As more plans are revealed for San Francisco’s hosting of the 34th America’s Cup, there have been a lot of press conferences, hearings and speakers series, but none as lively or entertaining as the recent “Cup Chat – A Revolution in Sailing” hosted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC). The evening was sponsored by U.S. Sailing and produced by the GGYC’s Ellen Hoke. Hartman Studios transformed the GGYC into a talk show studio right out of Burbank, complete with the iconic desk, soft seating for guests, house band (Cyril Guiraud and the American Quatro), and announcer James Byers doing the intros. Staff commodore Marcus Young served as host and M.C.

Joining Young on stage as the first guest – and eventually playing the role of Ed McMahon to Marcus’s Johnny Carson – was Tom Ehman, Oracle Racing spokesperson and new vice commodore of the GGYC. Ehman has been involved in America’s Cup racing since 1980 and had some interesting insights into past regattas as well as a clear enthusiasm and vision for what the future of Cup racing will hold. While everyone is excited about the viewing opportunities from our natural amphitheater, Ehman was equally excited about the involvement of Stan Honey, who is developing new TV technology for the Cup races. Honey co-founded Sportvision Inc., and anyone who has watched a televised sporting event in the past 10 years is familiar with his innovations including the yellow first-down line for football, the racecar tracking and highlighting system of NASCAR, and the baseball K-Zone system that highlights the pitch location and strike zone. Honey is developing similar onscreen tracking for sailing to give viewers a better understanding of the on-the-water action.

Ehman eventually slid over to make room for a surprise guest: Bruno Trouble, a three-time America’s Cup skipper and founder of the Louis Vuitton Cup (the series that determines the challenging team for the American’s Cup regatta). Bruno was proud that Louis Vuitton would be celebrating its 30th year of sponsorship of the series and as official timekeepers of the Cup races in 2013. This time around, the challengers’ field is wide open with at least 12 teams representing 10 different countries, all vying for the coveted Louis Vuitton Cup and the opportunity to challenge the defending Oracle Racing team. An engaging character himself, Trouble spoke at length about the sometimes larger-than-life personalities that make the Cup an incredible event on the world stage.

Next up was Genny Tulloch, Women’s Match Racing Champion, who was there to discuss her bid to represent the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics. Ehman took the opportunity to press for how the U.S. teams’ campaigns were financed as opposed to some of their competitors. For instance, in the U.K., campaigns receive public funding and the sailors are paid salaries, as opposed to our teams who have to raise most of their own funds and typically work day jobs to make ends meet.

Last up was Peter “Luigi” Reggio, who is simply known as a PRO (principal race officer) extraordinaire, to talk about his past involvement in numerous America’s Cups. After some great stories of past races, the chat again turned to the faster boats and the new race formats designed to attract more people to the sport, including a younger generation of sailors. One of the most exciting parts of racing on the San Francisco Bay will be our predictable winds, meaning that races should start on time instead of the long delays waiting for wind common at other venues. The new race formats will also make for exciting viewing, whether on TV or on shore, with shorter first legs so the teams are racing flat out from the start, and close tactical maneuvers happening very quickly after the start. Past races have been more notable for long stretches where teams would sail a straight beat to “speed test” the wind – making for such boring viewing that Reggio noted one well-known Cup commentator once brought in a psychic to fill the gaps.

Everyone agrees that the new courses – and the much quicker catamarans – will have the teams engaging in tactical duels right from the start. And with a course that will bring the 72-foot catamarans within 100 feet of shore, it will certainly be a spectacle never before seen on the Bay.

That excitement and speed is playing out right now as teams are in New Zealand, tuning up on their new AC45s for the America’s Cup World Series set to kick off its first round Aug. 6–14 in Caiscais, Portugal. Upcoming venues include Plymouth, England in September and San Diego (dates to be announced). The teams down under have been screaming around the Huraiki Gulf, showing what the AC45s can do in tight racing conditions and high winds. With everyone just now testing the limits of these incredible “winged” boats, not a day goes by without thrilling near misses and a capsize or two, and the video footage is truly must-see TV! Visit www.youtube.com/user/americascup to see all the uploaded videos.

Reggio’s closing comment was that “the easy part of this race is the on-the-water element … the hard part is everything else.” Certainly one of the big concerns off the water will be dealing with the 200,000 visitors expected along the bay’s shoreline in 2013. At a recent Marina Community Association meeting, representatives from the SFMTA and the America’s Cup Authority discussed some of the components of the “AC People Plan” proposed to mitigate traffic concerns. Just as this paper was going to press, an public hearing was being held to solicit feedback on the proposed transportation plan. If you are interested in learning more about the plan, or would like to submit your concerns or questions, the public comment period is open until May 31. You can download a complete copy of the proposal as well as submit your comments at www.oewd.org.

If you are interested in hearing more about the upcoming races, the USF MBA Alumni Association is hosting “America’s Cup 34 – History of the America’s Cup and What It Means to San Francisco” at the GGYC on May 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Speakers include Stephanie Martin, chief communications officer of the America’s Cup Event Authority, and Kimball Livingston, Global Sailing editor, author and authority on the America’s Cup. The event is $20 if preregistered and $30 at the door (but I wouldn’t count on any seats being available at the door, based on Cup Chat’s sold-out attendance). Registration is available online at www.usfcaggyc.eventbrite.com.

In the meantime, congratulations to the GGYC for putting on a unique, informative and entertaining event. To attract younger sailors, they might want to forgo the “Carnac the Magnificent” references … Marcus Young certainly could give Conan O’Brien a run for his money, and the view of the sun setting over the Golden Gate blows away Letterman’s N.Y. backdrop. As Bruno Trouble said, “This was fun, you should do it again!”

To watch Cup Chat online:
www.justin.tv/onthewateranarchy/b/283716008.
For AC34 information and updates: www.americascup.com or www.ggyc.org.

Jim Maxwell has been sailing for 20 years and thinks there is no finer place to be than on the Bay. E-mail: [email protected]