Archive for November, 2010
The America Cup In Chaos
The Americas Cup or Auld Mug as it is colloquially known is the oldest sporting trophy in known existence the first contest in 1851 pre dating the modern Olympics by almost 50 years. First won by the schooner America the cup attained almost holy grail like status to the millionaires of the early 20th century with names such as Lipton Sopwith and Vanderbilt all featuring in early contests. Despite the efforts of Britains finest however the Americas Cup was retained by the Americans from 1851 through until 1983 the longest winning streak in sporting history until finally being captured by Australian Alan Bond and his radical winged keel Australia 2.
Since Australia 2′s victory its fair to say that the cups history has been fairly turbulent. The trophy was won back almost immediately by the USA in 1987 but this was the year that saw a dramatic extension in the competitiveness of the traditionally 2 team challenge with the American boat Stars and Stripes having to beat an unprecedented 13 challenger syndicates and Alan Bonds Australians failing even to reach the defenders final. Its arguable that the difficulties and legal wranglings that have plagued the event since then can be directly traced back to the expansion of the event in 1987. Following this the Auld Mug has suffered from changes in classes of boats reaching a pinnacle in 1988 when an American catamaran defeated a New Zealand monohull on the water and the decision was reversed twice subsequently in the courts and arguably the egos of the modern multi millionaire businessmen who are determined to win the cup at all costs and don’t seem to mind whether this is done by the sailors or by the lawyers.
The latest threat to the cup comes from the current holders Alinghi and their legal dispute with the American team BMW Oracle. Incredibly the Alingi syndicate hails from landlocked Switzerland but their team who have held the cup since 2003 is packed with global sailing stars with a strong contingent of New Zealanders. Adding spice to the the proceedings is the fact that Kiwi Russell Coutts considered by many the greatest sailor in the world led Alinghis cup winning challenge in 2003 but has since jumped ship to head up the rival BMW Oracle team.
At the heart of the dispute is the fact that after their successful defence of the cup in 2007 Alinghi nominated the Spanish Yacht Club Club Nautico Espana de Velo as Challenger of Record. BMW Oracle headed up by software billionaire Larry Ellison successfully challenged this in the courts on the grounds that Club Nautico Espana de Velo was not a functioning yacht club merely a shell that had been set up to manage a cup challenge. Certainly there was widespread concern in cup circles about the relationship between Alinghi and the Spanish and as things stand the American BMW Oracle syndicate is the nominated challenger for the next cup. Unfortunately for the worlds oldest sporting contest the legal challenges have not stopped and at the moment it is still uncertain when the next cup will be held what country it will be in and even which type of boats it will be contested in. The fall out from this has been considerable. The cup has lost Louis Vuitton as a sponsor and other challenging syndicates which include the British Team Origin skippered by Olympic star Ben Ainslie are significantly stymied in their ability to attract funding and to plan every level of their campaigns from boats to personnel to chandlery given the current level of uncertainty that surrounds the event.
It remains to be seen what happens to the Americas Cup whether we get a contest in 2008 or 2009 and if so what the outcome will be. The biggest fear though is that Alinghi BMW Oracle and their lawyers will achieve what 150 years of history couldn’t and end the Americas Cup.
This article was written by Martin Dinham sailor and head of marine company www.nare.co.uk
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Sailor and owner of
www.nare.co.uk
The Advantages Of A Portable Rock Climbing Wall
In this real world and in real time it is just not possible to sidetrack rock climbing every time you have the urge. Rock climbing is not only fun but also a good way to keep fit. But the time taken in packing all your stuff and reaching your favorite mountain could take sometime. The preparation time could far exceed the actual time you spend climbing. The simple answer now to satisfy your climbing urges is to get a portable rock climbing wall.
There are various types of portable rock climbing walls available in today’s market. You can search for them in various magazines or even on the Internet. You can get outdoor walls which can be fixed in your backyard or you could get indoor walls which come in different heights starting from 12 feet upwards. If you are permanently fixing the outdoor wall then you might require a concrete base to attach it. But in a fully portable walls even that may not be required. The portable walls can be installed in minutes and if you have some experience in climbing then you can start climbing immediately.
You can also get these portable walls on rent. If you do not want permanent portable walls you could still hire them on weekends or during a child’s party or any other fun function. The advantage in renting one is that many a times along with the rentals they also provide a staff who teaches you or your guests the basics of rock climbing. The advantage of any rock climbing at home is that you do not have to worry about the weather such as blizzards or lightning storms when you are up on the wall. You also save the time and fuel spent on traveling.
The portable rock climbing wall can also keep you fit if you use it on a regular basis. You and your family can set different levels of difficulty which can slowly be increased as you gain confidence and experience. You will definitely become more popular in your neighborhood once you get one in your backyard. Your neighbors and their children can also be invited over to enjoy the fun of climbing. Another advantage is that in case of any injury while climbing medical help can be given immediately unlike on a real mountain climbing where you could be stuck for days waiting for help and that could even become life threatening. If you are an expert in rock climbing you could even make this hobby into a parttime or fulltime career by teaching the neighborhood children and families for a fee. You could even rent out your portable wall to your neighbors for their parties or when they require.
Now with the advent of newer safety equipments like the ‘autobelay’ you will not even require another person to hold the safety rope in case you fall. This ‘autobelay’ will take care of the slack in case you lose your grip on the wall. This means that you do not have to wait for anyone and can pursue rock climbing on your own.
So the portable rock climbing wall offers many advantages such as an increased level of fun and fitness increased safety increased popularity and you also get to spend more time with your friends and family. So get one today and just start climbing and have fun.
About the writer: Rock Climbing Walls from the inventor and holder of several climbing wall patents. Visit our website and see why we are called Extreme http://www.extremeengineering.com.
Texas – Wonderful Place To Hunt Exotic Game
Besides offering great populations of deer and migratory bird species’ available to hunt Texas offers the hunter a great assortment of exotic game to try his skill at. While exotic animals may mean different things to different people in the case of Texas it will not include lions tigers and bears. There is however a great amount of other species on the list:
Axis Deer
Fallow
Sikas
Aoudad
Blackbuck
Dama Gazelle
Yak
Pere David’s Deer
Sambar Deer
Eld’s Deer
Barashinga
Buffalo
Asiatic Tahr
Elk
Zebra
Wildebeest
Eland
Oryx
A nice thing for the exotic sportsman is that hunting these creatures is open year around. Many of the services available that offer these exotic animals for hunting also offer great amenities and accommodations for the hunt of a lifetime.
Because the exotic hunt service is specifically designed for the huntsman to try his hand at unique species’ the game here is grown especially big and healthy. The service has ensured that the game is raised on prime habitat and are well fed and bred. The exotic hunt service aims to breed enough animals to both make it a challenge for the hunter and yet give him a good chance at bagging a trophy.
Hunting exotic game is however not for the hunter on a budget. An exotic hunt can run a hunter anywhere from 2000 to 5000 per person and the rarer the species the higher the price. For the hunter looking for a challenge though exotic hunting will definitely not disappoint. Because the exotic hunt is so much more expensive than a normal hunting trip it definitely pays for the hunter to do his research before booking his trip. Compare the prices and amenities offered of the different services and narrow your choice down to a few. If the service offers references for prospective clients to call on that will allow the hunter to assess how good the service really is. Also be sure that you trust your service; as they are there to please you they should be willing to answer any question you have and should make you feel confident in their ability.
Regardless of the species the hunter desires to hunt his exotic hunting trip is sure to not disappoint. It will be a hunting trip unlike any other and leave him with stories to tell for a lifetime and hopefully a mount on his wall to show to all of his friends!
About the writer: Download Abhishek’s FREE 66 Pages Ebook “How To Play And Enjoy Hunting Video Games” from his website http://www.HuntingGuru.com/100/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.