Dadyassa Loc: Spain

:mrgreen:

Dadyassa Loc: Spain

:mrgreen:

rickerb Loc: utah

funny
:thumbup: :thumbup:

ozdude Loc: Brisbane Australia

Unfortunately New Zealand is now bankrupt. I can see the boats heading this way from here. LOL

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

Maybe they should list their used boat on eBay to pay the bills

amyinsparta Loc: White county, TN

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: People get soooo upset over things that have absolutely NO bearing on their lives. The reason Aussies and Kiwis have to race is because we are so behind on developing these new racers than we couldn't field a decent one.

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

Sorry to say, race fans, but the outcome of this competition, while somewhat interesting, is about as important to most Americans as the World Frisbie Championship, the Chinese National Ping Pong Tournament or a Mexican Cock Fight. For those who are into the Americas Cup . . . enjoy and have fun, but most of the world doesn't give a hoot.

theobennett Loc: Sumatra

John, we have a happy relationship with our cousins acrossbtye Tasman, but not such that we let them claim Australia's victory 30 years ago. That winged keel on the Australian designedband built yacht 'Australia II' was indeed Aussie.
Sure, there was a challenge by thevUS under the Deed Of Gift Rules that govern the race, alleging the design had been 'Dutch inspired'. This was ultimately proved false and 'Australia II' was permitted to compete.
The res is history. The victory by the yacht from The Land Downnder broke the 132-year hold on the Cup by the US.
It was a contest that attracted large meia attention here and in the US.
As did the recent contest. A hard fought and exciting sports event.
I accept the sentiment of high financial cost argued here for large syndcate yachts competing in events like The Americas Cup and The Sydney-Hobart and so on. But that oes not mean vrewmembers are

PJM Loc: Las Cruces, NM

Well as an America Englishman (duel citizenship) and having lived in Australia I was happy to see an international crew on board the American boat.
Peter

RustyEire

And others would call it "Sour grapes." A perfectly natural, perfectly human response to . . . losing. Cheers!

theobennett Loc: Sumatra

Damn...! Battery ran out before I could revise. Like Team New Zealand I was beaten by an offcial time limit. This one impsed by 'Ugly Hedghog'. Sigh.
Please ignore previous. Am reposting to the thread:
As I was saying in response to John and others....

We have a happy relationship with our cousins across the Tasman, but not such that we let them claim Australia's victory 30 years ago. That winged keel on the Australian designed and built yacht 'Australia II' was indeed Aussie.
Sure, there was a challenge by the US under the Deed Of Gift Rules that govern the race. It was alleged the design had been 'Dutch inspired'. This was ultimately proved false and 'Australia II' was permitted to compete.
The rest is history. The victory by the yacht from The Land Downnder broke the 132-year hold on the Cup by the US.
I'd contest the cynical claim on this thread that the event attracted little interest in the USA. Sports media analyst evidence suggests the opposite.
In fact, it was a contest that attracted large media attention here and in the US.
As did the New Zealand wins in 1995 and 2000, and the recent Kiwi challenge. All were hard fought and exciting sports events.
We were barracking this year more for 'New Zealand' and 'Aotearoa' than Team Oracle, despite the Aussie component. (Well, one Sydney yacht club was perhaps a little jaundiced toward Spittle's kipperng..!)
I accept the sentiment of high financial cost argued here for large syndcate yachts competing in events like The Americas Cup and The Sydney-Hobart and so on. But that does not mean crew-members deserve dismissive criticism of implied shallow elitism. On the contrary, many are regular amateur sportspeople who have come through the small Fireball, FF11, Ff15, 18-Footers et cetera - after nipper experience in dinghys, VJs and the like.
Sailing is certainly not an elitist sport. It's highly athletic.
Equating it with F1 car racing is unfair and illogcal.
However, to a prejudiced, mean-spirited, or an ill or uninformed eye I concede it could seem to some to be an unattractive spectator sport. At least from a shore viewpoint. Televisual coverage gives more meaningful cine photographic perspective.
Whether or not a possible extended review of Team New Zealand's hydraulics failure, or re-opening a protest against the cheating charges might be worthwhile, or a renewed appeal against the final race time case would work is really just conjecture. The cheats were punished. Team Oracle was penalised. The final race was replayed. Surely it's something best adjudicated there by the officials...? That could take time.
We 'armchair critics' can but wait. If the Kiwis want to dispute the American victory, that is.
For most of us - including members of Sydney's Northern Beaches Newport Yacht Club where Jimm Spittle has elbow space at the bar - we respect, admire, the spirit of Team New Zealand. Our Kiwi cousins remain the first team outside the USA to win the Americas Cup (1995) and then successfully defend it (2000).
I am confident of Kiwi sportsmanship, and I know Dean Barker woudn't be using the 'money' excuse or 'blaming his tools'.
That would not be 'Wahia te iti kahurangi'...!
Ka kite ano,
- Theo.

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

As long as we're talkin fruit Doc I call it Ah Raspberries

Rongnongno Loc: FL

A much broader issue is totally ignored here and concerns almost all sports.

'National teams' are now international with athletes going as far as changing nationalities as the wind (and money) turn. This is especially visible in 'non-american' sport (read soccer, rugby, sailing, hockey, basketball and the like).

To me, that is were the trouble lies.

One here describes the America's cup as a 'rich boy' sport and indeed it is or was until recently when it became a 'corporate' sport as no one, even 'rich boys' can afford a plank of these boats.

In Formula 1 and many other sport cars competitions the reasoning is that "the progress made in technology and engineering trickles down to consumer's cars"... What is the "reasoning" in sailing events like this one? If the same, can anyone give me an example of what came out of these events? And do not answer 'exotic' materials as most if not all come from the space research.

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

I stopped caring a long time ago when they stopped using "real" sailboats. Sailors wearing helmets??? And what does EMIRATES mean in Emirates Team NZ.

theobennett Loc: Sumatra

Really...?