There is only one place the next America’s Cup should be held.
Auckland would have been wonderful – to somehow recreate the magic of 2000 and 2003 and make up for 2021, which was a memorable event, but compromised by the Covid-19 pandemic. Coming back tothe City of Sails could have been spectacular, but was always unlikely given the hosting fees expected and the Government’s budget restraints, along with some residual ill feeling about the circumstances of Emirates Team New Zealand’s decamping last time.
But now that this country is off the table, Team New Zealand need to think big. And laterally. The organisers need to go to the one place that would put the event back on the map and generate huge interest, given the emerging threat of SailGP. They need to push for the option that would guarantee mass support for the home syndicate and create a great spectacle. And they need to go to the location that would cement Team New Zealand’s legacy as an iconic syndicate of the Cup.
That place is England. Yes, back to where it all began in 1851, when Queen Victoria was among the spectators watching a fleet race around the Isle of Wight. There are numerous benefits. It would be a great story in an age where cut-through is increasingly difficult. And for an event that desperately needs more profile, this is where you would get it, with the most influential network of media outside the United States, including the BBC, ITV, Channel Four, the Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Daily Mirror and Daily Mail among many others.
Team New Zealand and Britannia race for glory off the coast of Barcelona. Photo / Photosport
The best America’s Cup regattas have strong local interest. That’s where Barcelona fell down, with no Spanish team. Staging the 38th America’s Cup in England could even have two domestic teams with both Sir Ben Ainslie and Sir Jim Ratcliffe intending to mount separate challenges, since their messy split this year. That would be manna from heaven in terms of publicity – imagine the storylines. Ainslie v Ratcliffe could bring back memories of Dalton v Coutts, Spithill v Barker, Ellison v Bertarelli and Dennis Conner v just about everyone. And Ainslie, in particular, would be highly competitive at home.
Another bonus? The British fans. They are among the best supporters in the world with their passion, humour and singing and would enliven the Cup. Finally, it would be a captivating scenario for Team New Zealand. If they could defend the Cup in the home waters of a big rival, that’s a unique achievement, perhaps earning the title of greatest team in America’s Cup history, an honour probably still held by the 1983 Australia II syndicate, who ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year stranglehold on the Auld Mug.
If Britain can’t be done, then the only other option – in terms of bringing a new lustre to the event – is Italy. As outlined in the Herald last week, Naples has its hat in the ring, with Prada’s Patrizio Bertelli reportedly involved in that bid. Bertelli has been a wonderful Cup identity, while Luna Rossa have been outstanding contributors, from their Louis Vuitton Cup triumph on debut in 2000 to their magnificent 2021 effort, one of the best challenges of the modern era. The Italians would put on a great show, adding to the spectacle and media exposure, while it would be a perfect assignment for Team New Zealand.
If those two are at the top of the wish list, Saudi Arabia is at the bottom for several reasons.
Even if you put aside the myriad human-rights issues (with 345 people executed last year) and their ghastly treatment of women and minorities (which is hard to do), there are many other red flags in the autocratic state. The seasons don’t work and the Gulf country has no history in the event or sailing pedigree.
The atmosphere would be contrived and weird, to have syndicates there for an extended period and no or very few fans. And it would show a lack of ambition, a take-the-money-and-run approach. Sports like football, tennis, boxing and motorsport can go to the Gulf because fans will tune in and watch no matter where the event is staged, due to the star power of the athletes. Sailing doesn’t have that luxury.
Finally, opting for Jeddah would be a sad indictment on both Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, given the proud history of the Cup and this country’s long involvement. But money talks, especially for Grant Dalton, and it will be hard to ignore given Saudi Arabia has invested billions in sportswashing over the past decade.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
