Fries with that?

Happy Meals and Big Macs are coming to the 36th America’s Cup. Long synonymous with upmarket luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, BMW, Prada and Panerai, the Cup will now have Mcdonalds as Emirates Team New Zealand’s new ‘official family partner’. The company’s Golden Arches logo will appear on the mainsail of ETNZ’S AC75, Te Aihe.

The association has already proved controversial. Some have argued that it sends the wrong message about healthy eating. According to government statistics, 60% of boys aged 10-14 in New Zealand eat fast food at least once a week.

The deal curiously recalls a witheringly disdainful comment made in 2015 by Bruno Troublé, who created the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series in 1983. When Russell Coutts announced foiling catamarans for the last Cup, Troublé warned, with a shudder, that it had “killed the style and elegance” of the regatta to become “a vulgar beach event smelling of sunscreen and French fries.”

To others however, it is a sign of the democratisation of a sport conceived by, and largely roped off for, an elite. “Our primary role is to help get families around the country behind the team,” comments Jo Mitchell, Mcdonald’s director of marketing.