Who needs to go to sea…
by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS 27 Feb 13:00 PST
So who needs to go to sea, just to battle water? © John Curnow
Who needs to go to sea to battle water? We’ve had a spot of rain here at home over the last few days. It has certainly added to the excitement level. A couple of daily totals in excess of 200mm have also definitely added to the dam level, as well. So then, here was this little tree, right in the middle of the spillway as it disgorged thousands of litres of water. Clinging on for dear life; the parallels with participation in yachting, and sailing itself seemed to flow as easily and swiftly as the very water I had been observing.
Given that it is not that long ago that we published A good discussion to have, and we have the SailGP Final presented by Mubadala coming up in San Francisco over March 26 and 27, it all seemed to fall into place. How so? Well, Kai was kind enough to write in to us, and shared a great tale. What follows are parts of it.
“Dear Mr Coutts. You probably won’t remember me, but at the SailGP New York event in June 2019 we had short conversations by the Adrenaline Lounge both afternoons. I explained how I had become a keen America’s Cup fan after attending the ACWS event at the same marina in 2016, and how excitedly I had been following the SailGP league since the beginning. You gave me your baseball cap, signed it, and said you hoped to see me back next year.
“Obviously, that didn’t quite work out the way anyone planned. But I am hoping to make it to SailGP Chicago this summer (if I don’t win the San Francisco lottery), so I hope we can catch up then!”
“After all, a lot of things have happened in the past three years! The week after SailGP NYC, I was finally able to take a formal learn-to-sail class myself through my hometown on Long Island. Afterwards, I spent the rest of the summer and fall crewing on race nights at sailing clubs in my area, and got another baseball cap: an end-of-season prize for having been part of one of the winning crews at my local club!
“In February 2020, my brother and I tuned in at midnight EST to watch the second SailGP Sydney, after eating a suitably Australian dinner of meat pies. Unfortunately, that ended up being the only SailGP event in 2020 as a result of Covid, and I didn’t get to do any sailing, either. When our town went into lockdown a few weeks later, I kept myself sane by rewatching the past races, biking the back roads, and reading your memoir from the 90s, Course to Victory.”
Interestingly, Kai’s brother he has come to Kai’s club with him a few times, and watched from the shore. They have watched SailGP as we just read, and the Sydney-Hobart Race together online, but to date Kai’s brother has never been out on the water. Perhaps that will change as the Northern Summer approaches…
“My interest in sailing was first sparked by a book about the 1996 Vendée Globe that I found at a library book sale in late 2015, during my first year of graduate school. During the various crises of the previous Presidential administration, I found my newfound interest in sailing a source of comfort and escapism. I found the ocean ecology programs championed by the various leaders in our sport to be especially inspiring at a time in the United States when so many of our core environmental laws were under attack.”
“I did attend a few protests myself; May 4th 2019 was particularly memorable because I took part in the March for Science NYC before hurrying home on the subway to watch the opening day of SailGP San Francisco. I felt that I had found a sport and an event that were in agreement with my dreams for the world: international collaboration, environmental sustainability, and the peaceful use of advanced science and technology.
“During the pandemic, I dove even deeper into learning all I could about high-performance sailing, and listening to the various remote interviews conducted by official YouTube channels. A year ago, in Northern Hemisphere winter, I was able to watch Auckland’s magnificent hosting of the ACWS Auckland and then the Prada and America’s Cups. In lockdown in the frozen New York winter, the images of safely unmasked crowds at the beach and on the breakwaters felt like a beautiful dream.”
“SailGP Sydney was a wonderful event, even better than 2020’s, and you and everyone else involved in making it happen were right to take pride in it. As we entered the New Year with a flurry of announcements about new venues, teams, and sponsors, I hoped the run-up to San Francisco would be just as smooth.”
Now it is true that Kai does have some distinct geo-political concerns that might not be entirely in step with those of Sir Russell, and that’s fine. In the next breath, Kai does then add, “…as you have already so eloquently dubbed the #RaceForTheFuture – the mitigation of the climate crisis, the reduction of pollution in our oceans, and the equal inclusion of women and minorities in historically-elitist environments.” Of course, this does show how far we have come, and the gravity of the journey that is ahead, but glass half full, and all…
“Sir Russell, I got a bit star-struck when I shook your hand in New York, but it’s only because I do greatly admire all that you have done for the sport of sailing. If I had not attended the 2016 ACWS, I think that I would have remained interested only in the Vendée Globe, and never come to follow inshore sailing with the intensity that I have.”
Have to say, I know what Kai means, for I too felt a bit in awe when I first met RC, but am so glad to have had subsequent, wonderful conversations.
“If not for the ‘new-look America’s Cup’ of the 2010s, if not for the popularisation initiatives you have championed, I do not know if I would have ever come to love this sport as I have. I believe in the potential of SailGP as a force for good and I want to see it grow and thrive. I remain a confirmed SailGP superfan. I am still looking forward to San Francisco, also Chicago, and to the rest of Season Three, and I still hope to see you there,” said Kai in closing, to demonstrate the wonderful pathway he has undertaken to be a sailor.
N.B. Sail-World’s USA Editor, David Schmidt, is also planning on going to San Francisco. So look out for his material, as there could well be some gold nuggets!
OK. We’re off and flying with 2022, the season still has plenty of bang to offer, and there’s a load more to come. Let’s go for a yacht. WoooHoooo. Meanwhile, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com
John Curnow
Editor, Sail-World AUS
