AC nationality rule

All this nationalistic stuff is a bit unrealisitic and naive.  The funders are totally multi-national in their orientation today and pushing a simply (single) national line to the exclusion of all else is contrary to their underlying commercial orientation.   Was that also a Red Bull logo on Ainslie' helmet ?  And did I see the Toyota name on the NZ boat ?  They like Oracle do it today and shell out big time because they are multi-national entities.    

So you want to allow a bit of design to come from 'elsewhere' in the future and maybe a couple of the crew as well ...  What you are saying by doing so is that you do in fact  appreciate the practical reality but still want to waddle around with a bit of a fig-leaf with 'your' residial national flag on the front of it ! 

This is about as realistic an argument as saying Ferrari would need to field at least one Italien driver and nudge nudge 'n' % of their design people are also Italien in F1 racing ... Ferrari and the other F1 teams are multi-national albeit with the odd reference to their respective 'fig leaves' - like it or not  that how it all works today. 

If sailing at this level is going to step up a notch in overall sporting terms it is going to have to accept that things like this will inevitably change towards the truly international.  Wave a flag if you like, of course - the defender and challengers are actually based around Yacht Clubs who have to be physically somewhere but don't ever forget that it is now all about big money.

And why on earth restrict the potential earnings of exceptionally capable individuals, be they designers, builders and crew who hail from a country that has no 'local' challenger ?  If the UK was to put a team together are you prepared to exclude other EU citizens who have a reciprocal right to earn their living anywhere in the EU just as we do possibly contrary to law ?    Got a granny from the UK ?  Or are you married to a local ?  Prepared to change your nationality ?  Fine - no problems ! You will do mate !  Sounds like some are prepared to start 'lawyer feeding' yet again   .. .. but then I suppose that is an AC tradition anyway ;-)

Anyway it is still the defenders who get to dominate the event and rules  - want to chenge things chum ? ?  Much easier if you win it first ! 

Mike L.

Times have changed and they won't be going back any time soon, both soccer and formula1 have tried to cap costs, it doesn't work, the rich teams just find away round it and always will. We live in a world that craves instant excitment and sailing just joined the club. The heavily funded teams will get the best sailors, designers, technicians and equipment and they will want to try out against the best. Any well funded team owner will want the best and worry about their nationality later, would it be fair on a world class sailor from a country with no AC representation never to be able to perform on the ultimate stage?

Let's face it, if a nationality rule were in force now no Brits would have had a look in this time round!

Originally posted by winging it Let's face it, if a nationality rule were in force now no Brits would have had a look in this time round!