AC36: 'I cannot imagine that Team New Zealand would in fact seriously contemplate moving the Eve

AUCKLAND – James Farmer Q.C. (NZL) is a superb sailor, AC vet, former Challenger Commission colleague, esteemed member of the New Zealand legal community, and longtime friend. The headline is an excerpt from Mr Farmer's post to his personal legal blog, which is widely read in NZL inside and outside legal circles. As most of our Dear Readers will know, your Ed. concurs completely with the headline above, and believes many if not most of you do as well.

As usual, Jim's measured and thoughtful observations and commentary provides welcome and helpful insight and perspective, including his advice to ETNZ to abandon tactics in re. their insistence upon a hosting fee that, Jim writes, "look rather like corporate blackmail aimed at the Government: 'Pay us a hosting fee or we will go elsewhere'." He also has some sage advice for the ETNZ in re. the cost of the new fully-foiling monohull that ETNZ and Prada have announced, at least in concept, as the yacht for AC36.

IMHO, Mr Farmer's piece is a MUST READ for all AC fans.

P.S. This morning (Wednesday in NZL) the New Zealand Herald published a piece citing Jim's linked post above, and using rather stronger language than your Ed. did. Read the NZH piece here. With thanks to Lloyd Gilmore for bringing it to our attention.

James Farmer Q.C. is presented the inaugural KORC Trophy at the 2007 NZ Sailor of the Year Awards. The KORC trophy is awarded annually to the top performing Keelboat campaign in NZL. Photo courtesy of Richard Gladwell www.photosport.co.nz