Hold your course!
By Sean Downey
Associate Editor

August 28, 2002

As I sit here at my computer publishing the headlines for the yacht racing community and reading the financial headlines of the world, it has struck me at how fortunate I am to be a racer.

We participate in an expensive sport that as a norm holds no benefits for its participants other than a small cup and bragging rights. But at the same time there can be no denying that it is one of the most exciting sports on the planet. Reading the elements’ tell tales, maximizing your equipment’s output, reading the minds of your opponents keeping track of rating information, etc. are all parts of just the pre-start maneuvers of a race.

So, during a time when the financial markets of the world are struggling, there are still people doing their part and getting their boats and crews on the water. The billionaires of the yacht racing world are getting harassed for the money they spend and for their administrative practices, but when it comes down to it, they are promoting our sport to the fullest. Yes, there has been lying, cheating, steeling, but thankfully no killing in the work up to the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series slated to start October 1 in New Zealand. These things go on daily in the chambers of the world’s governments.

We are doubly blessed during this “recession” to have the most prestigious, oldest, and most exciting events taking place, the America’s Cup. Nine challengers from six different countries will battle it out in the Louis Vuitton Cup for the chance to wrench the cup from the clutches of one of the strongest sailing countries in the world, New Zealand.

The major cable media houses are doing their part and placing the coverage of the America’s Cup before the general population of the world. Even the mainstream networks are getting in the coverage of yacht racing events. The sinking of USA 77 actually made national network headlines in the United States and local stations and newspapers had coverage of the incident. A spot on the Around Britain attempt by the Maxi Catamaran Orange was given a sound bite on a local Los Angeles television station.

This is the type of exposure we need and deserve. So, I would ask all of you in the yacht racing community to “hold your course” and sail through this time of financial uncertainty as well as communicate with your local media sources your desire to see our sport covered. The more coverage we receive the stronger the sponsors will come into our industry and spend their money.