AC36: As the trophy turns, and grows
AUCKLAND, NZL – Before [Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Commodore Steve Mair's] term ends in a year’s time, Mair would like to see the four yacht clubs in Westhaven join forces to become one. He also hopes that yacht clubs return to having a strong presence in the America’s Cup. “I would love to see yacht clubs return like Royal Perth, New York and the Royal Yacht Squadron. We’d like to see challengers from proper clubs, not just a sham for a billionaire. I think New Zealand is doing a pretty good job of looking after the Cup, trying to embrace the history of it, while being commercially savvy too,” he says. –Suzanne McFadden, our longtime friend and esteemed journalist who has covered the Cup for decades, writing today for the newsroom.co.nz website.
Commodore Mair sheds light on the modern-day process that the Cup-winning yacht club goes through to "perfect" the receipt of their first challenge immediately following their win. Your Ed. has "been there, done that" both as the Defender after winning in 1988,1992, 2010 and 2013, and as the Challenger of Record for the 2007 Cup.
The Commodore also says they are planning to do some work on the Cup's base. Indeed, one suspects they will have run out of engraving space on the Cup's current bottom tier (base) after RNZYS/ETNZ's 2017 win, necessitating a new tier to be added to the bottom for the 2021 winner and beyond. Yes, the Cup grows with age, with new tiers having been added to the original Cup by New York Yacht Club for the 1958 Match, and by RNZYS for the 2000 Match.
The article mentions that "recent winners used a bigger font to record their victories." That is inaccurate. One recent winner used a bigger font to record their victories (in 2003 and 2007). When Golden Gate Yacht Club won in 2010 and 2013, we used the smaller font that had been used prior to 2003.
Read the full story, that Cup fans and more will find enjoyable and informative, here.
The RNZYS accepts the challenge of Circolo della Vela Sicilia (ITA) moments after ETNZ won the final race of AC35 in Bermuda.