The following essay, which appears in today's popular sailing email newsletter, Scuttlebutt, is clear proof that Bruno Trouble richly deserves being blogged here in our select group of Cool People....


WE LOVE THE CUP - by Bruno Troublé
(Scuttlebutt received the following comments from Bruno Troublé, whose
involvement in the America's Cup includes over twenty years of both
skippering and behind the scenes roles. His remarks are a follow-up to
those made by Herb McCormick in Scuttlebutt 1911:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=3164)

I was shocked and surprised in Malmö reading Herb's column and the Angus
article he inspired. They are good friends, excellent journalists, and they
have followed the America's Cup a lot until last year.

How can they be so aggressive and bitter? Are they seriously pretending
that the Cup was in a better shape in San Diego? In my opinion, Herb and
Angus don't know what they are talking about. They should first come and
see 12 America's Cup boats starting together on a short line - like nearly
1000 accredited journalists in 2005 already have - before writing anything!

The racing in the Malmö-Skåne Louis Vuitton Acts has been fantastic with
South Africa earning its first ever America's Cup win, and a new Italian
team upsetting the Kiwis. Nearly 30,000 people came to the America's Cup
Park here on the weekend to catch the spirit of the Cup a full two years
before the America's Cup proper!! My friend Pelle Pettersson, a legend
here, was so thrilled he was breathless!

I have been involved with the America's Cup for more years than Herb. I was
in Newport in 1974 and have not missed any America's Cup single day since
then. In 1983, I was even closer to the action than Herb, being the
sparring skipper for Australia II after my boat France 3 was eliminated.
Since then, I have been among the small group of individuals who
transformed the America's Cup to make it a world-renowned sporting event.
Whatever Herb may believe, the America's Cup is not empty!

What about 3000 hours of television worldwide in 2003 and 55,000 articles?
What about 800 sailors employed full time for three years? What about the
300 million television viewers who watched the Louis Vuitton Acts in 2004,
before many of the teams had even challenged, or many of the television
agreements were concluded this year?

The comments on the "obscene'' budgets are not serious. What about Formula
One, Soccer, NASCAR and many other sports? Are they pretending that we
should go back to the old days? Do they want to bring back this famous
"Corinthian'' spirit which means only amateurs, no professionals, no
sponsors, no media coverage, and no television? Would it be a "FULL CUP???"

We can certainly make improvements of course and AC Management is working
on new ideas all the time, but whatever they pretend, the old Lady is still
a beauty. All of us are just working hard to adapt her life to the present
time. There is no other event in the world of sailing that can be compared
to the Cup. This event is ten times bigger than ANY other sailing event.

Please be more serious and fair! I would love to personally invite Herb and
grumpy Angus to fly over to Europe to attend the Louis Vuitton Acts in
Trapani. They will be very surprised - the Cup is alive and well!! - Bruno
Troublé

* * * * *

The Cup needs more people with Bruno's passion and vision; indeed, more of Bruno. Right on my friend.



Bruno Trouble.

Boat builders are sometimes called "carbonologists." Tim Hacket calls them "abrasive technicians," -- because they do so much sanding?

Rumour has it that when David "Duffy" Duff (NZL), our chief sailmaker, and his colleagues are trying to, uh, make an impression (both are partnered, so we are definitely not talking "sorts, tarts, birds, or chicks" here), they call themselves a "soft-foil engineer" -- not be confused, I would hope, with "soft foil-engineer".


Dave Little (NZL), a.k.a. "Little Dave", and Big Dave "Duffy" Duff (background)
checking over a mainsail in the makeshift sail loft at the back of our base in
the Malmoe paddock this afternoon.


Duffy, a true gentleman, and our highly regarded head sailmaker.

For the Malmoe Acts I am sharing an office-container with the Shore Team, in many ways the heart if not the soul of an AC team. They do the long hours putting everything together, keeping everything in excellent working order, and then taking it all apart -- not only day by day, but over the long campaign haul.

They are "cool" in every sense of the word: not only talented, hard-working and fun (day and night!), but calm and unflappable, regardless of what we as a team, or the weather, or the organizers throw at them.

And now with the AC a true travelling circus, the Shore Team is a 24/7 operation on a semi-global basis. To wit, while Scotty "Big Rig" Sandford (NZL) is holding down the logistiks fort here this week and next, Grant "Guthrie" Davidson (NZL) is already back in VLC overseeing the construction of our new base and looking after the trials and tribulations of Trapani -- the venue in Sicily where Acts 8 and 9 will take place in a month's time. And while Tim Hacket (AUS) and his crew care for the yacht here, Mark "Tugboat" Turner is in Seattle setting up our boat-building operation.

For the Shore Team there is "no excuse for excellence"; perfection is the goal.



My Malmoe officemates: Tim Hacket, team machinist par excellence Trev
"The Rev" Berry (NZL, who also knows a thing or two about red wine),
and Scotty Sandford. Kevin Batten (NZL) was out tending to his rigs.
For Linda Berry -- despite Trevor looking a bit like a schoolboy caught
in the act, that is not a racy Swedish magazine.



Rig man Kevin Batten, in his "real office" -- the rigging
container.

For me writing is not a huge struggle, but I do have to work at it. For Ivor Wilkins (NZL) it just seems to flow out of his fingers at speed, and with dignity and grace -- like a well-balanced AC yacht moving through the water?

OK, so much for my silly similes; that's why he's the journalist and I'm a bloody blogger!

Ivor was my flatmate these past two weeks while he helped the team, especially our p.r. manager Jane "U2" Eagleson, with the heavy writing load these regattas entail. Under Janey's watchful eye, Ivor produced most of our press releases and the excellent stories on the team website.

Via the Cup we have been acquainted for more years than either of us care to admit, and in that time I seem to recall an unflattering article or two about your humble blog editor, tho they were probably well-deserved at the time. Regardless, it was good to get to know him better during Acts 4 and 5. Ivor not only aided Jane, but was a big help in proofing these blog posts at all hours of the night and day, and I do mean all hours, for which I am grateful.

Today we put Ivor on the plane back to his beloved Auckland, and look forward to having him with us again in Malmoe.


One last early-morning coffee today with veteran Cup journalist Ivor
Wilkins, who has helped keep this blog from being too inane, or insane,
these past two weeks.

Valencia, 11:00 Sunday

Since we blogged Judy Sim from sponsor-partner Oracle yesterday, you may think I am giving equal time to BMW with this post. Truth is Ralf "Ultimate Marketing Machine" Hussmann is BMW's director of sports marketing and, like Judy, another of my favorites in this campaign.

Like most Germans he is a straight shooter, and sometimes meine anglo-saxon Kollegen find that a bit difficult to deal with. A good guy, who keeps the home fires burning for us with BMW in Munich.

Ralf pushed for the blog when the idea first surfaced some weeks ago, and was the first person in the campaign to ask me how the new blog was going. So, of course, we showed him, and blogged him at the same time.

Herr Hussmann checking the blog at the BMW ORACLE
Base this morning.

Valencia, 1115 Saturday

One of my personal favorites in this campaign is Oracle Corp Sr VP Judy Sim (USA). She arrived last night for important meetings, sponsor-partner dinners, to check our terrific new Base, and to take in a few days of racing. Judy epitomizes what the AC is all about -- the pursuit of excellence.

Oracle VP and CMO (chief marketing officer) Judy Sim.