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Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
Writing his weekly blog while catching race five of the America's Cup, took Sideline Sid back just a month to where we watched some of the action on the waters of San Francisco Bay.
While the trip to the USA was the culmination of a long held dream to visit the States, it was with great delight that we realised that some of the 'Auld Mug” action would be played out while we were in San Francisco.
There was initial disappointment when we found out that the black boat wouldn't race in the Louis Vuitton semifinals, after picking up enough points in the preliminary rounds before we arrived, to go straight through to the LV Final.
While there is intense interest in the America's Cup in New Zealand, the Cup simply hasn't lived up to all the hype of the 2013 Cup organisers.
Team Oracle's vision was to bring a myriad of America's Cup challengers from throughout the world to race off in head-to-head action for the oldest sporting trophy in the world – Yeah Right. What we got was four boats, with the lawyers fighting out more battles in the courtroom, than was seen on the waters of the beautiful San Francisco Bay.
The first round in July was a joke with one boat races and Team NZ strolling around the course to beat Luna Rosa, when they bothered to turn up. We arrived when racing got moderately serious and caught the last two races of the Luna Rosa whitewash of Artemis. It was still a great thrill to watch live America's Cup action.
However, walking into the America's Cup Park smack bang in the middle of the waterfront on piers 27/29, was like revisiting the Cloud on the Auckland waterfront during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. While the on water racing has failed to make any impression on the local San Fran population, - Cup organisers have built an impressive spectator base.
Taking centre stage in the America's Cup Park is a 9000 seat amphitheatre, which is host a series of concerts during the America's Cup.
While we visited on a non-race day there were plenty of people around and plenty to see. The Flying on Water exhibition was a superb show of AC history and more importantly the technology behind the 2013 Catamarans. A Kids Zone kept the youngsters entertained with likes of a grinding challenge, with merchandise shops having plenty of goods and memorabilia to eat into your kiwi dollars.
Tied up at the America's Cup Park were some of the finest super yachts in the world, who had arrived for the America's Cup Super Yacht Regatta. Further down the harbour is the equally impressive America's Cup Village.
A feature at the AC Village at The Marina is a grandstand with seating for 6500 AC fans. The nearby Yacht Club peninsula has further seating for 1500, where the fans can get up close and personal as the giant cats race past. While there has been complete apathy from the locals, both the two purpose built viewing locations have been packed during the LV and AC finals, by America's Cup fans from throughout the world.
Judging by the New Zealand flags on display when TV has cut to the AC Village there are plenty of Kiwis, who have jumped on the big bird to be in San Francisco, to see Team NZ bring the yachting prize home.
I believe that three good things have come out of the 2013 America's Cup.
Team Oracle's decision to race the AC72's have turned the AC on its head with thrills and spills on the water that a few years no one could have imagined.
Larry Ellison and (Sir) Russell Coutts have achieved the impossible and brought the America's Cup inshore, with a San Francisco providing an amphitheatre like no other to get super close to the AC action.
America's Cup racing will be revitalised when the Cup returns to Auckland after nearly dying in San Francisco. Team NZ will ensure there is a level playing field when the AC is again hosted in New Zealand and that a quality field of boats arrives to contest the Louis Vuitton series, before the victor goes head to head with Team NZ for the oldest sporting prize in the world.
Seeya at the next America's Cup in Auckland.