Saturday, January 30, 2010

America's Cup in Dry Dock

OK, I'm about to put on my grumpy 40-year old man hat now...

I remember when the America's Cup challenge was all about gripping sailing. I was transfixed in our kitchen in Providence watching the live coverage from Newport as Australia II beat Dennis Conner to wrest the Cup away from the U.S. in 1983. I remember sitting in a waterfront bar in 1995 in California with people shouting, cheering, and booing as we watched New Zealand beat Dennis Conner in the waters off San Diego (way to go, Dennis...it takes something special to lose the Cup twice!). Hell, I'll watch Wind whenever it comes on just for the cool (if overly simplified) sailing scenes. Well, that and the fact that so much of it was filmed around some of my favorite spots in Newport and Jamestown.

Sadly, the real America's Cup has been reduced to an unending string of legal head butting between billionaires that does the sport of sailing no good, disgusts the people who enjoy the competition, and just makes these egomaniacs look like spoiled 12-year olds. Now, the latest series of court challenges may simply result in the upcoming 1-on-1 regatta being canceled after a three-year delay.

What a waste. Somebody toss these bozos overboard and get back to sailing.

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