What Am Cup regatta director Iain Murray really wants

The man in charge lays out his priorities – and, writes Duncan Johnstone, it’s good news for fans.

We will work to have the right course for the right conditions ... but clearly we would like to bring the courses to the people if possible.’ IAIN MURRAY, LEFT

REGATTA director Iain Murray has delivered good news for America’s Cup fans, with Auckland’s inner city course his priority for racing.

Course C, sitting between North Head and the eastern bays, was one of two ‘‘stadium courses’’ reinstated for racing after the challengers controversially had them banned over fears Team New Zealand would have an advantage by their constant training on them.

It offers the most spectacular land-based views from the five courses available to Australia’s Murray and his race officials.

Wind conditionswill ultimately dictate where racing unfolds, but there is a clear desire to make the fast-paced action spectator friendly.

‘‘There is a priority on the uses of the courses and Course C is the No 1 priority,’’ Murray confirmed to Sunday News.

He said practice sessions over the past week had confirmed the versatility of the Course E zone further out off Bucklands Beach.

He is keen to explore the potential of the other courses, with the start of the world series and Christmas Cup regatta this Thursday, and the lead-up to the Prada Cup challenger series that starts on January 15.

‘‘Over the next couple of weeks we will get more experience on the other courses. We will work to have the right course for the right conditions ... but clearly wewould like to bring the courses to the people if possible.’’

Murray, amultiple world champion sailor in his own right, has overseen the last two America’s Cups that saw the introduction of foiling catamarans in San Francisco and their evolution in Bermuda. He has been hugely impressed by his first workings with the new AC75 foiling monohulls during practices.

‘‘It’s fair to say the boats are incredibly impressive. The speeds they are going and the sophistication of technology is awesome really.

‘‘What’s impressive is the way they are sailing them, considering the delays with Covid.

‘‘Like any cycle of the America’s Cup, it was always about catching up and the most famous one being San Francisco where the learning curve, even through the final, was near vertical, particularly Oracle.

‘‘So to see them out there throwing them around with the speeds they are going is pretty impressive.’’

Racing safety is a priority for Murray and he sees benefits in the new boats, despite their increased speeds now going beyond 50 knots.

‘‘The evolution of these from the cats has been a huge journey of making these boats not only faster, but they also safer.

‘‘These boats, where the crews are not swapping from side-to-side largely, they are down deep in cockpits ... they are in a pretty good place.

‘‘Even though the boats are going faster, we have seen some spectacular wheelies and nosedives and things like that, but largely there have been no incidents.’’

Murray is demanding ‘‘fair and properly contested’’ racing.

‘‘Hopefully the racing will be well-behaved, and we don’t have any physical prangs out on the race course,’’ he said.

‘‘The crews are really well trained and really well equipped to deal with all of that.’’

Murray felt the upper wind limit of 21 knots for the challenger series ‘‘is probably a little bit conservative’’ and described the increase to 23 knots for the Prada Cup final and the America’s Cup match that starts on March 6 as ‘‘manageable’’.

Yesterday the four teams had to declare their boat configurations for the four days of racing at the world series and Christmas Cup and won’t be able to change those measured items like foils and rudders.

The teams have practice races scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday with struggling British syndicate INEOS Team UK, who missed both sessions last week, vowing to be involved.