No Cup challenger series

Press, 4 January 1988, Page 13

No Cup challenger series

PA Auckland Alan Bond’s withdrawal from this year’s America’s Cup competition signals there will be no challenger series, according to the head of the Kiwi yachting syndicate, Michael Fay. Bond’s syndicate announced in Perth it would not proceed with the 1988 challenge after the San Diego Yacht Club confirmed a decision to only accept New Zealand’s challenge. Last week Bond gave the S.D.Y.C. 10 days to reverse the decision because construction of a super-maxi 90-foot yacht would have to start immediately. Fay has criticised the San Diego Club’s stance — and says the challenge will almost certainly be a one-on-one battle between New Zealand and the pup holders. M

“It looks as though even pressure from Bondy can’t force San Diego to change its mind,” he said.

“San Diego has been incredibly two-faced. In private, in public and in court it has said the Kiwis are trying to cut other countries out of the competition. “But it looks as if they still have their minds on the 1991 challenge and just want to get this one out of the way. They obviously think they’ll have a better chance of retaining the cup if there is no challenger series.” Fay said if New Zealand took the Auld Mug it would accept any challenge for the summer of 1989-90. He said the result of next year’s challenge, which will almost certainly be a best of three

series, could become obvious in the first five minutes of sailing. “But it won’t be an anticlimax to 3i/ 2 million Kiwis. “And we proved last year that in terms of design skill we are second to none.” Fay’s big-boat is due to be completed in late March and will arrive in San Diego in June for prerace work. The racing is due to start in late September. 0 American television networks and sports cable channels are showing they want to broadcast this year’s America’s Cup races between San Diego and New Zealand. Already, the ABC and CBS networks and cable channels ESPN and WTBS have expressed interest in gaining the rights to the U.S.-N.Z. sail-off and also the -next cup series in

1991. “In the TV business, they say it has good demographics,” the “Washington Post” reported. Essentially it means the America’s Cup attracts wealthy “upscale” men who are not normally attracted to TV sports viewing. That became clear with the success of ESPN’s coverage of the races in Fremantle last year where the final race went into 1.8 million homes and attracted an audience for ESPN seven times the normal on the U.S. east cost even though the races began after midnight. The America’s Cup telecast last year also attracted new advertisers to ESPN — insurance, financial planning, telephone and champagne companies — all seeirie the benefits of

product associated with the plutocratic image of the America’s Cup. “There are significant marketing opportunities with this event,” said Bob Iger, ABC Sports’ vice president of programming. “TV entities realise there is money out there to support this type of project. If you went to companies in the late ’7o’s or early ’Bo’s and asked them to throw money at America’s Cup, you’d get funny looks,” he told the paper.

“But the corporate support is available now.” The “Washington Post” said that in spite of network interest the Cup was ■ likely to go to ESPN or WTBS because of the length of the series and the uncertainty of racing days creates scheduling problems that cable can adjust to easier.