Plans for a biannual America's Cup and simplified World Series?

[bdh198]

Sounds like a very sensible suggestion, and one that will hopefully help to bring the cup to a wider audience.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sailing/...ks-plans-for-biennial-americas-cup-and-class/

 

[flaming]

It does indeed seem like a very sensible suggestion.

Which of course is exactly why it will never happen!

 

[Keen_Ed]

Professional sailors are always keen to come up with ways of spending OPM.

 

[DFL1010]

Begging thy pardon, but there's a difference between biannual (every six months) and biennial (every two years).

I suspect it's the latter that's suggested here?

 

[adwuk]

Call me old fashioned, but I liked the fact that the America's cup didn't run to a schedule, relied on a small number of extremely wealthy and colourful people spending ridiculous amounts of money to win the prize, and where the focus was entirely on match racing. Obviously there is an effort to morph it into F1 for the sailing world, which no doubt will result in a change to the deed of gift at some stage, and that would be a pity.

 

[Woodlouse]

Call me old fashioned, but I liked the fact that the America's cup didn't run to a schedule, relied on a small number of extremely wealthy and colourful people spending ridiculous amounts of money to win the prize, and where the focus was entirely on match racing. Obviously there is an effort to morph it into F1 for the sailing world, which no doubt will result in a change to the deed of gift at some stage, and that would be a pity.

The deed of gift will never change, no one has the authority to do so, there have been enough unscrupulous characters involved in the cup in the past to ensure that if it was possible to change the deed, someone would have done so.

 

[adwuk]

The deed of gift will never change

The deed of gift has been changed several times. Old rules used to require challengers sail to the venue, and the minimum waterline length has been reduced - I think there have been other changes over time.

One of the proposals commits any and all potential defenders to a class ("with teams committing in *advance to the next cycle and also, importantly, to the next class of boat, rather than waiting for the defender to announce the new *protocol and venue, as is the case currently"). Sounds like a pretty big change to me.

 

[bdh198]

Begging thy pardon, but there's a difference between biannual (every six months) and biennial (every two years).

I suspect it's the latter that's suggested here?

Yep! That's what I meant.

 

[bedouin]

The deed of gift has been changed several times. Old rules used to require challengers sail to the venue, and the minimum waterline length has been reduced - I think there have been other changes over time.

I am not sure the deed of gift has actually changed - what happens now (usually) is that the Defender and Challenger of Record are free to set any rules they like - but if they don't then they end up racing according to the deed of gift (as they did the time before last)

 

[flaming]

I think from BAR's point of view, it's a no-brainer to want a sustainable, "guaranteed" cup cycle to compete in. And all the other teams without billionaire backers will agree. Having a dependable, repeatable, series to pitch to sponsors is going to be a much easier sell than "after this cup it just depends on who wins as to when, and in what, we race again".
Don't forget that the predecessor to BAR, team Origin, launched with all sorts of fanfare, went TP52 racing then was basically kept out of any form of cup racing for 3 years by a DOG challenge in multis. Before eventually being disbanded because the wealthy backer behind the team didn't (at the time) want to be involved with multis.

If you want to see the cup as purely a pissing contest between Billionaires, then you're not likely to agree that this would be a step forward, but if you think having something that much more closely resembles the F1 circuit is a good thing, then this looks like the best plan.

 

[adwuk]

flaming, as always, you make good points. There is no doubt that the proposed changes make sense for the teams, and the move towards a F1 format will help commercialise the cup. My fear is that we will lose the match, and the best match race will always be a pissing contest between billionaires - as long as they are racing similar boats and stay out of the courts.

 

[bedouin]

My fear is that we will lose the match, and the best match race will always be a pissing contest between billionaires - as long as they are racing similar boats and stay out of the courts.

I am not sure I agree with that - I think the last few Cups have been quite disappointing because it has been about the ability to throw money at the design and development process. The LV cup is better in some ways because they are all sailing the same boat - so it is about sailing skill rather than money or luck

 

[Woodlouse]

I am not sure I agree with that - I think the last few Cups have been quite disappointing because it has been about the ability to throw money at the design and development process. The LV cup is better in some ways because they are all sailing the same boat - so it is about sailing skill rather than money or luck

The thing is the Americas cup has always been a pissing contest between billionaires out designing their opponents.

Lots of people would like to see the cup turn into a one design match racing tournament that happens every couple of years but that contest would not be the Americas cup.

 

[lw395]

Begging thy pardon, but there's a difference between biannual (every six months) and biennial (every two years).

I suspect it's the latter that's suggested here?

Every six months might make sense, alternate hemispheres?

OTOH, every four years out of phase with the Olympics might work better.

I suspect it might get dull as soon as one dominant team makes it predictable.

 

[Keen_Ed]

I am not sure the deed of gift has actually changed - what happens now (usually) is that the Defender and Challenger of Record are free to set any rules they like - but if they don't then they end up racing according to the deed of gift (as they did the time before last)

The deed has changed twice -the first time in 1956 to allow 12 metres (we were too poor after the war to pay for big boats), a and again in 1985 to allow regattas in the Southern Hemisphere summer. The terms of all matches except the 88 and 2010 deed of gift matches were arranged under the mutual agreement clause.

 

[Keen_Ed]

The thing is the Americas cup has always been a pissing contest between billionaires out designing their opponents.

Lots of people would like to see the cup turn into a one design match racing tournament that happens every couple of years but that contest would not be the Americas cup.

Absolutely.

And how many F1 teams have to sell seats on the team?

 

[temptress]

The deed of gift has been changed several times. Old rules used to require challengers sail to the venue, and the minimum waterline length has been reduced - I think there have been other changes over time.

One of the proposals commits any and all potential defenders to a class ("with teams committing in *advance to the next cycle and also, importantly, to the next class of boat, rather than waiting for the defender to announce the new *protocol and venue, as is the case currently"). Sounds like a pretty big change to me.

No the Dog has not changed. It allows however for the challenger and the holder to mutually agree variations...... It's when they can't agree it gets into court!