Cycling sailors gone - Dalton
Kiss goodbye to the sailing cyclists in the America’s Cup. Grant Dalton has revealed that the ‘‘large and powerful monohulls’’ that will be operating during the 2021 America’s Cup will see a return to the old days of grinders.
Dalton revealed that bombshell in an interview with Italian media outlet La Stampa.
Directly asked if it was goodbye to the sailing cyclists we saw in Bermuda this year, Dalton was short and to the point. ‘‘Grinders are coming back.’’
Dalton and the team will make public the rules for the 36th America’s Cup at the end of the month, confirming or putting an end to many rumours about what is to come. One thing Dalton confirmed is that there will be rules around how many of the sailors must hold a passport for the team they are sailing for.
He said the quota will only apply to the people on the boat, and not design and support teams.
‘‘No, only the sailors, Dalton told La Stampa. There will be percentage that must carry a passport from the challenging country.’’
He stopped short of saying what that percentage would be.
Dalton also talked about his belief in his boat builders, saying that moving back to a monohull wouldn’t hinder the work they had done with the catamarans on display in Bermuda.
‘‘Let me start by saying that we believe our design team is capable of giving us another great yacht, and that catamarans wouldn’t be ideal for the chop in Auckland.
‘‘But I want it to be clear that winning the America’s Cup is a privilege, a privilege that includes the duty to safeguard it’s sporting value. That comes before individual advantage.’’
Dalton said the Cup will be fair, with clear rules for all.