Wind in the Cup’s sails at last

The ill winds of 2020 blew no good, but sea breezes on the Waitemata¯ Harbour now signal an uplift in fortunes for the City of Sails and the country in general. The America’s Cup World Series starts in Auckland today, the first of a series of events that will culminate in March’s America’s Cup race.

It is the first opportunity for all the teams to race against each other on their “second” AC75s, ahead of the Prada Cup challenger series from midJanuary.

That is a very functional way of looking at it, but when the horn sounds for the opening race between Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa today, something almost mystical will kick in.

In the modern history of the America’s Cup, no country has immersed itself so fully in its fickle fates as New Zealand.

Australia might have been the first country to wrest the Auld Mug from the grasp of the New York Yacht Club, but since the first challenge from these small islands in 1987, New Zealanders have been seduced by the idea of muscling our way matchracing supremacy.

The event has toyed with our emotions in a way similar to rugby world cups (which also started in 1987). There have been street parades, cheating accusations, ill-fated challenges, bad luck, betrayal and a scarcely believable collapse. There was, most recently, redemption in Bermuda — a win that brought the regatta back to what we’d like to call the Cup’s home away from home.

Like rugby, too, there is an element of cynicism among some of the public. There is still a sizeable chunk of the populace who believe the America’s Cup is the folly of “rich men in boats”.

There’s no doubt that sailing attracts ostentatious displays of wealth and that might seem jarring in a year where so many people has had their lives and finances upended, but now is a good time to be reminded of the benefits the Auld Mug will bring.

The events and hospitality industries have been hammered by the global pandemic and the triple whammy of lockdown, global travel restrictions and the straitened finances of many households.

Auckland is one of the regions most affected by the downturn.

“Establishments in tourist hotspots as well as Auckland CBD are still down on last year with the trend of city centre workers staying home and loss of tourist dollars continuing to cause significant reductions in trade,” said CEO of the Restaurant Association Marisa Bidois.

The regattas will bring much needed foot traffic back to the Viaduct and its surrounding precincts. Foot traffic brings with it thirsty citizens and so restarts the money-go-round that has sat idle for much of the year.

Much of that will be immaterial to sailing fans, passionate and casual, who just want to see New Zealand reassert its yachting primacy, led by Peter Burling, the most talented sailor we’ve produced since Russell Coutts.

So, let the winds blow and America’s Cup fortunes ebb and flow.

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