America’s Cup: Betrayal, angst, and disappointment

Before Dr. Hamish Ross became a legal advisor for America’s Cup teams, and completed a PhD at the University of Auckland on the legal issues surrounding the event, he was a Kiwi. And as a Kiwi, he is not liking what the tea leaves are saying:

If the local Spanish media have got it right, it seems that the next defense of the America’s Cup is destined for the City of Barcelona, becoming the first Olympic city (1992) to host America’s Cup. It will join an exclusive list of past America’s Cup hosts: Cowes, New York, Newport, Fremantle, San Diego, Auckland, Valencia, San Francisco, and Bermuda.

I certainly hold no ill-will towards Spain and its people on their good fortune, if they have managed to wrest the America’s Cup hosting rights from New Zealand. Their timing is perfect as the global tourism industry is rebuilding after the effects of COVID and all its associated restrictions. I wish them well and the America’s Cup Event fair winds in new waters.

My disappointment is reserved for those responsible in New Zealand that made this outcome possible, after many decades of assurances of local Cup defenses to support the New Zealand economy to justify central government and local government financial support which amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars of funding and investment.

Little effort was put into attempting to fund a defense in New Zealand by those selling the event overseas. Certainly, there has been nothing comparable to the international sales effort. Why this lack of effort, regardless of whose money is taken?

It remains a question not yet satisfactorily answered.

A resulting sense of betrayal now exists amongst local sailors, the business community, and other parts of New Zealand. New Zealand badly needed a local defense of the Cup after the ravages of COVID on its once-thriving tourist industry.

Yes, the America’s Cup trophy sits for the time being in a New Zealand yacht club trophy cabinet, but is there really any point if the America’s Cup is only now to pimped around the world? Is this really the right direction for the future of the America’s Cup, sailing’s blue-ribbon event?

To my many friends in Spain, please understand that for most New Zealanders, it is to us akin to Spain winning the Football World Cup coupled with hosting rights for the next competition, only for the Spanish Football Federation selling the event to say, Australia.

We will get over it, but meanwhile, please understand our angst and disappointment.

Editor’s note: Of the bidding cities, it is understood that Cork’s bid for the south of Ireland has been withdrawn, leaving Barcelona and Malaga in Spain, along with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on the table.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal and event dates until March 31, 2022. – https://www.americascup.com/en/home