New Zealand on Winning the 36th America’s Cup
On behalf of the membership of the New York Yacht Club, I want to congratulate the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Emirates Team New Zealand for winning the 36th America’s Cup. It was a memorable competition, sailed in the remarkable AC75 yachts, and it reinforced why the America’s Cup remains a singular trophy in the world of sport. I also want to thank the people of New Zealand, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, for successfully hosting this competition during such a challenging time. I was privileged to be in New Zealand to witness it in person.
Among the most unique aspects of the America’s Cup is that the competition is reborn after every victory, when the newly minted Defender and the Challenger of Record form a partnership to craft the rules, known as the Protocol, for the next match. It’s a tremendous responsibility to represent all potential challengers. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the Royal Yacht Squadron hold the future of our sport’s premier trophy in the palm of their collective hands.
As part of the New York Yacht Club’s return to this great competition after two decades away, we spent significant time developing a draft Protocol that would blend the history, tradition and idiosyncrasies that makes the America’s Cup so special with the commercial tools and non-partisan governance required to succeed in the world of modern sport. When our challenger, New York Yacht Club American Magic, was eliminated from the competition, we shared this Protocol with every competitor in the 36th America’s Cup and a number of key Cup stakeholders. It was very well received by nearly everyone who read it. We are encouraged to see that, according to the press release from Emirates Team New Zealand, the Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup will incorporate at least some of the tenets of our vision, including stronger nationality rules, a commitment to multiple cycles in the same boat, a more powerful event authority and cost-reduction measures.
However, a Deed of Gift match off the Isle of Wight, as reported by the New Zealand Herald to be under consideration, would be a huge step in the wrong direction. The two previous Deed of Gift matches, in 1988 and 2010, were distinct low points in the history of the America’s Cup. Regardless of the conditions, the New York Yacht Club will not support a Deed of Gift match or an America’s Cup competition that, due to the schedule and rules for competition, is effectively open to only the Defender and Challenger of Record.
The AC75 is a remarkable boat that will only produce closer and more exciting competition in future cycles. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a thirst for the fusion of competition, tradition and social interaction that the America’s Cup can provide like no other sporting event. With the right schedule and match conditions, there is every expectation we would see a competition to rival Perth in 1987, Auckland in 2003 and Valencia in 2007. Each of those America’s Cup cycles drew 10 or more teams to compete for the Auld Mug and the significant commercial interest necessary to support such a grand event. To waste this confluence of opportunity on a two-team event, to potentially once again plunge the competition into the New York State Courts, is not in the best interests of the America’s Cup or the sport of sailing.
Our passion and commitment to the America’s Cup are as much a part of the New York Yacht Club now as a century ago. We can’t thank enough the Principals of American Magic—Hap Fauth, Doug DeVos and Roger Penske—and the more than 500 members of the Club who contributed to the campaign for the opportunity to re-engage with the competition our Club founded more than 150 years ago and successfully defended 25 times. We are hopeful that the rules for the next Match will allow the Club to compete once again, and will put the competition on the road toward regaining its place alongside the Olympics and the World Cup of Football as one of the world’s most popular and successful sporting events.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Culver, Commodore
New York Yacht Club
