32nd Americas Cup... "Riveting"?


It's game on with the Americas Cup. The regatta is all tied up at 2-2 which Tillerman points out has only happened once in the last seventy years. That would indicate the 32nd Americas Cup regatta is about as exciting as it gets. In fact, the third race was about as exciting as it gets. According to Scuttleblog, "The third race of the 32nd America’s Cup proved one thing – a yacht race television show can be riveting. Tight start, huge leads, major splits, 3 passes, a horrid leeward mark rounding – all in minimum winds - and a final winner that wasn’t known until mere boat lengths from the finish. This race set many records..." Or if you're a gambler, you can relate to the view on SailJuice that sailboat racing is sometimes a crap shoot... a really exciting crap shoot.

So what's up with the anti-AC sentiment? I can understand apathy from people who can't relate to sailing at all or those who are disgusted by all the money poured into an AC campaign by billionaires looking to boost their egos that much more... The AC Beat Down coverage by SA is typically acerbic and dismissive which shouldn't be surprising really.

Perhaps it's some of both all the way around. Those that want to down play the AC certainly keep close tabs on the goings on... (which is sometimes more entertaining off the water than on...). It certainly isn't a typical regatta when you consider the size and cost of the boats, the marketing engine behind it all, the wrangling of billionaires to enforce their will, etc. But when race time comes and you see the outcome decided my mistakes or wind shifts.... it's something average weekend warrior sailors can relate to. You have to admit, it's better than any of the other yacht racing on TV right now!

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