smackdaddy

The think I really like about this VOR is that these women are hard as it goes in their 30's and 40s. Pure sexy.

Man, this 24/7 tight quarters racing must be exhausting. Fun to watch though.

I don't doubt it. Your goldfish are every bit as special as you are.

You're completely wrong - as usual. Ken Read's commentary was about as good as it gets. Keep trying. That light bulb is sure to come on at some point.

I was never a fan of the chick. No offense to her - but she was just too wooden and presentational. At least the POM has some relatable emotion. The production quality - even from the HQ - however has dropped significantly from a technical perspective. I appreciate Mark's point about wanting things to be more raw and boat-centric - without the worry of a weekly series schedule. That is right on. But the bar for all of this - from a viewer's perspective - has been set by the AC. That has been phenomenal television in every respect. That said - the SAILING of the Leg 1 start was just mind-blowing. The boats ripping through the spectator fleet is what makes the VOR superior to the AC. Damn the rules and proprieties - we're sailing. THAT'S what it's about. THAT'S the story. These guys are the hardcore competitors that will do ANYTHING to win. I want to know more about them. Again, Mark's point about bandwidth is perfectly valid - and his approach is perfectly valid. But they need to stop with the stilted on-board interviews and just focus on the raw footage coming off the boats and crew and figure out a way to cut that into presentable drama. What they are doing right now is the least of both worlds. It's going to hurt them.

Clean, I really have no problem with you generally except for your constant slagging of others regarding the above. Dude, seriously, your stuff is full-on amateur hour. I'm sorry but it is. It always has been. I know you've been doing it a long time and you do bring value to the lesser-known events, but you're just not that good, at least in relation to the real pros. I was tangentially involved in the VOR story-telling efforts two races ago, spent time in Alicante at the HQ, worked on US-based broadcast strategies, etc. The VOR's story-telling capabilities via incredible guys like Amory Ross, etc. grew by leaps and bounds starting with that race and continue to today. The bar was undeniably raised. Could it get better? Always. But you could never even begin to touch that level of quality. So let's keep it real. Your critique of why the VOR itself has not been and is not super compelling right now is pretty accurate I think - but this "low quality media and story-telling" blather coming from you is pretty ridiculous. Just sayin'. The VOR's problems are structural, financial, technological, and even cultural. They are being left behind by their own sport - which is truly a shame as it is one of the few great Cape races in existence. I don't know what the answers are on the structural fix - but it certainly isn't a problem with the story-telling. It's a problem with the VOR story itself. I'm confident the in-race content will take yet another leap forward this go-round. As you say, once the racing starts - it gets FAR more interesting. You should watch very closely though, you could certainly learn a lot from the "media staffers" you like to slag.

With the IMOCA 60's adopting foils it just seems like VOR is locked into a death spiral with their current direction. And it really bums me out. I just need to have a bit of sook and know there are always tissues at SA.

Wait for the Vendee.

Okay - I'm trying to decide if this round of the VOR is worth digging into. I've been a rabid fan for years, but lost a good deal of interest in the last go-round. What do you guys think? It it worth the effort to follow?

That's what I thought. She cleaned up her mouth for the tv interview. Her reaction was like standing at the front door with a vodka and PallMall and screaming "WTF are you thinking" at the tornado as it hits the house.

They did have it under control. Only a couple of minor scratches on the Hazard thanks to the precise use of yachts as fenders. It could have been a much bigger scratch.

Tricky.

I thought it was Lewick. See? There are so many. It doesn't even matter anymore. It's starting to look like they were all right. The most important sailing world news I've learned in the last 9 years is that Espo is a dick.

I love the SA forums, but I have no time for the editorial. It long ago jumped the shark. When a "journalistic" media outlet is only criticism and no construction, it becomes self-invalidating. That's what SA as a media outlet is. It doesn't' matter anymore. It's insignificant. If SA could prove its value in terms of ROI on promotion that would be one thing. But it can't from everything I've seen. Again, SA is a great forum - and that drives a lot of its traffic. No question. But that's about it. I think scuttlebutt is a far better sailing journalism outlet that can give better ROI. At least they're classy and not getting pushed off docks.

So are we any closer to knowing how much yacht brokerage owner/directors make? That's all I wanna know.