America's Cup has become big boys' toys

By MATHIEU TRUFFER

Walk into any of the America's Cup bases and there is a good chance the first voice you will hear is female.

Along Halsey St, secretaries, PR officers and, of course, hostesses are often women.

But get closer to the boats and voices get lower and louder. In 2002, the America's Cup is very much a man's world.

But that has not always been the case.

In 1995, the first-ever female crew sailed Mighty Mary in San Diego. And five years later, Dawn Riley ran a very successful co-ed crew on America True.

Have all these female sailors suddenly become incompetent? Surely not. They have not disappeared either, as good results in other races have shown.

But the cup has changed. Female crews are mainly a sponsor-driven concept. And sponsors have lost lots of influence in the America's Cup in the past three years.

Much has been said about the profile the event has gained since the billionaires have returned.

But their comeback has had its shortcomings.

Billionaires are in the race for only one reason: they want to win. Nothing is too expensive to make sure their egos are not hurt: campaign costs have gone through the roof, which has resulted in some fine racing between very smoothly run yachts.

But the wider public feels a little left behind.

Sponsors surely do not mind a little success either, but there is often more variety in their goals.

They have something to sell, and triumph on the Hauraki Gulf is not the only way to seduce the public.

Watching America True's co-ed crew make it to the semifinals in 2000 was inspiring.

The Californians also threw some of the best parties in town.

And back in the United States, the America True youth programme (which is still going strong) made sure the campaign was more than just another bid at the Auld Mug.

Other than OneWorld's environmental effort, there is no real concern among the challengers other than winning a boat race this time around.

Sponsors' influence is missed because their objectives are not only wider but often come closer to the public's expectations.

They are not only after victory. They also want a great event.

This year's cup has so far been undermined by strong winds in the gulf and lots of racing days lost.

The challengers are prompt to explain that they will not race in the breeze because they want to maximise their chances of winning the America's Cup in February's lighter winds.

Sponsors would certainly realise that strong breezes create great racing, amazing footage on TV and brilliant exposure for their investment.

They would surely like to guarantee more entertainment to overseas viewers, who regularly wake up in the middle of the night to see P-Class dinghies surf in the gulf and America's Cup boats being towed back into the Viaduct.

Among the billionaire-backed challengers, one gives more hope. Ernesto Bertarelli could easily pay Alinghi's total budget, but has chosen to associate four sponsors with his challenge.

Their role is more important than just being a sticker on a hull or a boom. The Swiss billionaire does not speak much, but makes no mystery that, long term, he would like to turn Alinghi into a successful business.

He has developed at least one project to make his campaign attractive for the wider public: the Interactive Plaza, which has already welcomed thousands of visitors inside the Swiss base and given them unprecedented access to aspects of cup racing.

Surely, the plaza will not help Alinghi win the cup. But it is typical of a sponsor-driven attitude which is great for the event.

Could billionaires and sponsors work together for the better, maintaining the America's Cup's unique profile while also making it an event for the masses?

Maybe. Dawn Riley's latest cup bid, K-Challenge 2006, backed by French billionaire Ortwin Kandler, is looking for sponsors.

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