The morning after
by John Curnow 3 Apr 2018 12:00 NZST
SuperFoiler Championship in Sydney © Andrea Francolini
The party the night before. Well there's the clean up. Also the breakfast of questionable nutritional benefit. The sore head. The dubious text messages coming in, and glares from the neighbours. Well, that's what happens normally, but for SuperFoiler it is somewhat different.
So then, what happens to SuperFoiler the boats, and the entire apparatus that turned on such a memorable event? For sure the boats and the sailors need some TLC as a result of the brutal nature of the racing. The fleet will be winterised, with one or two staying out for training, and I would not mind betting that the rotation through the workshop will be done smartly, as it is likely that Series Two will kick off in November of this year.
That's the boats getting their TLC, but the machine that brought it all to you was 60 persons strong, and they need more than a massage, but that is a good place to start, you would think. That encompassed the sailors, outside broadcast crew, shore crew, drivers, and sponsor associates, and the distance they covered is the equivalent of flying from Sydney to Los Angeles!
Perhaps that note is more than poignant, for in fact the USA, and certain locations in Europe, are looking to take both highlights packages now, and also live broadcasts next time. Best wishes there! Now it might be too much of a long bow to see the boats racing that far afield next time, but across the ditch is well and truly possible, and maybe more domestic locales, as well.
What else was achieved? Well SuperFoiler blooded a lot of young sailors. Lachy Gilmour was with Outteridge and Ashby for the final day, and then Connor Nicholas, a 20-year-old handy Nacra sailor from WA, came over to drive the RIB, and got a race on board as well. Nice one!
Skippers and sailors all sung the praises, with Jensen, Price, McKnight, Robertson, and Campbell-James all waxing lyrically that they would be back as long as other commitments did not interfere. Importantly, no one said they did not want to come back, with some looking to improve performances and get into it all a bit earlier, for it would appear the SuperFoiler is a hard taskmaster.
Even the sponsors are sitting at the table and not staying away, choosing to - at the very least - look towards Season Two. I am told they are all looking to re-commit, and the feedback to date is very enthusiastic. That's also a good thing. So yes. It was a huge party, and no doubt there will be many looking for a Guernsey to anything to do with it next time around. Ultimately, that is the best form of praise.
Now there is now segue that can seem appropriate or applicable for this. Our condolences go to the family and friends of John Fisher. The crew must be devastated, and indeed this was the common sentiment when speaking with several Whitbread/VOR veterans during the week.
Equally, there is nothing that can naturally follow something like that. It would seem the AC50 circuit is close, so that is bound to keep the skill levels up for the airborne rangers, as the first of the AC75s gets prepared. Not that they are close, as Grunter very clearly acknowledges from Team BAR. But still, something has to be better than nothing!
It was also somewhat underwhelming to see that the backmarker in the Osaka odyssey, Chinese Whisper, was also delayed from getting away at their nominated time. Like the other bookend, the little S&S 34 Morning Star, they had no weather to move with, whilst the middle two starts soaked up more than enough of the stuff! As I write this, I was also informed by race organisers that racing was going to be suspended due to the cyclone reforming off the Queensland coast. Well now, that sounds very prudent!
Nine tenths. You know... behind every lie is nine tenths of the truth. For years the Seppos have given us some of the greatest giggles every April Fools' Day. I remember the one about the VO70s being trucked across the Nullarboor, but it seemed this year's treats about three inch bleeding edges on foils, and .06 imaginary 'krellnids', were just delightful. Yet it was the notion that lax OH&S laws in places like Texas, and tax incentives for Larry to stay involved in AC36, that seemed to latch on to some of the circus that can be the AC. F1 and Bernie steal plenty of limelight as the owners of the tallest big top going around, but there is always a chance the AC can weave some ornate fabric all its own... At any rate, thank you to our American cousins for all the effort and thought that goes into it all. Cheers.
Right oh - here today there are some gems for you to review. We have information from the Moths Worlds where Goodison claims three in a row, and becomes only the second sailor to go consecutive like that. We also have skiffs, Optis, Volvo, Clipper, China Sea Race and Beau Geste cracked 37 knots on the way to a new record, Brisbane to Gladstone, North Sails with Glenn Ashby provide a new decksweeper mainsail for the A-Class Cat, the AC of course, 52 Super Series, Mirabaud video comp, Barcelona World Race puts the pick out and it grabs (really well), the AST, J/121 does well in the Caribbean and the Entwhistles talk with our own Peter Rendle about J/Boats in AUS, Dream Team takes out the inaugural SuperFoiler Grand Prix, and certainly there is much, much more.
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John Curnow