Thierry S. Huguenin
When Alinghi won the America’s Cup for the first time in March 2003 in Auckland, I admit it, I was thrilled and very proud of what some of my compatriots just achieved in the sport of sailing. The Cup was returning to the European continent for the very first time since the inaugural race in 1851!
Then Ernesto Bertarelli and Team Alinghi put together what was probably the greatest and best sailing spectacle ever. Four years of intense and high-level competitions, four years that ended up with a second victory in a row for Team Alinghi in July 2007 in Valencia, I was speechless and truly impressed.
The Swiss organisation and the America’s Cup model initiated by Alinghi and Societe Nautique de Geneve under the impulse of Ernesto Bertarelli was a real success from which the sport of sailing benefitted tremendously. No one contests this fact.
Since then, the Cup turned out being a legal duel. A legal duel between the America’s Cup Defender, Societe Nautique de Geneve (Team Alinghi) and the Golden Gate Yacht Club (BMW Oracle Racing team) or should I say between two high-profile team leaders and owners: Ernesto Bertarelli and Larry Ellison.
A lot is being said and written about the numerous rounds of litigation surrounding the 33rd America’s Cup, I will not go there, this is not the purpose of this post and I will leave this to lawyers, judges and other clever people who probably enjoy this as much as I hate it.
The purpose of this post is a call, a call for the sake of the sport of sailing.
Ernesto, Larry, Gentlemen: I realize the considerable amount of money involved in your sailing ventures. I even understand that it is difficult not to listen to and follow his amour propre in situations like yours today but please, give our wonderful sport a court break. Stop sabotaging the fantastic aura sailing acquired thank to the America’s Cup’s Challengers and Defenders prior to the end of July 2007. Return to the fundamental rules of the sport of sailing, return to the water to compete with fair play!
