World Sailing League

Yes AC campaigns must take up loads of time but its not uncommon to see AC sailors sailing in different events. For example James Spithill started skippering Luna Rossa in 2004 since then hes won The Nations Cup twice, the World Match Racing Championship and The Melges 24 World Championship and they are only the events that I know about! The chances are that he has done other events sailing non-AC boats.

Anyway even if they can't do both im sure there are loads of World Class sailors out there that would get involved in The World Sailing League and as its already been said there is alot of money in the big boat scene at the moment so funding should not be a problem for them.

Originally posted by Contender443 However the calibre of sailors Coutts and Cayard are trying t attract are all involved with the AC. So they are in direct competition for with it for the sailors to race the boats.

The Americas Cup is not held every year and I doubt The World Sailing League will be. So as long as they are held on different years it might be possible for pro sailors to do both.

Yes the AC is match racing. However the calibre of sailors Coutts and Cayard are trying t attract are all involved with the AC.

So they are in direct competition for with it for the sailors to race the boats.

Originally posted by James W I was just reading about this they reckon there isn't really any professional fleet racing for big boats and The World Sailing League is going to fill that niche. Sounds like a good idea to me.

What about the Americas Cup?

Both the organisers for this event were massive figures on the Americas Cup front. They have now obviously fallen out of favour with that establshed circus and aretrying their own thing.

I don't hold out much hope of them achieving it as it has been tried before. Remember the press releases for the Volvo 40s predicted a very similar format and where are they now? 

I think the sailing league is quite positive as I know a quite a few people who know nothing about sailing but have been drawn towards the sport through the likes of the Americas cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and sailing events such as the Vendee and Five Oceans. Think Cayard and Coutts will have the backing and knowledge to make it really take off and if so it gives another focus point for the sporting world to concentrate upon. 70 foot cats, got to be spectacular.