#2024feb24

[like-the-cut-of-your-jib]

Have to say I agree with Phil

I thought that SailGP routinely awarded average points to teams when they suffer equipment problems that don’t have anything to do with on-water accidents.

Where is the fairness SailGP?

[sreegopalnarayana]

2024feb24

[like-the-cut-of-your-jib]

Interesting timing for this article in today’s NZ Herald

Never would have pegged Russell as a vegan.

A Telling Excerpt:

Coutts loves having New Zealand on the SailGP circuit – the country’s rich sailing history, extraordinary talent and natural environment make it an obvious destination – but he’s exasperated at the hoops he must go through to host a leg of the series here.

“The most complicated country in the world by far,” he says.

“I’m saying on a scale, it’s 10 times more complicated than anywhere else in the world.”

Coutts says it’s the same for anyone wanting to build a house or any other development.

“You have to deal with so many different entities.

“I’ll give you some real-life examples … because what I’m really talking about is how competitive is New Zealand with the rest of the world.”

If you’re not competitive, he says, “everyone loses”.

He cites the SailGP events this season in Los Angeles and New York – the event is now into its fourth season with 12 cities on the circuit.

“You roll into New York, the mayor’s office gets everyone together; they seemingly have the authority to do that – so that’s traffic, the harbourmaster, the Coast Guard, air traffic control because we need to fly helicopters.”

Everyone is in the room to accommodate the event. “You’re really dealing with one entity, one objective.”

Conversely, in New Zealand, it’s messy.

“You do a deal with major events in New Zealand. You do a deal with the city – in our case Christchurch or Auckland.

“You’d think that’d be enough, right? But no, it’s not. Now you’ve got to go away and deal with the local iwi, you’ve got to deal with the harbourmaster, you’ve got to deal with environmental [agencies].

“All of these discussions, and any one of them could trip you up.”

After a lifetime on the ocean, Coutts says he describes himself as an environmentalist. “I care, but there’s an efficient way to handle that and there’s an inefficient way to handle it. I think we’re in a highly inefficient bucket at the moment.”

He talks to developers who say 40 per cent of their costs are now in compliance and bureaucracy. “Think about that for five seconds – it’s just not sustainable.”

Another exerpt About Larry Ellison:

Towards the end of lunch, Coutts refers to a message he’s received from Ellison, highlighting how engaged the billionaire is in SailGP, and the personalities involved.

It is clear from our conversation that the pair have big plans to build the popularity, professionalism and business model of SailGP – through fans’ experience at events to viewers’ access to data and comms on the water.

Coutts is off to an NBA game in March; he loves how that American sport, in particular, constantly evolves for its fans.

We return to the conversation around Drive to Survive, and what that show has done for Formula One.

He reveals Ellison had wanted to do something similar with sailors “way, way back”.

“He called it in his words, reality TV. Let’s do a behind-the-scenes reality TV show of what’s actually going on.”

It was well before Drive to Survive, says Coutts.

“When Drive to Survive came out, I copped it a little bit. He was like, ‘Why the hell haven’t we already done that?’”

[like-the-cut-of-your-jib]

SailGP crew lists revealed in advance of next weekend’s racing.

In spanish!

Didn’t see any surprises, did you?