It seems each day brings another great use for Francois Chevalier’s awesome comparo render of the Ships of the Line, and we thank Francois and Jacques yet again for a pic that’s now been seen on Facebook about 70 brazilion times. Anyway, we deserved the friendly rebuke we received yesterday from our old pal and former Little America’s Cup-winning crew Magnus Clarke, who reminds us with this modified drawing just where winged cats really came from. Give Golden Gate Yacht Club a few more cycles and maybe the America’s Cup will just buy the C-Class outright and merge. Until then, enjoy the spectacle of real enthusiasts and a truly open design rule with this fall’s Lake Geneva (SUI) Little Cup. We’ll be there, and so should you!
In sort-of related news, the current and continuing America’s Cup PR nightmare led another former multiple Little AC winner to post perhaps the most succinct explanation yet for what we’re seeing. From Steve Clark:
I think it is remarkable how each succeeding holder of the America’s Cup has made the previous holders look good.
32 years ago the New York Yacht Club was the Evil Empire. Now they look like a bunch of choir boys.
Since then there have been continuous efforts to capitalize on the America’s Cup brand, which seem to have done nothing but reduce the prestige of the event. Apparently these efforts have now succeeded in making the future of “Cup” impossible to sustain without major restructuring and abandonment of some of the things that made it unique in the world of sports. Something about geese and valuable eggs seems to apply.
SHC
