If you are old enough to identify the source of the above quote and coincidentally also the title of this blog entry and if you can recall and place Andy Devine and SABU The Elephant Boy and if you are a long time sailor who loves sailboats and sailing then you probably remember when the America's Cup was a competitive but congenial SAILBOAT race between high falootin' yacht club types for bragging rights and a funky silver cup, the Americas Cup, which was first awarded in 1851 and today is the oldest active trophy in international sport.
The old boats were envisioned and created from the genius minds of preeminent naval architects , Olin Stephens, W. Starling Burgess, L. Francis Hereshoff, William Gardner, William Fife, Nathaniel G. Hereshoff, and Charles Nicholson to name a few. The names and the majesty of their creations evoked romance and adventure and nobility and mystery, and magnificence .....America, Livonia, Shamrock, Gretel, Valkyrie, Magic, Aurora, Intrepid, Countess of Dufferin, Courageous, and Rainbow are just a few of the nautical monikers that reflect the Golden Days of the Cup.
You probably know that the opening date of the 34th running of the Americas Cup on San Franciso Bay is officially July 4, 2013. Awesome! Right? Well???? Maybe to some. Not me. Why....? Let me expound a bit:
You've got to ask yourself... are these huge, ginormous, computer created, foiling catamaran rocket ships really yachts? Don't forget the Cup was originally a yacht race! Are these electronic aberrations of high-tech CAD technology even sailboats? Or are they just magnificent sailing machines that have no real purpose or design element and invoke no emotion from a romantic soul. They just haul butt for no other purpose than hauling butt......Don't get me wrong here!! There is nothing wrong with the new evolution of these racing machines but they bear no resemblance to and possess none of the character and soul of the vessels that made the Americas Cup one of the greatest sporting events in the history of progressive, civilized , and industrialized man. How can a person get the warm fuzzies for an Americas Cup challenger referred to as AC 72?
You young folks are probably thinking this guy is some kinda old fart....well, I guess I am.
"Happy Trails To You Until We Meet Again"...............
Take care my friends
