GBR Challenge

Hmmm just joined this one & there are obviously some very strong feelings here.

My gut feeling (may be a naive view but I think there may be others who feel the same):

1. The "Auld Mug" is steeped in history & the thought that one day it might just grace these shores is indeed a wonderful one

2. I agree it's a huge shame that we are not be be represented at the LVC

3. The thought of any government offering even limited funding to such a venture is to my mind outrageous. There are far better ways of spending our very limited resources than to help a few billionaires play with their toys. To my mind, it does nothing to encourage youngsters into the sport, in fact quite the opposite with the likes of Bertarelli & Co flaunting their huge wallets and (even bigger?) ego's.

4. Money is not the issue here. There are enough wealthy businessmen in this country to fund a sucessful campaign, even at the highest level. What is lacking is the desire to do so, presumably engendered by the limited exposure offered by the AC. It is simply not a cost effective exercise. Why should a government be asked to pour our money down the same drain?

5. Maybe it is time for a rethink on the type of boat and the racing format. "Pinnacle of Yachting" it may be, but it has little or no visual appeal. The AC formula has produced a bunch of highly esoteric, ludicrously fragile and obscenely expensive boats that are good for nothing after their very short useful lives. Not only that, but they are hardly the fastest creaft on the planet even after the application of liberal doses of cash!

Lets have some spectacle, and just maybe the sponsorship will follow! Motor racing has the same proble with F1 - hugely expensive, limited to the elite and boring as hell!

Signed, Devil's Advocate.......  

Which might be good reasons for a patriotic billionaire with a passion for sailing to stump up the cash, but as Badger said, no reason at all for the marketing director of a multinational company to do so. 95% of the public don't know about match racing and wouldn't care even if they did know. Look at how the syndicates that are out there are being funded.

The only grand-prix type sailing that stands a chance of corporate funding is where it is 1. adventure-based so the public can understand it and 2. linked to a strong personality who is willing and able to project themselves to the public, with all that implies. For example, Ellen MacArthur.

hmmm very convincing argument...

you are right if you put your blinkers on:

25*3<100

However the AC Cup has never been about correct maths, it is about history and tradition.It is as high as you can go in match racing.It puts a country on the world stage.

(Obviously Lucy types faster than I do)

The point is that the only way to be successful in the AC is with experience - either gained over time (TNZ) or brought (Alinghi).

We'd finally started building some experience and had a reasonable amount of success at least in terms of lessons learnt when we go and throw it all away again.

I'm not in anyway in favor of Government funding but it’s just sad to see thrown away what we've gained so far. Especially as this time round us mere mortals stood a chance to go and see the spectacle, Valencia can be got to for £100 return in just over 2 hours.