Ivor Wilkins (NZL), our good friend and journalist extraordinaire whose services our team are fortunate to have from time to time, has put numbers to the incredibly close racing we had here in VLC this year. Ivor observes:

"Looking at the combined results of the two 2006 match racing Acts 10 and 12, the final margins in 45 matches were less than 30 seconds. Five were less than 10 seconds. One match, between +39 and Areva, was decided on a thrilling one-second delta. There were still plenty of one-sided contests, but the number of close battles clearly has increased dramatically since the opening shots of the AC 32."

To say nothing of how much closer racing is than previous Cups. Will the deltas continue to fall when we get into the LVC next year? Or will certain teams have "breakthrough" boats that give them a wider edge in 2007?

Increasingly, your Ed. has the feeling that the 2007 LVC will go down in history as one of if not the best ever (at least comparable to 2000); likewise that the 2007 AC Match will rival or exceed in competitive spectacle those in 1920, 1934 and 1983.

Regardless, hard to believe it will all be happening in just over five months.



Ivor Wilkins: author, photographer, gentleman, friend. To say nothing
of something important like connisseur of vino tinto. (Photo: TFE)