There's the same feeling that you get driving slowly past an accident for some Jericho Sailor's when it comes to following the America's Cup-root beer budget boaters somewhat reluctantly gawking in awe like stray dogs out in the cold looking in on a royal banquet at champagne bow sprayed billion dollar syndicates fuelling highly paid professional crews to match race wind and water powered rocket ships in pursuit of the oldest active trophy in sport. Even the proudly frugalest of sailors just can't look away.

English nobleman, Henry William Paget, the Marquess of Anglesey, first laid down the canvas gauntlet in 1851 by putting up the "Royal Yacht Squadron Cup" to the winner of the Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight. An upstart American syndicate from the fledgling New York Yacht Club picked it up and soundly slapped the English on their own waters with a dominating performance by the sailing schooner "America", victoriously claiming the prize, changing its name to the "America's Cup " and over the next hundred and twenty six years, contending from American shores, refusing to give it back- to anyone.

The revolving door syndicates of the "Challenger" and "Defender " of the Americas Cup have long dueled with serious resources and ground breaking boat designs and in the end it's always been about the boat design. For the past century and a half or so, the thirsty quest to drink from the America's Cup has been broad reaching the evolution of sailing.

As with accidents, sometimes the America's Cup is a curious spectacle. Like when its rules have been challenged and decided in court by sea lawyers or when the sailing craft have diverged so radically in design and performance only an Aesop's fable could bail out the second place finisher. 2010 could be one of those years as the wing powered catamaran Swiss "Defender "Alinghi will be swapping tacks and gybes with the articulating wing trimaran American "Challenger" Oracle.

A curious match-up, the venue and dates already had to be decided in court. From here this will be a Darwinian showdown that will likely see some ideas evolve and trickle down into the rest of the sailing world and some into the "has been" evolutionary scrapheap realm of the Dodo bird. As designs diverge the combined skill of the competing crews often becomes much less of an issue. The final result might be easily be guessed by the time the lead boat rounds the first mark.

At its most competitive best, watching the television coverage of the America's Cup can rekindle the feeling of sailing, stimulate some excitement for people who hold the wind and sea close, and the race course in Valencia Spain may even remind some of summer, which during the cool winter amidst the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games could be a welcome break for sailors.

It remains to be seen if the 2010 America's Cup will be as predictable and uninteresting as the 1988 skirmish that saw a catamaran on steroids versus the plodding KZ1 a traditional AC monohull (in comparison the oversize 12metre moving through the water reminded one of a square masted fully loaded whaling ship) or as exciting as the historic 1983 America's Cup which went down to the final race where the Australian's became the first syndicate to pry the Cup from American hands since it was first contested. Either way, even if by accident, most Jericho Sailor's, the lowest cost dinghy sailing pilots and crews there are, will want to take a peek.

JSCA Members-Come watch the 2010 America's Cup in High Definition on the Big Screen of the Sailor's Lounge at the Jericho Sailing Centre Feb 8; 10; 12 *times TBA, schedule subject to change.
Follow the America's Cup at www.americascup.com