America's Cup Appeal no surprise
As readers of Sail-World.Com's New Zealand newsletter should know, the decision by Golden Gate YC to Appeal the decision of the Appellate division of the New York Supreme Court is no surprise. 
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We said as such in our editorial last Thursday, which is reproduced below:
The news, early yesterday morning, NZT, that Alinghi's America's Cup Appeal had been upheld, surprised many.
One day later, the implications of the decision are becoming rather more clear.
Accepting that the decision of the Appellate Division is correct, which many believe is not, then there has been a sea change in the way the America's Cup will be run.
Now it will be a contest between teams, with yacht clubs virtually eliminated from the competition.
'Virtually' is a very apt description of a club in a future America's Cup, as clearly they do not need to have yachts, only a handful of members, be incorporated in a way acceptable to their home country, and that's about it.
And yes, staging a small Optimist regatta once a year is sufficient to comply with the Deed of Gift, provided it is held on the sea. Anyone for a couple of laps of the Viaduct Basin? That will be fine - provided it takes place every 12 months.
Maybe the America's Cup has entered a new era - contested by professional teams who form a paper yacht club, through which to challenge, and the rest is just a corporate organisational structure.
In this respect it will become no different from other car racing, football and any other professional sport teams event.
To some this is no bad thing. Certainly it will eliminate the financial exposure that many clubs feel when asked to make and America's Cup Challenge on behalf of a sailing team. And the situation is no different from most other forms of professional sailing such as Volvo Races, where there is no a yacht cub in sight.
To others it a removal of a lot of colour and tradition from the event, and an increased disconnection between the professional and Corinthian sides of the sport.
Some teams have done very well from their connection with a club. Team New Zealand's relationship with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron being an excellent example. While these sort of relationships may well continue for a short time into the future, soon they will all become past tense - if this decision is allowed to stand.
In the here and now, the Appellate Court decision is really lands firmly in No-Mans Land for the parties.
While there may be an element of 'we won, you lost' from the Alinghi side, it remains to be seen whether this gives the Swiss defender the ability to call the tune in practical terms, or if many will opt to sit out this round given what has gone on, and the current world economic situation.
Certainly getting all the remaining Challengers back on side will be a major task.
So too will be projecting the event as a fair one, worthy of sponsor support.
As they say, it is 'Early Days'.
Good Sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
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by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com
Devonport, TAS
