A Few Cup Ironies, Oddities

It’s hard to know where to even begin when counting the number of ironies and oddities associated with the America’s Cup. Here are just a few:

• For starters, the so-called “neutral” country, Switzerland, once again successfully competed in this global challenge. So much for their passivity and even-handed stance on life. They sponsored some tough competitors, played hardball and won.
• There was only one Swiss citizen aboard the winning "Swiss" boat: Harvard MBA grad Ernesto Bertarelli. There also were six team members from New Zealand, three from the USA, two Italians, and one from Canada, The Netherlands, Australia and Spain.
• George L. Schuyler donated the “Deed of Gift” and coveted silver (plate) trophy for the America’s Cup more than 150 years go as a “friendly competition between foreign countries,” if you can believe this. Today’s yachts, with their global crews and skippers - - do they really qualify as “foreign nations," or just foreign skippers and crews when compared to the owners' countries of orgin...
• This past year’s regatta, sans nationality requirements, was raced on the winning yacht by a lot of New Zealanders “representing” Switzerland on the winning yacht, New Zealanders who previously had won the race in and for New Zealand in 1995, and then defended it again in 2000. Didn’t New Zealand win? Shouldn't the skipper receive a Mini America's Cup trophy he/she can take back to the home coountry?
• According to the Protocol document regulating the next America’s Cup, this is a partly a "design competition" and partly a "sailing competition." In addition, there will be anti-doping restrictions and anti-gambling restrictions. The successful cup Defender, receives 50% of the Net Surplus Revenue generated by the America’s Cup Management organization. Does anyone know what this was?
• Members of the next America’s Cup Sailing Jury and its appeals Arbitration Panel may be from any country, including competitors, EXCEPT for the State of New York, without obaining permission of the America’s Cup Management. What are chances? Zero?
• This year’s Notice of Entry for the next America’s Cup includes a requirement for a 50,000 Euro entry fee and a bond to be posted for up to $950,000 Euro’s at some unspecified point in the future.
• Here's a Catch 22: If they make the races longer (than 12.6 nautical miles; 3.15/leg; 40 minutes or so), it might be even more boring to watch from a distance. But if they keep them relatively short, a good start is almost impossible to beat. What to do? So far, no one has come up with a better answer. Maybe more buoys, random direction starts (downwind, reaching, spinnakers, etc.)?