"The modern-day bowman's description encompasses three basic duties: Call the starting line, make the headsail changes, and do all the climbing*. But the simple description doesn't convey either the action or complexity of the work at hand. Done well, it's a job that takes speed, strength, and balance, as well as the ability to keep track of a dozen lines and parts that are constantly bending around turns and overlapping each other. It takes a personality that enjoys a certain amount of chaos and mayhem, and further enjoys salvaging order from it...."

So began an article in the January, 1995 issue of Sailing World, the authoritative USA yacht racing magazine, called "Cult of the Point" by Doug Logan.

"Point" in AC parlance means the pointy-end or bow of the boat; hence "pointman" in lieu of bowman who resides up in "frontierland." Indeed, it would seem bowmen must have a bit of cowboy in them to survive the frontier. Indeed, to my knowledge it is the only position on an AC boat which has a "union" and their own dedicated website.

For some reason the "Cult of the Point" article is showing up today in my various search engines tuned to "America's Cup." It was one of the better sailing articles in memory, and also highlights a bit of contemporary AC history, so I thought our readers might enjoy it.

The full text of "Cult of the Point" is available here.

*Ten year's later Doug Logan would have written "most of the climbing" as these days the Strategists, such as Eric Doyle, are also often up the rigs as windspotters and batten kickers.



Two of the best "pointmen" in the game, Alinghi's Dean Phipps and BMW ORACLE's Brad Webb in a photo (one of my favorites) from the UBS Trophy in Newport last year.