2003 Admirals Cup - Wrap up
by Susan McKeag 21 Jul 2003 22:21 BST
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS AND THE AUSTRALIANS ARE GRINNING
Cowes is full of grinning Australian faces, and it is a long time since they've had cause to celebrate at the end of the Admiral's Cup, 1979 was the last time they won, and that wasn't a year for great frivolity.
This victory by the team from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is
remarkable in that the challenge was put together by two owners with no
previous Admiral's Cup experience.
Bob Oatley, the owner of Wild Oats, is one of Australia's foremost wine
industry figures, with a long sailing history, but mostly on the domestic
circuit, with this being his first major international regatta.
The owner of Aftershock is business man Colin O'Neil and he is following in
a the footsteps of his brother, who sailed in the Admiral's Cup back in the
eighties, but this regatta was also a first foray into international
competition for Colin.
Other than their performance on the water, one of the outstanding features
of the Australian team was the teamwork, "I couldn't be happier," said
O'Neil about the victory.
"I've had a wonderful crew which was put together by Richard Allanson of
North Sails in Sydney, and he just put together an absolutely top notch
crew, who not only are very good sailors, but such good people to be with,
so friendly, and it's been an absolute pleasure from start to finish."
For Bob Oatley the performance of Wild Oats has vindicated his decision to
go for a radical, canting keel design, that is a touch avant-garde, "we're
more than satisfied with what Reichel/Pugh have delivered.
"The concept of the keel is one of the greatest things to have happened in
yachting, the boat sails like a Laser, delicate and wonderful, but she's
also very safe - she always stands up again, sailing her has been a real
learning process."
After a battle that had kept followers on the edge of their seats
throughout the nine race series, Spain's Real Club Nautico de Sangenjo took
second place, the Cup slipping from their grasp in the dying stages of the
final race.
The King of Spain's Bribon Telefonica Movistar had put together a
remarkable series, masterminded by Eddie Warden Owen, and with Bouwe Beking
as principal helmsman.
They chalked up seven first places and one second, before crashing to fifth
place in the final race, the race which cost them the Cup, though they
weren't helped by the disqualification of their small boat from race three
of the series.
Pedro Campos, skipper of the small boat in this team, Telefonica Movistar,
had also been remarkably consistent, except for his one fall from grace,
and survived a long hard battle to win the his class in the final race.
England's Sailability Royal Ocean Racing Club Team mustered some of the
country's finest sailing talent, including double Olympic medallist Ben
Ainslie, and many of the Team GBR America's Cup challenge crew, but only
managed third place, getting stronger as the series progressed.
Ben Ainslie, at the helm of the small boat in the team Chernikeeff 4,
scored more first places than anyone else in this class, but one or two bad
results spoilt his overall record.
"We had a number of missed opportunities, and a number of boat issues,
which are part and parcel of boat racing," he explained, "we are
disappointed because we had the chance to be top in the small boat
category."
This team, along with the Sailability Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club team,
were funded by Peter Harrison, who is following up his America's Cup
challenge with valuable support for British sailing at many different
levels.
Ian Budgen, the principal helmsman on Harrison's Chernikeeff 2, commented
"We are happy with the overall results, it was a tall order to win overall
with the results that we had in the lead up to the Wolf Rock race, but the
team sailed well together and enjoyed the regatta."
The Admiral's Cup (12th - 23rd July) is organised by Royal Ocean Racing
Club and sponsors of the 2003 event include Corum, Champagne Mumm and
Henri-Lloyd.
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