No I think that it started going downhill after Dennis Conner bent the rules to win the cup back when he put a Catamarin against a Mono Hull I mean Really that was the beginning of the downfall in my opinion.
From what i read in Dennis Conner's book he blamed Michael Fay for the 1988 farce as the New Zealanders used the Deed Of Gift to pry their way into a 1 on 1 match race. The NZ'ers had their boat mostly built and gave the San Diego Yacht Club 8 months to get ready to race and threatened them with legal action if they refused!
There was nothing in the rules which said they couldn't defend with a catamaran, the only stipulation was the minimum water line length. So yeah i do think Conner bent the rules but it was nothing illegal, don't forget that Conner also had 3 rating certificates for Liberty in the 1983 AC which meant he could change ballast and sail area overnight to suit the predicted weather conditions, it wasn't "illegal" but it was also a loophole which they exploited over the other would-be defenders. It really made an enemy with Tom Blackaller!
Michael Fay was a lawyer/banker who financed the 1987 New Zealand challenge which came out with fibreglass boats which caused a lot of controversy at the time!
I'd like to see the America's Cup go back to "match racing" and not the 1 on 1 challenges, i'd also like to see the sailors sail on the boat of their country of origin, but the winners make the regatta rules in this game!
Mind you Australia's involvement in the AC way back in the 1960's were 1 on 1 challenges, the holder of the cup at the time, New York Yacht Club decided that if two or more challengers put their bid in that they would make a regatta out of it, in the end it had the desired effect of turning it from amateur to professional sport, Ted Turner was the last amateur helmsman to win the AC. Dennis Conner changed the way the AC was sailed!
The AC sailors love it because they are professional sailors, that's all they do, and they get paid
handsomely for it. $12 a day? Maybe, very maybe, back then. They now get many thousands of
dollars each per day.
This weekend just gone we had the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, mostly amateur crews, but I
know one guy in a boat similar to mine that has a pro crew, 8 guys at $15,000 per day. Long gone
are the days of doing big campaigns on a beer budget.
Cheers,
Jason.
According to John Bertrand in his book that's all they got in 1983 I have not been following it much since the 12 meter days went away that was the good times and the racing was for sailing exciting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep
From what i read in Dennis Conner's book he blamed Michael Fay for the 1988 farce as the New Zealanders used the Deed Of Gift to pry their way into a 1 on 1 match race. The NZ'ers had their boat mostly built and gave the San Diego Yacht Club 8 months to get ready to race and threatened them with legal action if they refused!
There was nothing in the rules which said they couldn't defend with a catamaran, the only stipulation was the minimum water line length. So yeah i do think Conner bent the rules but it was nothing illegal, don't forget that Conner also had 3 rating certificates for Liberty in the 1983 AC which meant he could change ballast and sail area overnight to suit the predicted weather conditions, it wasn't "illegal" but it was also a loophole which they exploited over the other would-be defenders. It really made an enemy with Tom Blackaller!
Michael Fay was a lawyer/banker who financed the 1987 New Zealand challenge which came out with fibreglass boats which caused a lot of controversy at the time!
I'd like to see the America's Cup go back to "match racing" and not the 1 on 1 challenges, i'd also like to see the sailors sail on the boat of their country of origin, but the winners make the regatta rules in this game!
Mind you Australia's involvement in the AC way back in the 1960's were 1 on 1 challenges, the holder of the cup at the time, New York Yacht Club decided that if two or more challengers put their bid in that they would make a regatta out of it, in the end it had the desired effect of turning it from amateur to professional sport, Ted Turner was the last amateur helmsman to win the AC. Dennis Conner changed the way the AC was sailed!
Long live the America's Cup!
I agree match racing is the way to go I miss that format.
Bring back the "J" class I say!!! (Need an icon with a crazy old man ranting away).
+1 You, sir, are a legend. J-class would have to be the single most beautiful vessels ever to ply the deep blue sea (well, maybe a Wally comes close ) Velsheda, Shamrock V... these were real yachts.
+1 You, sir, are a legend. J-class would have to be the single most beautiful vessels ever to ply the deep blue sea (well, maybe a Wally comes close ) Velsheda, Shamrock V... these were real yachts.
I can't say i have ever seen a J Boat close up but geez the images of them are incredible, i believe the 12M was a scaled down version but was more focussed on development.
The "International America's Cup Class" was introduced around 1990/92 to give us big boats like the J's, still retain the 25 ton weight limit and retain the "developmental class" feature like the 12M's.
Australia had a great boat in OneAustralia but that one sunk!
Bring back the IACC!
) Velsheda, Shamrock V... these were real yachts.
