid fleet results early on, both boats won 3 offshore races each). Credit should be given to Easy Oars however as they were far more convincing than Panther was in this Tour and would have been comfortably 2nd overall if there hadn't been 'le grand stitch up' following the mid channel finish incident in the first offshore race to Portsmouth. Ifs, buts, maybes, ancient history and excuses aside lets hope there are British boats in the Tour 2003 and we can get it to come to the UK again.

On the subject of the Rolex Commodore's Cup we asked if the Commonwealth and 2nd Irish teams made a mockery of the RYA's trials. An anonymous reader sent in this...

No. Because they were English trials. The mockery is that IRM boats are more competitive under IRC than 'IRC boats' and that the Comedy Cup is still being run as a national competition (with a 30% nationality requirement!) when the 'premiere' event (if you can still call the Admirals cup that) has abandoned this concept (now a club challenge)and is using IMS and IRC - what a farce! Why isn't the RORC supporting its own rule with its own events? (Why is it left to Cork to yet again make the right moves?) If the event is truly for the 'Club Racer' why are there 50% pros on the boat? (By then again if you can 'subsidise' (pay?) your crew with free housing and food ad infinitum, and their not pro, then who is?)

This situation is no surprise anyway when you consider under the trial terms that the RYA get final call on your crew make up: your existing crew (including your offspring that you are trying to encourage into the sport) sacrifice their time working the boat up and doing the events then bang: note 30 in the "conditions for the selection of the English Teams" kicks in. What you didn't read that far? Sorry if you want to sail then "the selectors may also recommend individual crew changes, in consultation with the owners and skippers, which *may* be made a condition for selection onto one of the English teams." But no doubt this is the fabled "full co-operation" so loved by the people who don't have to pay. It's no wonder at all that we don't end up with a team that should be - on all counts - first pick. It's amazing that people want to trial at all.

From Limerick in Ireland, Martin MacNamara has these thoughts....

Not just the trials but the whole idea of national teams. Only 1 boat in the Irish team listed here is from Ireland! All the so called Commonwealth boats are English. They might aswell do away with the National aspect of it and just open it to 3 boat teams, as this appears to be what they have done anyway!

Yacht designer Christian Stimson had these views...

The two faced attitude of the RORC in this matter is appalling, back stabbing PRH at a time when he is doing the most for British - BRITISH - yachting by inverting the deliberate vagueness of the NOR that allowed *them to ask* PRH & PM to field (and pay for) Commonwealth Teams when they (RORC) needed him. I thought 'Gentlemanliness' was at the heart of the Comedy Cup. Its earned its nickname this time. Add to this the confused signals from running the AC under IRC and IMS rather than the RORC's own GP rule IRM and it seems the RORC is loosing its grip on reality, not just the events and the sailors.

James Struth is equally upset...

The RORC are up their own a***s, we wanted to enter an East Cost or East Anglian team but they said no, we would have to do the UK trials and stange as it may seem they were held on the south coast miles from where we and our crews live so as a result we have sold our boat and are not bothering. If they want a good event why dont they allow good boats to enter if they can come up with a valid team. After all as the RORC say this is not the Admirals Cup, but a fun event for seriour ameters!! James Struth THRUST - 585R

Richie Faulkner sent us this...

It is sad and dangerous for the RORC to exclude 2 big players in British yachting from something they want to do: The RORC must realize that the Admirals Cup is looking as though it is on very dodgey ground. Very simple the 2 Peters get together and use there combined wealth, in money and experience to put a regatta that people want to race in, in racing boats, in the solent and next July. We all had a good time racing IRM boats in Cork this July, I hope we can do the same thing in the solent next year. So Peter & Peter don't waste any more time debating with the RORC, spend the time sorting a July 2003 regatta for the GBR Challenge Trophy!

An anonymous taffy going under the name of the 'world's greatest sailing welshman' sent us this...(Eddie Owen reveal yourself)

Less of the sarcasm mr boyd i'm from wales and i'm certainly not a gentleman nor am i from hills or valleys, but i'm sailing for wales and i think rorc should be grateful for any entries they get after last years admirals cup humiliation!

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.