Time for New Cup?

Now that the judge has awarded the America’s Cup to the Kiwis, I think that the time has come to end what has become a prolonged and boring chapter in sailing and sports history by giving up the Cup once and for all. The best way to take the wind out of the Kiwis’ litigious sails is to simply let them have it, and then stage a race for a new “International Cup” in San Diego in ’91 or ’92.

A set of rules could be drawn up that would preserve the original intentions of the authors of the Deed of Gift, but using modern legal language that would withstand petty challenges that don’t include a fair representation of all interested countries and underhanded attempts to snitch the new Cup in court, rather than on the seas. The international sailing community has already agreed on a class of boat to replace 12-meters, so the new class would be the official class of the International Cup races. The already planned Cup races could be run on or near their scheduled times, just with a new name.

I can think of no better way to treat the Kiwis than to give them the Auld Mug, and then, along with the rest of the world, ignore them and get on with sailing some real races. The Cup is only valuable as long as the rest of the world wants it. Without countries spending millions in New Zealand trying to win the Cup, it would be nothing more than a large (and ugly) hood ornament for the Mercury Bay Yacht Club’s clubhouse.

J. SHANE McROBERTS

Solana Beach