Koch Takes Credit; Cayard Takes Aim : Wave of Praise Crests at Gala for Cup Winner

Reportedly, there were no broken arms or fractured egos during the America’s Cup ceremonial pomp and circumstance Sunday at the San Diego Yacht Club.

Community leaders, sailing dignitaries and a variety of yacht types exchanged enough pleasantries throughout the marathon session to sink an International America’s Cup Class fleet.

“Contributed greatly to our success,” “owe a big part of our victory,” “are to be congratulated,” “did a superb job,” and “performed beautifully,” were only a sampling of the compliments and pats on the back that peaked the day after America 3 clinched a 4-1 victory over Il Moro di Venezia in the 28th sailing of the America’s Cup.

Even Mayor Maureen O’Connor wouldn’t soon forget “the graciousness of (Il Moro head) Raul Gardini and the crew of the red boat,” nor will she ever forget A3 CEO Bill Koch’s “unwavering confidence in America 3 ‘s superiority.”

Koch, who has shown little vocal restraint throughout this five-month affair and had no reason to start now, wasn’t about to argue.

“When we first came to San Diego,” he said, “it was really, really tough for us. We were considered a joke. My neighbors didn’t appreciate my sense of art, the other syndicates didn’t appreciate our sense of science.

“The community thought we were here to steal the Cup away from them, the media had a field day with us, the America’s Cup Organizing Committee and the yacht club had another field day with us, and Dennis (Conner) had a field day with us.”

When Koch first took to the podium set up on the deck outside the yacht club, he joked that he had a lot to say. He wasn’t kidding.

Koch thanked pretty much everyone but the gardener for help making this victory possible, then somehow felt he had to rejustify his active role in the afterguard on America 3 , as if winning the Cup wasn’t justification enough.

“People ask me a lot of times why are you Bill Koch, an amateur sailor, on the boat,” Koch said. “You’re not even in Paul Cayard’s league. I have three answers for it, some are facetious, some are real.”

He didn’t clarify which were which, but said he would be “obnoxious and say I’m good enough to be on it.” Answer No. 2, Koch said, was that his presence made it so he didn’t have to “filter through other people’s agendas.”

Finally, and he paused to frame the moment, Koch said, “if I’m arranging the bulk of the financing, I’ll do as I damn well please.” Before his speech was over, Koch said, “I knew enough about sailing to be dangerous, but I didn’t know enough not to break some of the rules.”

Those insights brought a roar of approval from the SDYC crowd, the very group Koch earlier accused of snubbing his crew.

But all that was water under the bridge as guest speakers, introduced by SDYC Commodore Frederick G. “Fred” Delaney III, spoke their praise of this event and its participants.

ACOC General Manager Tom Ehman concurred that this was the best racing in the 141-year history of the America’s Cup.

“Not only did we see the closest race in Cup history, others were among the top five in the history of this sport. . . . That’s because of the boat. We all owe a great round of applause for this new class,” said Ehman, who also gushed about the race course’s downwind finish, and the new on-the-water umpiring.

ACOC President Malin Burnham doted on the dream he and Conner had back in 1984 to win the Cup in 1987 and bring it back so the SDYC could host their own race.

“This had never been done here, we had to develop our own road map. Unfortunately there were a couple of detours until we got back on track 24 months ago,” he said, a vague reference to the now-infamous Cup court battles.

Now, 53 months and 10 days later, “that commitment had been very much in my mind that we were actually going to successfully defend the Cup against whatever odds there were,” Burnham said. “I feel good for the hundreds of you people and others in our community and around the world who have helped us achieve what we have.”

This event was missed by most, even by fans who wanted to participate. Those without a current SDYC membership card were turned away at the gate.

According to the club’s receptionist, only SDYC or other yacht club members and their guests could enter. A couple from Washington, D.C., in San Diego for two weeks, had ventured to the club to enjoy the ceremony. They were shocked the public was excluded.

“We’ve spent at least $2,000 since we’ve been in San Diego,” the woman said, “and they don’t let us in.”

Inside the SDYC grounds, one yachtingly attired woman spoke in hushed tones to a friend.

“Now if we can only get the press on our side,” she said. “Then this would even be more wonderful.”