Online Yacht Club

With apologies to The Byrds. Pix of Luna Rosa, the mystery boycott boat, and Oracle in their new safety suits. More floatation and orange locator stripes are the most obvious of the safety recommendations. I think the Oracle rudder is also representative of the safety recommendation. These would be at a fixed angle chosen each day based on weather conditions.

Nice July 4th on the dock and the America's Cup village is OK. But just OK. It's not knock your socks off. Sitting in San Francisco, likely millions of tourists passing by over the course of a year and AC Village and the AC34 really should have been a "killer app".



The AC72's and the elves' workshop should be RIGHT THERE in front of the visitors. But they are nowhere to be seen. It's all abstract and over the horizon, the fatal affliction of sailing as far as public appeal. The huge AC72's sitting in front of the public with the "pit crews" furiously at work would have elicited a lot "I'VE GOTTA GET ME ONE OF THOSE!!!" comments from kids of all ages.

The USA 17 trimaran with the wing panels removed should be sitting RIGHT THERE.

And the AC village exhibits. Limited and, on the first official day, broken. The lever on the foil interactive was broken. Come on, man!!!

I understand Ellison's wanting it to pay for itself but in trying to get the AC34...

The first race of the Louis Vuitton Cup has been canceled, well not exactly cancelled, there will be only one boat on the race course as Luna Rosa is boycotting the first race. Luna Rosa wanted the International Jury to rule on their protest of the safety rules before the race even though the ruling would have no effect on the the first race. Making Luna Rosa's move a completely empty gesture.

Luna Rosa's move is mean spirited. It only affects the fans who spent a lot of money ($1,000 in my case to fly down for a couple days and go out on the America to watch the race). It certainly is a poke in the eye of AC34, making them look bad to broadcasters like NBC that were going to showcase the race. But even there, what it does is mostly hurt sailing coverage with the main stream media and the public. AC34 had to pay NBC to cover the race in hopes it would catch on and sailing would gain a niche in the media where big sailing events like America's Cup could gain some traction.

Luna...

First race in the Louis Vuitton Challenger series is this Sunday, July 7, live on NBC Sports. I'm hoping this guy wins the series, one of Carlo Borlenghi's friends, I suspect. A better chance of America's Cup staying in the 21st century with the fastest sailboats etc. if Prada wins.



Live coverage is a bit of a secret. NBCSports website doesn't mention it. The America's Cup You Tube channel is here but if NBC Sports does cover it, I'm guessing Google/YouTube will be evil and blackout the YouTube broadcast and NBC, despite its stealth approach to America's Cup will actually broadcast it on Sunday.

We do need to talk to the young man's older sibling though, only mad dogs and Englishmen feed the seagulls. Your correspondent will on the America, seen...

The two Oracle A72's on San Francisco Bay. A matched pair vs. the Emirates/Prada Morelli Melvin designed twins who race on July 7th in the first Louis Vuitton Challenger series.