33 replies to this topic

[valenciasailing]

It's going to be interesting..

Paul Cayard just joined the Spanish America's Cup team..

[Editor]

Thanks for the head's up - we just got an e-mail about it as well.

[mustang__1]

how did you find out about that, VS? im still rooting for Oracle, i want to be able to go see the cup, and its easier to fly to the other coast than the other side of the world...

[golix]

Way to go Pierre! Nice scoop!
G.

[mad]

This should be the first thread of AC anarchy (not topic)

worth watching this and all the signings for the swedish team as well, maybe something more interesting than the Ellison, Alinghi, emirates arms race.

[nroose]

Valencia - 11-12-2006
Desafío Español signs Paul Cayard

Desafío Español 2007 anounced today, Tuesday 11th of December, signing with American Paul Cayard to be the sport and technical advisor for the team. Cayard has sailed in five editions of the America’s Cup and won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1992 as skipper on the Italian boat, Il Moro di Venezia.

The local team challenging for the 32nd America’s Cup has signed an agreement with the Cayard Sailing Company and personally with Paul Cayard (San Francisco, 1959), who will help the team prepare successfully ESP 97 for a few weeks in the build up to the Louis Vuitton races.

Agustín Zulueta, Sporting and Technical Director of the team said that he “trusts Pauls Cayard’s experience to help the team to be one of the top four”. Zulueta also assured that with this agreement “we are trying to raise the level of our crew” concluding, “we want to use the best Cayard can give us and we fully trust in the crew we now have”.

Cayard was the first American to win the Volvo Ocean Race and skippered a team in the last edition; he has raced in Olympic Games and won seven world titles.

http://www.americasc...idContent=13526

[Goldfinger]

"Desafío Español 2007 anounced today, Tuesday 11th of December, signing with American Paul Cayard ..."

Today is Tuesday 11th of December?

If so, I'm really confused.

[Trovão]

"Desafío Español 2007 anounced today, Tuesday 11th of December, signing with American Paul Cayard ..."

Today is Tuesday 11th of December?

If so, I'm really confused.

ac is so modern and radical that they're already ahead of everybody else's time

[J Buoy]

So, when is Coutts coming back into the mix? anyone?

[boomer]

I believe he has to sit this one out because he was previously under contract to sail for the Swiss which he can't legally extract himself from.

[nroose]

So, when is Coutts coming back into the mix? anyone?

I believe he has to sit this one out because he was previously under contract to sail for the Swiss which he can't legally extract himself from.

IIRC he had a legal battle with Alinghi over this, and they paid him a settlement to agree to stay out. A shame, I think. Stats from the 2007 AC should have an * on them because of this.

[mustang__1]

You see, Couts has gotten so good, he's paid not to sail. Thats what it really amounts to...

You see, Couts has gotten so good, he's paid not to sail. Thats what it really amounts to...

[sailor327]

"Desafío Español 2007 anounced today, Tuesday 11th of December, signing with American Paul Cayard ..."

Today is Tuesday 11th of December?

If so, I'm really confused.

could it be the time difference.

And isnt he signing on pretty much as an advisor to the program, he's not actually sailing.

[J/80 Jibberish]

The whole AC thing is screwed up. I wish they would put a 50 million dollar cap on the teams. Hopefully Ellison can bring the Cup to the USA so there can once again be a defender series.

[port wine is red]

americas cup is boring, but gotta go for the local boys, larry bring the cup here. if he can't do it let paul win it

[ctradialsailor]

I believe he has to sit this one out because he was previously under contract to sail for the Swiss which he can't legally extract himself from.

thats a shame what the cup has come down to. What once was a valiant compotition between contries now is just about who has the most money. For example Coutts, one of the best match racers, was paid not to sail. I think the AC needs some changes...

[J24 1600]

thats a shame what the cup has come down to. What once was a valiant compotition between contries now is just about who has the most money. For example Coutts, one of the best match racers, was paid not to sail. I think the AC needs some changes...

its gotta get worse before it gets better. Problem is though, now there are so many races, regattas, etc., that the America's Cup is just another match racing regatta. These guys compete against eachother all the time in different boats at different venues. The only thing different is that at the America's Cup, there is a shitload more money.

When do you really think that the true essence of the America's Cup went away (or didn't go away)?

[@last]

While it certainly makes sense that any team wanting to up their performance would survey the landscape and sign on the best possible hired gun/mercenary that is available (meaning not already under contract), whether that will change the outcome of the teams results in a positive manner remains to be seen. No issues on Cayards ability, his resume is certainly long and includes important winning results in world class events (i.e. volvo RTW) but the fact remains that adding a rockstar to the roster is not always a guarentee of better results.
Let the festivities begin...........

[J24 1600]

While it certainly makes sense that any team wanting to up their performance would survey the landscape and sign on the best possible hired gun/mercenary that is available (meaning not already under contract), whether that will change the outcome of the teams results in a positive manner remains to be seen. No issues on Cayards ability, his resume is certainly long and includes important winning results in world class events (i.e. volvo RTW) but the fact remains that adding a rockstar to the roster is not always a guarentee of better results.
Let the festivities begin...........

yea, but when there is this much money involved, the syndicates are going to go for the safest bet that their results will get better. They have the money to spend, they know cayard knows alot about the race, the competitors, the boats, etc, so why not splurge on him? Of course they could go out and find some no-name who can sail well, but its all about publicity. They didn't only buy his sailing experience, they bought his name. Now people will look at the boat, the syndicate and the companies affiliated and check it all out. That is how the AC is going these days...right?

[@last]

agreed.........and as you mention it does give the syndicate a bit more credibility and ability to attract more corporate sponsors-is just sad that the AC has become nothing more than checkbook racing, perhaps as many would point out it was always that way, but whole notion of "a friendly competion between nations" is right out the window in my book......

[DeadFuckingLast]

IIRC he had a legal battle with Alinghi over this, and they paid him a settlement to agree to stay out. A shame, I think. Stats from the 2007 AC should have an * on them because of this.

Is this official? As far as I know Alinghi would still have the option to bring RC in during the Cup. If I remeber it right, the statement after the settlement was "RC will not sail the next AC with another team". Will see what suprises the Cup will bring...

[Two Tone]

thats a shame what the cup has come down to. What once was a valiant compotition between contries now is just about who has the most money. For example Coutts, one of the best match racers, was paid not to sail. I think the AC needs some changes...

CT - It has never been about countries in the past. The Deed of Gift allows a yacht club to challenge another yacht club. Countries never came into it to start with....

The whole nationality thing was brought in during the time of the 12's, not before then...

TT

[dacapo]

CT - It has never been about countries in the past. The Deed of Gift allows a yacht club to challenge another yacht club. Countries never came into it to start with....

The whole nationality thing was brought in during the time of the 12's, not before then...

TT

remember that Charlie Barr was,I believe, Scottish and Nat Herroschoff's Favorite Catpain of his AC boats (racing for NYYC). And that was pre 12- meter

[J Buoy]

Is this official? As far as I know Alinghi would still have the option to bring RC in during the Cup. If I remeber it right, the statement after the settlement was "RC will not sail the next AC with another team". Will see what suprises the Cup will bring...

That was the point of my question. When will they fess up and bring him back, or does that depend upon how they see the Challenger series progressing?

[boomer]

remember that Charlie Barr was,I believe, Scottish and Nat Herreshoff's Favorite Captain of his AC boats (racing for NYYC). And that was pre 12- meter

It was also pre J-Boat since Charlie raced the larger sloops such as the Columbia and the greatest of all the 90 footers Reliance that pre-dated the J's.

Charlie also skippered the large schooner Navahoe,and set the record that stood for so many years in the large Garden designed schooner Atlantic.When Charlie set this record the deck of the schooner was awash much of the way.This was the trans-Atlantic Race when it was raced with large 120'-150'+ ships.The owner of the Atlantic wanted Charlie to slow down so the deck wasn't awash most of the time.It has been written that Charlie pulled a gun on the owner and drove the owner below and then said"you hired me to win this race and that's what I'm gonna do."The owner stayed below for the rest of the race by the way.)Can you imagine Chris Dickson doing this to Larry the Asshole,I would love it.

If you ever get a chance,aquire L. Frances Herreshoff's "The Herreshoff Reader" and "The Commonsense of Yacht Design",quite a bit of sailing history from both sides of the Atlantic in both of these books.

[Plumber]

While it certainly makes sense that any team wanting to up their performance would survey the landscape and sign on the best possible hired gun/mercenary that is available (meaning not already under contract), whether that will change the outcome of the teams results in a positive manner remains to be seen. No issues on Cayards ability, his resume is certainly long and includes important winning results in world class events (i.e. volvo RTW) but the fact remains that adding a rockstar to the roster is not always a guarentee of better results.
Let the festivities begin...........

Make no mistake. Cayard WILL make a difference on that team. He's got the experience, the knowledge, and most importantly the drive to make this team a contender. Remember the last VOR where he came in at the last minute, suffered severe breakage in the first leg, and managed the team to 2nd place overall. Respect....

[New Morning]

They'll get good value in hiring Paul, but it's pretty late in an AC campaign to expect anything more than a good learning experience.

Sort of like Paul's last minute entry in the V70. He did a great job getting second, but you know what they say about the AC and second...

[GIULIETTA1]

I am sure the first thing Cayard is going to do is have them repaint the boat, bright green is proven to fail!

[notallthere]

the "tuning" of an AC boat is belived by some to be as important as the design itself. this being one of cayards specialties, the spainish made a smart move in hiring cayard.

[Red Dragon]

I want the Germans to win. I like Germans.

[merlin89]

I want the Germans to win. I like Germans.

Ganz genau, da stimm ich dir zu. Mit dem neuen boot, GER89 sollte es eigentlich moeglich sein.

[GER308]

Ich auch.
Bin ein Ami aus San Diego aber mittleweile fast eingebuergert, Dafuer GO GER89

[shockload]

Ich bin ein Alinghi supporter...

[chuso007]

A tomar polo cú... será por pasta...