THE BLUSTER BEGINS, A GOOD THING

Let’s hear what JUST ONE of the five Challenger teams is saying about the way it intends to compete for this trophy in 2009:

“The modern European America’s Cup competition has created an opportunity that hasn’t existed before. It is now possible to run a commercially viable team at this level. We have the best design, sailing, financial and management talent of a generation available to us. Never before has a British team had all the ingredients necessary for success at the same time. As a result we can compete at the America’s Cup in a manner that no previous British challenge has done before,” concluded Sir Keith Mills.

That’s fighting words uttered at the Southampton International Boat Show from Sir Keith (Team Principal). He concedes that this is “the oldest sporting trophy in the world, sailing’s Holy Grail and the only major sports trophy Britain has yet to win.”

They’re pumped, with a team where half were born in Great Britain.

They claim to already have a team where 70 per cent have prior America’s Cup racing experience, four were part of previous America’s Cup-winning crews, five sailed in the rather strenuous and taxing Around the World race, and two hold Olympic Gold Medals!

This team sees HUGE and BUILDING INTEREST in the next America’s Cup . . . all over the world!

So there, Mr. Caswell (see article immediately below this one). It ain't over yet.

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.

'The King Has Left the Helm . . .

Word has it that world-renowned sailor Russell Coutts has been likening himself to no less than Elvis Presley, The King of Rock’N Roll (Maybe he’s the new King Neptune, the top Shellback, as Skipper, Head, CEO, Top Daug of BWM/Oracle soon-to-be Racing syndicate?).

He’s been seen, some say, on World Tour in Memphis (at Graceland - - hey, they have a little yacht club and plastic trophies), that’s in Tennessee, guys, (and who knows where else in Europe, he’s put in appearance, anywhere there are two buoys and a starter pistol).

They say he's been a-singin’, a-grinnin’ and a-pickin’. He’s appeared just about anywhere there’s a one-design to be had and an owner willing to serve as tactician or tie some bowlines. Has he really renamed his 44-footer: “Caught in a Trap” or is it “Heartbreak Hotel?” While Mr. Coutts probably can’t sing a lick, he certainly can brag of scary sailing credentials as he jet-sets the globe in search of concert venues and more silver (that’s trophies, to the uninitiated): Three-time winning skipper of America’s Cup yachts (1995, 2000 and 2003), and two-time Farr 40 World Champion, not to forget his Olympic Gold medal in Finns (which has to be one of the most uncomfortable boats ever to be sailed, since you have to hang over the side and look cool the whole time, but there’s only one sail to mess with, leaving you plenty of time to strum a few tunes). ‘Course, Farr isn’t big on seats, either, so you gotta stand, as per usual.

Your Blogster has it on good authority that he has it he’s been seen all over Europe, carrying a portable trophy case in one hand and Oracle software gift-pack in the other. Since July, he’s been “acting” as chief cook and bottle-washer of the BMW Oracle Racing team for the 2009 America’s Cup, but he surely must have been missing that day when they announced: “To win it, you gotta be in it.” (That’s also the NY Lotto organization’s advertising campaign; we can send him the DVD.) Can’t you talk to Larry E. about joining the America’s Cup 2009 party one of these days? Tic, toc, tic, toc.

Nevertheless, to carry off The King persona, Mr. Coutts has to do the following (tongue in cheek, of course), but if he’s really serious about this stuff - -

1. Buy a white, sequined sailing suit, complete with white (non-skid) cowboy boots and a Gore-Tex cape, with stand-up collar, and a stack of silk mufflers (he can toss them at the boats behind him or at doting race officials or protest committees).

2. Start smiling out of the side of his mouth and let his hair grow - - not long, but HIGH (keep it standing straight up and slicked-out with graphite winch lube).

3. Make some homey sailing movies in Hawaii (Elvis made 31 of these clinkers, so you’d better hurry up to beat the King’s record). Don’t worry, they have little plot, even less acting and, besides the good guy (The King) always gets the girl and the boat and her daddy’s money. Not to forget the billion records he’s sold (not bad for someone whose been dead 30 years). Are there a billion races out there to be won?

4. Go the Disneyworld and get some photos taken of him on the Waterworld movie’s trimaran, “driven” by another King look-alike (Kevin Costner). That weird and fast tri sits ignominiously tied up alongside Mickey, Minnie and a bronze statue of Pluto captaining a brigantine, grasping a huge ship’s wheel and sporting a yellow Sou’wester.

5. Take up guitar (you don’t have to play it, just wear it while skippering), buy a 1961 White El Dorado convertible with red leather, and get some babes to hang on his every batted lash. These cars (you can still get them in Florida) feature a 7-foot long hood, with kingly Cadillac hood ornament, and make you feel like a man when you slide behind the wheel….. That’s 500+ horsepower out front and room for all your groupies out back on the convertible-top’s parade cover. They also have enough room in the trunk for a couple of Z-3’s. (“It’s good to be King,” as Mel Brooks would say. “Count de Monee.”)

6. Start saying little phrases like “Oh, Shucks,” “Tweren’t nothing,” and “Yawl are too kind to me, too kind.” “Let me play another one…. This one’s for my mother…..”

7. Toss out all his black, wrap-around sunglasses and turn them in for The King’s mirrored automotive goggles with chrome sides and portholes.

8. Start wearing Olympic Gold Medal around town and one’s for the New Zealand Commander of the British Empire and Distinguished Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit.

9. Or maybe just it’s time for him to gain 75 pounds, starting having his manager fleece him, and turn to uppers, downers and painkillers to get him through the day.

Please remember, Mr. Coutts, you have to ENTER the building before you we can say: “Elvis has left the building.” [Maybe he’s still brushing up on the words to “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender”….. But that’s another story.] Being King definitely has its responsibilities and a lot to live up to. Are you up to this sort of media pressure? Can you really sail wearing a cape and playing riffs?