Quote:
Originally Posted by Polux
Come on guys at least here let's stop that stupid fight about what is the best offshore type of boat. Most of those guys, the best professional solo or short crew racers race indifferently monohulls and multihulls. |
Thats an illusion, Polux. They are not the best sailors. These are guys with different skills, with good talents for good sailing. By sure they have physical strength and mental
power on a higher level compared to "normal people". But it needs much, much more.... e.g. a good trainer, coach, mentors, well wishers, managers... and the luck to be in the right time in the right place to get the
sponsor contract. Its all about "luck" and not only hard
work. Naturally such sailors must do their homeworks, do physical fitness
training to keep them on higher shape. But even sailors with a fat buddha belly got their
sponsor contracts, surprisingly. So its more about "relationships".
Trust me as I have been involved in America's cup,
Volvo Ocean Race, BT Challenge projects and others...
Just to give you a simple example. So called "
Telegenic appeal" became very relevant over last 20 years... the
marketing chiefs, product managers and advertising consultants proof in details, if the "face", the "voice" of the sailor/skipper fits the needs of the brand and image campaign to create the highest possibly identification between brand, sailor and target group = potential buyers of the sponsor's product. In other words: Gabart has the right look to attract the Macif customers best way. For another sponsor in another branch he might not be very attractive, whatever top level sailing skills he might have.
You are a dreamer if you think, it is just sailing skills. E.g. if a sponsor expects to cover with a sailor the Spanish language speaking market but he lacks of Spanish language skills, he just wont get the chance to be financed as his interviews front
camera and microphone would needed a simultaneous translator. So simply it is that deals are not contracted.
Or a sponsor looks for a sailor who has wife and two
kids because he is the right person to attract the target group, while another sponsor expects a young sailor who is still
single without
family as this might have the negative image of "being too conservative". Whatever...
Many, many top sailors with huge talents out there never will get their chances, because they just miss the "grain of luck" to be in the wrong time in the wrong place, and not being born with the genes which are "fashion" nowadays.
Big Sports and event sponsorship is a huge puzzle which makes it to become successfully, whatever branch it is (e.g. musician, artist, sportsman). If you dont have the well wishers around, you wont get your chances. So it works since thousands of years. And believe me, behind the "curtain" and "closed doors" there are going brutal fights to grab the sponsor's budgets. There is also concurrence between the different competitors.. and fights between the team managers. Not just a fun thing. Even there you find betraying, corruption as we see it now with FIFA and
Olympics committees.
Anyhow... in less than 2 hours the Maxi Macif will
head cross the finish line... and your insights from your perspectives are welcome (in my thread).
But not urgently it needs heroism for these sailing legionaries. its part of our modern societies, and thanks via
Internet we can participate nearby in real time around the globe.... while thousands of refugees swap into
Europe every day without anything for living just some plastic bags in hands and little
children are freezing not having
winter shoes on their feet. Or let me say it more simply: There are some more important things in this world to care for and become emotionally than some "spoilt skippers" who can have fun on their huge expensive man's toys. Its just a modern form of entertainment.
Happy Sailing ! - Happy weekend !
P.S.: And before you become too emotionally in my thread and start a harsh tone of judging read carefully my wordings. I dont make it very easy for my sailng buddies to understand what I like to express, as I expect they use their brains and read in details. I am not of yellow press to make it simply.
I had my doubts, that after such a crash as we have seen it from Yvan Bourgnon and Gilles Lamiréare's
Trimaran a monohull had the chance to sail back on own keel. I dont think so. The trimaran made it back to harbour slow motion under own
sails power. Thats impressive. I didnt talk about sinking related to racing monohulls.... and I only said, a Trimaran works more safely like a life raft compared to a normal monohull. Maybe I missed to say, that I related this to "normal (cruising) boats" as still there is the negative image and fears, that catamarans/trimarans arent safe boats. A bad stigma we have to hear for more then 25 years still in the heads of hobby sailors.
A racing monohull would have been abandoned with such heavy crash in the bow section not possible to steer safely keeping on course... and later being towed back by a MV.By sure.
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