Outlook Cloudy

America's Cup 32 is in the record books. Team New Zealand were there in the finals for the fourth time in a row! Heavy favourites Alinghi won with a convincing score but less convincing performance. Two in a row for the Swiss team.

Five New Zealanders have been on the winning team in the last four Cups. I haven't seen two boats as evenly matched all the way through the wind range in any America's Cup or Louis Vuitton Cup. Ever. Either boat was capable of winning any race. Now the defender wants to change the class. Back to 5-0?

The event was a great success, in my opinion. The 32nd America's Cup was the highest-profile event our sport has ever seen. Starting with the physical layout and size of Port America's Cup, through to the hospitality at the Foredeck Club, the stadium racecourse right in front of the beach, and the fact that it was in Europe and within two hours' flying for 330 million people. Also, as there is a profit-sharing scheme (similar to other recent Cups), teams should do well financially due to ACM's shrewd business acumen.

It was hard to know who to cheer for in the final...

To read the remainder of this and many other articles, please purchase your copy of the September 2007 edition of Seahorse International Sailing available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

Individual copies as well as subscriptions can both be purchased online at: www.seahorsemagazine.com