Martin Tasker: Thrills and spills in Plymouth

opinion

By Martin Tasker

Published: 12:55PM Monday September 19, 2011 Source: ONE Sport

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The clamouring for the new-look America's Cup to have every available televisual element - to make it an irresistible sporting spectacle - is having some interesting repercussions.

First up in at the inaugural America's Cup World Series Regatta in Portugal, we had the wonderfully enhanced sound from the boat allowing us to hear not only the florid language but also the harsh criticism of sailor Murray Jones by his skipper Russell Coutts.

Here in Plymouth, we were promised thrills and spills and boy, did we get them.

The fleet race final was eagerly and nervously anticipated by everyone as strong winds battered Plymouth Sound in violent puffy shifts.

That old mantra of chaos and carnage was soon being reeled out - and for once it really was justified.

Before the race began, we'd seen Loick Peyron on the French boat Energy capsizing for the first time in his long and illustrious career, after he had to steer clear of Team Korea who were being driven backwards by the 30 knot gusts and almost capsized themselves.

Next to go was Green Comm, the Spanish boat smashing into, up and over Artemis, snapping off the big carbon fibre TV pole at the stern and totally vindicating the organisers' decision not to allow guests on board in the 6th man spot because of the conditions.

Had someone been in that usually coveted position they'd have been lucky to escape without serious injury.

The crunch ended the race for Green Comm but the China Team managed to keep on going despite another spectacular capsize.

Amazingly there was also an utterly enthralling race going on, with the three most experienced boats unsurprisingly handling the conditions better than anyone else. The two Oracles of James Spithill and Russell Coutts, alongside Emirates Team New Zealand, were hurtling round the course reaching speeds up to 50kph and thrilling the crowds who'd flocked up to Plymouth Hoe in their thousands.

It was a stunning spectacle and the racing again totally laughed in the face of those was reckoned it wouldn't be close.

All three of the front running trio enjoyed the lead at some stage, with Jimmy Spithill finally prevailing to find some redemption after his early exit from the match racing and deny ETNZ the match and fleet racing double with Barker having to settle for second.

Still the drama wasn't over as the wounded Artemis, one damaged hull full of seawater, capsized before the finish sending one of its crew straight through the wing sail.

The repair lists are long and after the race came the philosophical arguments about the compelling, and therefore marketable, spectacle of the race against the damage to boats and potentially serious damage to the sailors.

At the final skippers' press conference the point was made that it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

They've got seven weeks to fix the boats before the next regatta in San Diego where it's  unlikely to blow like it has here in Plymouth. But Plymouth turned out to be a fantastic venue with the racing conducted in front of a huge and hugely appreciative audience.

Read more Martin Tasker.

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