Dear readers,

the oldest sports trophy in the world - the first of its kind in 1851 - is suffering. America's Cup - from old age? And is SailGP the deceitful son who feigns compassion on his deathbed and is already looking forward to his inheritance?

Rather not. However, the "Auld Mug" is likely to have been a permanent guest in the intensive care unit in the recent past. And sometimes it seemed as if the gravediggers were already in the room - disguised as emergency doctors and from within the hospital's own ranks.

Yet the America's Cup has never been more spectacular in purely technical terms: AC75 spoilers, speeds beyond what many sailors thought possible, images straight out of a sci-fi film. Perhaps that's a little too much insight into the internal editorial gossip, but many of my colleagues haven't been able to make friends with it so far. No more spraying spray, no more hard-working crew on deck, no more spars and no more mechanical winches.

But that's not my problem. I only know the Cup with foilers (that's how young I am) - and I sail one myself. And yet a feeling creeps into me that you shouldn't really expect from the most prestigious of all sailing competitions: The Cup seems less compelling than it used to. Less "must see". Less "people are talking about it". Less "this is the ultimate". Less anticipation.

It seems to me that the America's Cup is losing its DNA. Not because it is changing, but because it is changing in a certain way.

Anyone who reduces the Cup to the final - a few weeks of racing, a few days of matches - misses out on its real superiority over almost every other sailing event: it was always a month-long thriller in which not only helmsmen and tacticians, but above all developers and engineers played the leading roles.

For many who report on the Cup, the most exciting phase always begins long before the first start. Namely when new designs roll out of the halls, when rumours turn into hypotheses, when a detail on the rig or hull shape suddenly becomes the topic of the week. It is precisely this fascination - "What have they come up with this time?" - was even more tangible in the last cycle. I remember all too well the various analyses and my Interview with design guru Dr Martin Fischer.

For the third time in a row, however, the 38th edition off the coast of Naples will feature competitive sailing on boats of the same class. Sure, some modifications are allowed. But the scope for development has shrunk again compared to the previous edition. New builds are completely prohibited.

One of the reasons given for this is the flimsy argument of sustainability, but above all the financial difficulties of various teams. The Cup recently came close to cardiac arrest several times. The fact that it survived this is also the result of such harsh interventions.

According to Dan Bernasconi, Chief Designer of Emirates Team New Zealand, the hulls hardly play a role anyway: "We realised (...) that the speed differences in the hull shapes alone were minimal. All the gains were in foils and systems." Exciting and absurd at the same time, considering that we are still talking about a sailing regatta.

However, numerous other changes have already been announced: Among other things, the Partner model as a new marketing and management logicthe communicatively announced historic change of course and the desire for more rhythm - right up to the idea of a Organised every two years.

True to the motto "If you don't move with the times, you move with the times", there seems to be a willingness to catapult the historic event into the present day, even away from the regatta course. But what I get as a consumer is a completely different feeling: the Cup is no longer sure what it wants to be.

The America's Cup is not a sensible format or a TikTok hype product. It's not something that needs to be "smoothed out" until no one bumps into it any more. The Cup thrives on teams taking it on and testing the limits.

Because it was never at its best when everyone did the same thing. It was best when everyone had the same set of rules - and used them to develop different philosophies and build boats with different lines and profiles, which then ended up in an epic battle on the water.

In addition, there is undoubtedly the fundamental problem of modern yachts, which have already moved miles away from the normal regatta sailor more than ten years ago. Foiling has given the Cup a new visual power. But it also has an uncomfortable side effect: match racing with foiling yachts is more difficult than you might think. This special discipline thrives on proximity, tough one-on-one racing, constant roll changes - and the fact that a single mistake is not necessarily the end of a race.

Foilers, on the other hand, penalise mistakes extremely harshly due to their enormous speeds. This can be dramatic. But it can also mean: One moment decides, then the leader manages.

The fleet races of the youth and women's teams proved to be much more exciting at the last Cup before Barcelona. These will now also be part of the elimination rounds of the Louis Vuitton Cup. In theory, this is a logical decision, but it also brings us closer to the SailGP format.

CEO Russell Coutts is providing the modern alternative with the high-speed league that is being held this weekend in Rio de Janeiro: spectacular half-wind starts and short races, regular events on identical boats with heroic superstars on board, media exploitation and a trendy social media game.

So it would be naive to pretend that this competition doesn't exist. But for me, the problem starts when the Cup tries to imitate one of its alleged murderers. It won't stand a chance against the original and instead risks losing its own USPs.

I am convinced that there can be a successful coexistence that can even benefit both competitions in certain areas. But to achieve this, the America's Cup must not become "more SailGP". On the contrary: it must become more America's Cup again.

It needs a clear duel, the courage to develop and build something new - open design windows that force real innovation. It needs prestige instead of woke purpose PR as a leitmotif. Sustainability is important. But it is not the emotion that switches people on. A ban on new construction doesn't generate goosebumps. And it needs things that people argue about again because they are new and different - not because they were negotiated at the green table.

The America's Cup may be on its deathbed. In line with the current longevity trend of achieving longevity in health by doing without, attempts are being made to impose an austerity and discipline on the Cup that it has never lived in. I wish he would spend his coming years as if they were his last: In splendour.

Max Gasser

YACHT editor

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