When will they ever learn? There’s to be a last-minute Australian challenge for the America’s Cup. Given the complexity, organisational task and sheer cost of even a bare-bones campaign, the hopes of a Down Under syndicate even reaching the challenger finals are roughly equivalent to a snowball’s chance in hell.
But it seems there’s always some deluded enthusiast wanting to take a tilt at the Cup windmill. The hopeful for AC38 is apparently John Winning Jr. (pictured here), the son of a whitegoods retailing millionaire who is himself an accomplished 18-foot skiff sailor. Winning Jr. – known in the sport by his middle name “Herman” – chartered Comanche a few years ago for a crack at Sydney-Hobart line honours.
There is, of course, a ridiculously short period of time between now and the scheduled preliminary challenger rounds for the Cup. Winning has bought the Kiwi AC75 that won the Cup in 2021. It will have to be modified to meet the new class rules. AC veteran Tom Slingsby is to skipper the challenge, supported by Glen Ashby.
We have been here before. A few years back there was a short-lived Cup challenge by the Oatley family (of Wild Oats fame), with Slingsby in the driving seat. They even acquired a couple of the catamarans. But that project soon crashed and burned when the true costs became apparent.
The Australian club thought to be issuing this latest challenge is the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club on Sydney Harbour.
