I realize the structure of the Cup is unique, but the Cup has become a major business, how is it that you guys can’t find a business solution to the dispute and get on with building the Cup into a major franchise, the way that Bernie Ecclestone built Formula 1?įor the rest of this story see: Mark Foy Trophy - Lazarus wins for Australia Rather than asking canned questions and receiving canned answers, I cut to the chase and began a real give and take: Another day was scheduled in San Francisco. Sports Illustrated preceded me and the Christian Science Monitor followed. The Alinghi group had met with the NYYC brass the day before. That’s how I came to be in the Model Room of the New York Yacht Club with Ernesto Bertarelli, Hamish Ross, Ed Baird, two other members of the Alinghi organization – and the Cup. One thing you can do is schedule meetings with everyone in the media you can and make your case. It looks like he will spend whatever it takes to beat you this time and not go down in sailing history as a three time loser. That lawsuit has sidelined the sponsors and you have announced that you may even have to postpone the next Cup. Even worse, the 11th richest guy, with $21.5 billion and climbing from a major business, is desperate to win this time and has not only hired the super-star you busted up with, but has dragged you into court, of all places, claiming you broke the rules. If you wind up with just ENTZ and the seven dwarfs challenging, you can’t build the vision. If you make it unlikely that you will lose, the biggest players will continue to stay away. The problem is that, in order to run the Cup and implement your vision, you have to win. Most of the main players are on the sidelines. You sure didn’t expect the whole sailing world to be on your case. Everyone knows you can’t make the best omelet ever without breaking a few eggs. Maybe you didn’t dot all the i’s or cross all the t’s. Now they say you cut a few corners when you signed up a paper Spanish yacht club that had never run a race as the challenger of record, which then cut you a pretty sweet deal that allows you to call all the shots. Some people down under were sore when you hired the core of their team after a spat, including the Cup’s greatest helmsman, but you wound up sidelining him for the last Cup competition anyhow. Sure, you did what you had to do, doesn’t everyone? You expected that you would be basking in glory - the toast of the sailing world. Your vision is to make the next Cup competition even better, with new bigger, faster boats – while, of course, winning again. The last time was extremely successful, although a little close for comfort. You are an accomplished sailor and have run a team that has won the America’s Cup twice. You are 42 years old and Forbes says you are the 76th richest person in the world with $8.8 billion from the sale of the business your dad passed on to you. 'Yes, they have more money.' - Ernest Hemingway. They are different from you and me.' - F. 'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.' - Henry IV.
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