Americas cup (spoiler alert)

From the waterfront rumours here in Auckland we think:
1. ETNZ sponsorship budget slashed by Emirates (Covid and all that)
2. Ineos / Ratcliffe got the AC bug and super keen to continue participation but 4yrs a loooong time to wait for another try
3. Therefore a cash inducement from UK to NZ to come to the spiritual home of the Cup (IoW) as soon as next year to defend in the Solent against sole challenger of Ineos UK.

As of a couple of hours ago it sounds like RYS (Ineos UK) has already issued a formal ‘challenge of record’ to RNZYS (ETNZ) but we won’t know the details for a few days...
 
bedouin said:
Why would they do that?
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2 reasons.

1. 3 years is a very long time to keep your sponsors happy, and keep the interest in the class going after a pretty good series without any racing. Without a tame Billionaire the kiwis are more commercial in thinking than the other teams.
2. Money. Rumour is that Ratcliffe would be putting quite a bit of cash into the event, and by extension the kiwi team. See number 1 for why the Kiwis wouldn't sniff at that....

The other factor is that they would agree in advance that the next event is a multi challenger event in 2024 (say) in AC75s, so there's not all that much risk from the kiwi point of view. They either defend against a team that is currently considerably behind them in AC75 development, in a nice lucrative series, or lose the cup but come back as the CoR in a new challenge in the same boats with a solid development path and no risk that they have to throw all that expertise out and build an entirely new type of boat.
It's basically a way of getting another event, and another revenue stream, for the Kiwis and a chance for Ratcliffe to be the big boy in the Solent for a summer with an increased chance of being the first British challenge to win the cup.

Bit of a dick move though, in my opinion. Shutting the other teams out, especially the team that comprehensively beat Ineos in the Prada cup.... I mean, they'll claim that it's just a "bonus" series as it won't delay or change the next multi challenger event in terms of boat class etc, and the odds are that NZ will be the defender again anyway... But.... Not a good look I think.
And would, I think, devalue the "first British winner" tag should they manage it.
 
I actually agree that at present it is a long time between challenges - a more stable format (in terms of boats) and more frequent events would certainly make sense.

But cutting out the challenger series seems a bad idea. Surely we need more teams competing rather than fewer for this to make any sense at all. After all the AC proper has been decided over just a few days - all the rest of the excitement and tension came from the Prada Cup.

However if Ineos could beat TNZ they would still be worthy winners - if you beat the champion you become the champion and TNZ are without doubt the champions
 
I like flaming’s analysis. And his conclusion. I think Ratcliffe will want more bang for his £150M or so than a chance to get eliminated on the far side of the planet in four years’ time. And with Emirates losing a fortune with Covid-19 and Sheikh Mohammed’s other troubles, the Kiwis will probably go along with it.

I agree that it’s a bit spivvy, and won’t help Ratcliffe’s reputation.
 
Of course at the moment the only other team really out there is LR but they have hardly endeared themselves to anyone in the last few weeks and it is not clear if they are up for another attempt anyway
 
bedouin said:
I actually agree that at present it is a long time between challenges - a more stable format (in terms of boats) and more frequent events would certainly make sense.
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The massive irony here is that we've been here before. In the run up to the Bermuda cup, every team except NZ signed up to hold the next cup in the same boats every 2 years.
America's Cup teams sign up to historic new format – without New Zealand

And now, if the rumours have any validity NZ are basically presenting the same idea as a fete accompli but with their boats....

But cutting out the challenger series seems a bad idea. Surely we need more teams competing rather than fewer for this to make any sense at all. After all the AC proper has been decided over just a few days - all the rest of the excitement and tension came from the Prada Cup.
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Being completely fair, if you said "same again next year lads" you might get Prada but you almost certainly wouldn't get AM, and you definitely wouldn't get a new entrant. So if they want to race sooner than 2024, then it's hard to see how they could do it other than as a small event.

However if Ineos could beat TNZ they would still be worthy winners - if you beat the champion you become the champion and TNZ are without doubt the champions
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Logically correct, but would still leave a bit of a sour taste I think.
 
bedouin said:
Of course at the moment the only other team really out there is LR but they have hardly endeared themselves to anyone in the last few weeks and it is not clear if they are up for another attempt anyway
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Pretty sure Prada have already declared themselves in.
 
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