Diane Swintal With a background in racing and an interest in technology, Diane and her husband, motorsports artist Jim Swintal, attended their first America’s Cup as spectators in 1992. Diane covered the America’s Cup World Series in San Diego in 2011 and San Francisco in 2012, as well as the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup in 2013 for CupInfo.com. She has also reported on the Allianz Cup; the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland, New Zealand; and the San Diego-based efforts of the BMW Oracle Racing challenge that won the America’s Cup in 2010. Diane races J/24’s in Southern California.
R. Steven Tsuchiya is a historian and freelance photographer specializing in the Americas Cup. His articles and photographs have been published in Sailing World magazine and other yachting publications. Through his ongoing research about the history of the Cup, Steve has interviewed hundreds of Cup participants, witnessed five America’s Cup matches and five ACWS regattas, including onboard experience during AC45 racing. As an avid sailor, Steve has sailed aboard vintage Cup yachts including 12-Metres, J-Class, and ACC yachts. Steve is a member of the Selection Committee of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, and a member of the New York YC. Having learned how to sail in Ohio, Steve races Flying Scots at his home club, Cowan Lake Sailing Association, in Wilmington, Ohio.
Robert Kamins analyzed the America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup for the OLN television channel in Auckland, New Zealand; covered the America’s Cup World Series regattas in Newport, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago; and the 2013 America’s Cup, for CupInfo.com. Robert began sailing with his family at a young age on Long Island Sound, and has been an enthusiastic Lake Michigan multihull sailor since he was teenager, particularly on Hobie cats.
Q&A with the Authors:
Why did you become so interested in the Americas Cup?
Steve Tsuchiya: Back in 1987–when I was in the eighth grade—I was introduced to the America’s Cup by ESPN’s broadcast of the America’s Cup in Fremantle. Gary Jobson’s excellent coverage, along with Fremantle’s dramatic sailing conditions, made the sport exciting to me. As a side note, 20 years later (for the 2007 match), my experience in the Cup had come full circle, when I contributed to a documentary directed by none other than Gary Jobson for ESPN. It was an awesome and rewarding experience for me.
Tell us about your ride aboard one of the Cup boats during one of the practice races?
Steve Tsuchiya: In terms of Cup-related boats, I’ve sailed on 12-metres, J-Class, and ACC boats, but nothing prepared me for the AC45 catamaran class (the September Cup races used the larger AC72s). Back in April, I sailed aboard Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand in Naples, Italy. I was struck by the boats’ incredible acceleration; even in just 11 knots of wind, these boats could go from a warm-up speed of 12 knots to 22 knots in a matter of seconds. It was more like driving a Porsche than sailing on a boat. When the boats rounded the jibe mark, to head downwind, I could feel G-forces pulling me. It was astonishing for someone used to mono-hulls. On top of that, the skippers Dean Barker (ETNZ) and Tom Slingsby (OTUSA) were driving them as if they were bicycles. I was on board with my cameras to take some action shots. [A gallery of Steve’s photos from Naples can be seen at Sailingworld.com]
Which style of boat do you prefer? The 2010 or 2013 version?
Steve Tsuchiya: Well, I prefer the AC72 over the trimaran and the catamaran used in the 2010 match. The AC72s are far more refined compared to the beasts in 2010. For example, Alinghi’s cat was not balanced well enough and suffered from “wheelies”, where the bow would soar 20 feet into the air due to the lack of rudder foils. Also, the wing that Oracle used in 2010 is very basic compared to the wing they used in 2013. Most importantly, the AC72s are fully-foiling craft.