IF NO ONE CAME?

Chris Caswell, a columnist for “Sailing” magazine asks: “what if they held a Cup and no one came?

A valid, if not interesting, question these days.

For starters, FIVE countries have ALREADY entered the next match-up in 2009.

Second, the winning America’s Cup Management folks have just distributed more than $37,341,911.30 to the winning Alinghi team from Switzerland, more than E$9 million (Euros) to the Challenger of Record, and E$1 million (Euros) each to the other losing Challengers. This race ain’t just for a silver cup - - it’s for some serious money. And the America's Cup Management organization kept enough for itself to both defray ALL COSTS and have a lot left over for their troubles.

Third, why is he “fed up with the whole thing,” since this year’s racing had all the ingredients for an entertaining contest: Rich and not-so-rich competitors, top-name sponsors in the sailing and non-sailing advertising worlds, thrilling racing (including a one-second nail-biter at the end of the final day’s racing, and a well-managed operation.

Yes, it wasn’t in the United States of America. And yes, the coverage in this country STANK in ALL THE NEWS MEDIA: Shame on you.

Posing the hypothetical question if this is no longer the America’s Cup but the Ernesto Bertarelli (winning guy) Cup or the Butterworth (winning skipper) Cup, he goes on to proclaim that it’s OUR CUP - - the world’s cup. (Maybe he wasn’t around when Mr. Bertarelli won it this year and the previous time, as well. In some ways it IS his Cup - - at least FOR NOW. 2009, it’s up for grabs again.

And yes, I’d guess Team Alinghi knows that they are only the CUSTODIANS and TEMPORARY GUARDIAN of this most-coveted sailing award. It’s just like ANY OTHER revolving trophy: The Winner pretends to be the world’s best, for a while, then it can quickly move to another winner, along with the mantle of extreme success and spoils.

And yes, this Cup does live by itself in the minds and hearts of the greater sailing community. These concepts aren’t WON or LOST during the competitions. The endure.

He correctly points out that for 132 years, the New York Yacht Club “owned the Cup” and “played fast and loose with the rules to its own advantage,” until some Aussie’s, coupled with a great designer, wrested the Cup away to Down Under.

He claims that the “tide of opinion” (whatever that is) has shifted from “I don’t much care” about the Cup” to “The hell with ‘em.” (Your Blogster: This seems doubtful, since those in the U.S. who follow the Cup, still do, and those that don’t still don’t, I’d postulate.”)

He claims that having larger boats in the next competition doesn’t seem to be a good thing: Why not? More excitement, more action, more thrills, grander accidents. Sounds pretty good, though, huh?

As far as sponsors “stepping away,” most advertising budgets are controlled tightly by the Chief Executive Officer, whose interests and businesses change from year to year. The walking away of Louis Vuitton, while a surprise, can’t possibly mean that the sport ends, since for more than a hundred years before this sponsor came on board and “invented” the Challenger races, the sport muddled along quite nicely.

Yes, it did seem that the Cup folks out-priced themselves from the U.S. TV market (was there any PRIME TIME COVERAGE on a non-cable channel (not that most saw). But other millions came from Europe, with massive audiences, apparently. They’re still in place, one would guess.

He does suggest that it would be more interesting if the crews actually CAME FROM the countries they represented. And wonders why cheaper boats wouldn’t do the same thing (hello—they already have international regattas in one designs and similar boats for large cups and prestige. The America’s Cup event is unique BECAUSE their yachts are huge and challenging and something WAY OUT OF THE ORDINARY to sail.

Dead or down? Your Blogster wouldn’t count this event out yet. We’ve still the legal hassles to be dealt with in New York (BMW/Oracle vs. Alinghi), the hype and personality clashes to learn about of the Winner and Challengers, and the country “ethnocentric posturing” to contend with - - all of which generate enormous mass media and public interest. Then there’s the new equipment issue, the escalating salaries of skippers and crews making news, and all the rest.

No, you’re totally wrong Chris. More boats and spectators than ever will come. Bank on it. If they don’t, well, then maybe it IS Ernesto’s Cup after all.