46 Breeze Magazine
RNZYS Commodore Aaron Young signs acceptance of the Royal Yacht Squadron Challenge issued by Robert Bickett.
Lodging the formal challenge, part of Cup’s theatre By Ivor Wilkins For a brief moment on the final day of America’s Cup racing, alarm bells rang when a random swimmer circled around the yacht as the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the British Royal Yacht Squadron were preparing to sign the formal challenge for the 37th Cup. There were concerns the swimmer might have a rogue challenge hidden in his togs, or attempt to launch a letter in a bottle. Ever since Sir Michael Fay took the San Diego Yacht Club by surprise with his 1988 ‘Big Boat’ Deed of Gift challenge, the ritual of the ‘hip pocket challenge’ has become part of the theatre of the America’s Cup. The courtship between the Defender and a mutually agreeable Challenger of Record (COR) begins long before the conclusion of hostilities on the water. Representatives of both sides hold confidential conclaves, discussing general terms to satisfy the mutual consent requirements of the Deed of Gift. Then, by pre-arrangement, they stand by in a secure location waiting for the minute the
current Match is decided. As the winning yacht sweeps across the finish line, the challenge is issued and accepted, sealing the arranged marriage and blocking any rogue, or hostile challenges. The Deed of Gift dictates that once a valid challenge has been issued and accepted, all further challenges have to fall in line with the terms laid down by the Defender and Challenger of Record. Because the trophy is formally contested by yacht clubs, this ritual exchange takes place between authorised representatives of the two clubs involved, with their respective teams fully involved in the drafting of the terms and present to witness the formalies. In the past, defenders have gone to great lengths to ward off random approaches, letters slid under hotel doors and all manner of cloak and dagger excitements. The reality, however, is that no challenge is valid until the current Cup is concluded, hence the split-second timing of the exchange. For the past several cycles of the America’s Cup, the New Zealand representatives have
gathered with the prospective challenger group aboard the superyacht Imagine, which belongs to Emirates Team New Zealand principal Matteo de Nora. In the two most recent Cups, with scores of 7-1 and 7-3, the process has been mercifully quick. Pity Past Commodore Steve Burrett, who spent nine days closeted aboard Imagine in San Francisco in anticipation of a result, while New Zealand endured the torture of Oracle Team USA clawing back from 8-1 down to snatch victory away. The COR exchange took place elsewhere between the American defender and a short-lived Australian challenge. For the 2021 regatta, Commodore Aaron Young, Rear Commodore Gillian Williams and ETNZ’s legal representative Russell Green boarded Imagine after the riveting first match of Tuesday, March 16, when ETNZ swept past Luna Rossa on the final windward leg to advance to match point at 6-3. The Ineos Team UK representatives were anchored nearby on a team RIB. “Their RIB was quite obviously branded and we did not want to attract attention to their coming across to
