Peachy Ahoy: Bertrand: "Right blueprint to be among the world's best sports"
Bertrand: Right blueprint to be among the world's best sports
“These guys are now fighter pilots who have to go out and fly in mortal combat,”
The assessment of former America’s Cup winner and Australian sailing legend John Bertrand, casting his eye over the current crop of America’s Cup sailors, having witnessed first hand the revolution taking place in one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious international sporting competitions.
The America’s Cup may be a world-renowned sports event, but recent years have seen many facets of the competition undergo a transformation including the racecourse, the TV coverage, the spectators and the sailors themselves.
However, the greatest changes have perhaps come on the water with the boats themselves, helping to create an incredible visual spectacle that is unrivalled in sailing, let alone major global sport.
© Sander van der Borch
From the traditional monohulled vessels, such as Bertrand’s iconic Australia II which was revolutionary for its time in 1983 with its winged keel, to the new-age vessels competing for the America’s Cup this summer which are far more akin to F1 cars, flying across the water - this revolution in the boats used in the America’s Cup further reinforces Bertrand’s original view.
“We now have high-speed projectiles, operated by super-fast decision makers, and some incredibly close racing which is very cool,” said Bertrand, skipper of Australia II in 1983, the boat which finally broke the 132-year stranglehold American teams had enjoyed on the America’s Cup.
“I don't think anyone involved with selecting the boats on show out there could have ever envisaged just what they are capable of and what we have witnessed so far.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see the America’s Cup competed for in multi-hulls because it is fitting to the competition that has always been at the cutting edge of technology. If they weren’t flying, it wouldn’t be as spectacular.
“From where I came from, this is a new world of sailing and it’s incredible how far it has come in a relatively short space of time.
“You go back to my day and we sailed at around 8-9 knots maximum in a huge hull - how boring is that for TV and the people on the shoreline?
“These guys are flying around the course at over 40 knots, working pretty much constantly at maximum heart rate. It’s just another world and I love it.
© Ricardo Pinto
“I’m fascinated by the technology so I’m a sucker for this stuff. I would love to be involved nowadays because it is another world and is extremely exciting.”
It would also appear that Bertrand is not the only one that the ‘new world’ of America’s Cup racing has won over.
“My wife has watched a lot of racing over the years and always commented on how boring it is, but this new world is even exciting for her so it is great and really exciting for the future,” he added.
“It is not just old America’s Cup fans who are enjoying the racing, the speed of these new boats is also really exciting for young people, who might be seeing The America’s Cup for the first time, and that's great.
“The race is on between all sports to be relevant to the younger generation and it is important for a product like this to be super-relevant if it is to continue to grow.”
However, casting his eye to the future, Bertrand is confident that the America’s Cup’s current format gives it the ideal ingredients to continue flourishing.
“The basic direction this competition is going in is very strong and it has a great blueprint to put itself right amongst the world’s best sports,” stated Bertrand.
“The racing we have seen is exciting for everyone, including young people, and that is exciting for the future of this competition.
“I look at sports like Formula 1 and how that worldwide series format has also worked perfectly for the America’s Cup. At the moment this competition has all the same ingredients, not only to survive but to continue to thrive.”
