16 LAKESIDE
April 2021
Who would have thought ... Kiwis can fly! I have followed the America’s Cup ever since the 1950s when after a 20-odd-year hiatus during and after WWII. It was a bit of a letdown when they changed from Twelve Meter yachts to the ultra-modern foiling monohulls. With the Twelve Meters, every sailor out on the lake could identify with every skipper and crew member in the competition because we were all participating in the same sport. I was afraid that the racing had evolved into something akin to NASCAR, with boats approaching each other at speeds of 50 knots and I had nothing to identify with! The latest America’s Cup series has changed my view entirely. Even though I cannot picture myself at the helm of one of these machines I certainly enjoy watching them going around the race course. The views, both overhead and on water are superb and the computer graphics are phenomenal! Watch it on YouTube. This year the Cup was defended by Emirates Team New Zealand against the Italian team, Luna Rossa Prada-Pirelli in Auckland, NZ. After an exciting
made in New Zealand. This is an interesting concept Vinnie in theory but there are a lot of Mendes things on a sailboat that other countries manufacture very well On the and all their competitors would be Water using the very best, no matter what the country of origin. This was further complicated by the fact that everyone was series with leads of over a kiloconverting to carbon fiber as a meter changing several times dur- strong, lightweight replacement ing a race, the Kiwis triumphed for fiberglass and aluminum. But and the Cup will stay in New carbon fiber was an entirely new Zealand for now. technology and extremely diffiThinking back over the years cult to master. there were some memorable stoThe first race coincided with ries about both teams. the sailing of the National OffThe first year the New Zealand shore One Design (NOOD) Race team defended the America’s Cup in St Petersburg, FL, where my was 2000. This was exciting for wife and I were on Race Committhem because New Zealand was tee. About 200 athletes and supnot really famous for anything be- port crew were gathered in the fore then. It is a beautiful country grand ballroom of the St. Pete with six million people and 30 Yacht Club where a local elecmillion sheep. The biggest probtronics firm had set up a giant TV lem in the country is the smell of to show the races in real-time. It sheep manure. was standing room only! Some politician decided that Right from the start of the first the Cup defense would be an op- race, the Kiwis knew they were in portunity to show the world what trouble. It was extremely windy else the country had to offer, so it and the Kiwi boat was heeling was decreed that everything on over more than usual. This caused the New Zealand boat had to be a lot of water to pour into the
cockpit and the scuppers could not drain it out fast enough. As they heeled over even farther, more water came in. They actually had a crew member bailing out the cockpit with a plastic trash can! This is not S.O.P. on a racing yacht! Then things literally began to come apart: fittings pulled loose from the deck, lines snapped and finally, the carbon fiber boom broke! In St. Pete, all eyes were intent on the TV and our room full of serious sailors let out a loud groan in unison as each disaster happened. However, the Kiwis did a good job at damage control, and finally managed to limp across the finish line to complete the race. The Italian team has come a long way since they first competed for the America’s Cup in Perth, Australia in 1987. Back then they were known as the “Gucci Boys” because Gucci had designed their uniforms. They were competent sailors, but I think they were there more to party and enjoy the event. One of the things you don’t do in match racing is let your opponent know what you plan to do in
advance. You could always tell when these fellows were about to tack because they would all take a final drag on their cigarettes and throw them overboard, then, “Ready about, helm’s alee” or however it sounds in Italian! They were eliminated rather early, so they decided to just hang around in Perth and party for the rest of the competition. One day they rented a van and went for a tour of the Outback. Driving along, miles from nowhere, they hit a kangaroo. In Australia, people hit kangaroos like we hit deer here in Flowery Branch, so it was not a rare occurrence. They figured this was a chance for a photo op, so they dressed the kangaroo up in a Gucci jacket, Gucci hat and Gucci sunglasses and propped him up against the side of the van. Well, the kangaroo was not dead, only stunned and he decided he did not want to play this game. He kicked the daylights out of the guys and took off bounding across the Outback with the crew in hot pursuit. After a long, fruitless chase, they finally gave up. See Mendes, page 17
