Episode 3 - Scot Lets It Rip on The America's Cup

Sailing Anarchy Podcast

In this episode, we'll be discussing the America's Cup, a prestigious sailing competition that has a long and storied history. However, Scot will explain why he’s come to hate the America's Cup despite its great moments and legendary sailors like Dennis Connor.

Join us as we explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of this iconic sailing event.

Scot begins by acknowledging that there have been some truly amazing moments in the history of the America's Cup, such as Dennis Connor's dominance in the era of our Scot’s youth.

Connor's innovative testing methods and exceptional skill set set a new standard for how to approach a competitive sailing program. Scot reflects on the excitement and inspiration that these moments brought to the sailing world.

Scot recalls the debacle of the giant, monolithic monohull owned by Alinghi and how Dennis Connor outsmarted them by building a superior catamaran.

4:30 - Scot also expresses his disappointment with some of the less interesting iterations of the Cup, such as the AC72 boats. They are strange, almost bizarre boats that don't resemble traditional sailboats in any way.

7:00 - Scot wonders whether viewers will be able to see the dashboard on the America's Cup, as the teams are concerned about their proprietary knowledge being revealed.

Scot acknowledges that the onboard cameras capture the sensations of racing well, and the experience is best viewed on a screen. The need for speed is relative to each other, and the game is always evolving. High-speed racing, including Nascar racing, is a thrilling experience, and it takes skill and expertise to excel in this sport.

9:00 - Scot laments the fact that the amazing tech showcased in The America’s Cup isn’t trickling down into hobby sailing or regular racing. It’s too expensive to be applicable to regular racing.

12:00 - Scot talks about the incident where Team Frack's 40 capsized, and all the electronics were toast. The enormity of redoing everything and the costs and availability of replacement parts is just incredible. Scot believes that these boats are fragile and their own world, and it's not easy to replace damaged parts.

14:00 - Scot believes that there are some real embarrassments to the whole event, and the boats don't do everything well. They do a couple of things stunningly well, but it's a laugh fest when the wind shuts down.

Quote: “Stay tuned for the next episode where Tempesta is committed to a mental institution.”

15:20 - Scot then discusses the environmental impact of The America’s Cup. Scot talks about the teams' efforts to hire the best people and have great PR, claiming to do things for the ocean and the environment, while ignoring the amount of fuel they burn flying all over the world.

Scot believes that if these teams genuinely care about the environment, they would not take sponsorship from companies that are not environmentally friendly.

Quote: “Without clean water and clean air…we're sailing in a cesspool.”
20:30 - Scot says he is not ragging on the teams but rather the direction the sport is taking, wondering where it will ultimately end up. While the development of the sport is interesting, Scot is concerned about the potential risks and unknown future of the America's Cup.