Wind And Waves

This past Sunday afternoon, I was positively aquiver with excitement.  My favorite sporting event was only hours away.  Two teams of highly skilled athletes were set and ready to become the latest combatants in a contest with a long and storied history.  Millions of television viewers from around the world would be tuning in to see the action.

The thing is, not one of those television viewers would be from the United States.  You see, no American television network was interested in this particular sporting event.  I suppose it's just as well since the Super Bowl would be taking up most of their attention anyway.

So what in the world am I talking about?  Well, step back in time with me, won't you...

In the summer of 1851 a ninety-foot-long, two-masted schooner crossed the Atlantic from the United States to Great Britain. Her design was revolutionary and with the wind in her sails she was fast - very fast. Her owner was John Stevens, Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, and he had named her America. He was looking forward to showing her off at the first World’s Fair and hoping to make some money by challenging all comers to high-stakes ocean-going races around the British Isle of Wight.

Upon his arrival in Britain, however, the Commodore’s challenges went unanswered. Rumors of the America’s speed had preceded her, and the legendary British yachtsmen were leery of putting their reputations on the line. When the London papers learned of this reluctance, they howled in derision, decrying the fact that the nation’s greatest seamen were too afraid of the upstart Yankee to even un-moor their boats from the docks. Eventually the British yachtsmen were shamed into agreeing to a single race, open to boats of all nations. To serve as a prize, they purchased a silver cup for the sum of 100 guineas. It was then given a rather unoriginal (if factually accurate) name - The 100 Guinea Cup.

On August 22, 1851, with Her Royal Highness Queen Victoria observing from the royal yacht, the race got underway. Though America got off to a rough start, as the race progressed her speed (and the misfortune of other boats) allowed her to take the lead. When she crossed the finish line, her closest competitor was nowhere in sight. After being informed of who had won the race, Queen Victoria is said to have asked an aide about who had come in second. "Your majesty," he answered "there is no second place." Not only was this an accurate assessment of the margin of victory, but it also summed up the sport of yacht racing. First place matters, nothing else does.

The 100 Guinea Cup was presented to Commodore Stevens, as were his winnings. More importantly, however, Stevens had earned for his country a measure of respect. America’s resounding victory marked the first time the young United States had made a splash in international competition, and the world took notice. In the days that followed, the trophy’s name "The 100 Guinea Cup" would be informally replaced by the name of the first ship to win her and today it is still known as AMERICA’S CUP.

In the almost 160 years since it was first awarded, the America’s Cup has become the oldest trophy in international sport, and every few years the world’s finest sailors gather to try and win her for themselves and for their countries. It is a sailing regatta drenched in history that has attracted some of the most talented, driven, and ambitious men to ever sail the seas. Take, for example, Sir Thomas Lipton, who challenged for the Cup five times between 1899 and 1930 - all in boats named "Shamrock" and always losing in the end. Over the course of these 5 challenges, Lipton - a gentleman and philanthropist with a wicked sense of humor - became a favorite of American racing fans, many of whom openly rooted for him. As he earned his national reputation in this country, Lipton, who had built a grocery empire in Scotland, began selling products here - and Lipton’s teas and soups are still best sellers today.

In 1934 and 1937 a British gentleman by the name of Sir Thomas Sopwith mounted two unsuccessful challenges for the Cup. While he failed in achieving the ultimate goal in yachting, he was successful in two other, more important endeavors - assisting his country in defeating Germany in two world wars. In WWI, as aviation was in its infancy, it was Sopwith and his company that turned out some of Britain's first fighter aircraft - most famously the Sopwith Camel (the plane that Snoopy always pretends he’s flying when going after the Red Baron). His contribution in WWII is even more impressive. Having traveled in 1930's Germany, Sopwith became convinced that the Nazi’s were planning war. He attempted to convince the British government to ready themselves with the purchase of the new, advanced fighter known as the Hawker Hurricane. The government agreed to buy 12. Outraged at the short-sightedness of his government, Sopwith risked his entire fortune and underwrote the construction of over 200. Three years later, as WWII erupted and the Nazi’s began their blitz, the British government was able to turn to Sopwith and his 200 superior (and immediately available) fighter planes, without which the Battle of Britain would likely have been lost.

Finally, there’s Ted Turner, founder of CNN, owner of the Atlanta Braves and well known rich, liberal, southern ass. How did he first gain national notoriety? By winning the America’s Cup. 

Because of the history and personalities above, the America’s Cup used to be a big deal here in the United States, and as recently as 1987 victorious US skipper Dennis Conner enjoyed a ticker-tape parade in New York City and a visit to the Reagan White House after winning the Cup back from the Aussies. Such is not the case anymore, and the only place you’ll be able to watch this year’s races is on the internet at americascup.com or espn360.com. That’s unfortunate, as the idea behind the race is one that mirrors what made America great – do it bigger and better than anyone else, prove it, and get rewarded.

Yacht racing can also be incredibly exciting. These are not leisurely races with multi-millionaires sipping tea and tipping caps at each other. No, these are fast paced races where cutting-edge boats cris-cross on roiling seas (this year potentially at speeds over 35 M.P.H.) - sometimes with only inches to spare. These are races where helmsman try and position their boats to cut off air from opponents and to force them off course. And these are races where sailors are not just taking on other sailors, but the power of mother nature herself. Watch a race and your ears will be assaulted by the creaks and groans of ships which, despite being made of 21^st century materials, nonetheless strain under the intense pressure of wind and waves. Disaster - whether via a ripped sail, snapped mast, or shattered hull - is always lurking just around the corner, poised to strike.

Early tomorrow morning (4am ET), off the coast of Valencia, Spain it is once again time to hit the water (Monday’s race were canceled due to lack of steady wind), and it will pit two massive multi-hull yachts, one a Swiss catamaran (Alinghi) and one a US tri-maran (BMW/Oracle Racing), against each other. Combined, they cost over $150 million to design and build, and they represent the bleeding edge of technology with a size and speed never before seen - consider that the main sailing "wing" of the US entry is taller at 223 feet then the wingspan of a 747!

Oh yes, I’m excited. More excited than I was for a non-Bronco Super Bowl. You’ll have to forgive me.

Comments

[Allison]

I forgive you for being more excited about sailing than the Super Bowl, mostly because I was more excited about the Chelsea/Arsenal London derby than the Super Bowl.