America’s Cup in San Francisco Bay? A Sailor’s Perspective…

There’s been a lot of talk, excitement, debate and discussion around the possibility of hosting the America’s Cup in San Francisco Bay.  Hardly a day goes by without someone asking us if we think they will host it here. Very tough to say. Kimball Livingston wrote a fantastic piece on his blog, Blue Planet Times, about the challenges and opportunity of hosting the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco, detailing the various political figures with skin in the game.

Could an unstadium in Los Angeles consign the America’s Cup match to Italy?

Could a Chevron refinery in Richmond, California consign the America’s Cup match to Spain?

Is it possible for everybody to pull in one direction, and go nowhere?

These are important questions. Less important—Did a former weightlifter/actor show Russell Coutts his Conan the Barbarian sword when the CEO of BMW Oracle Racing called at 1303 10th Street, Sacramento, following what my spies tell me was a longish session in Room 200, City Hall, San Francisco?

What’s been playing out in the last week and a half since the BOR team came to town and asked the city of San Francisco to hurry up and produce a plan and a proposal and certainty by September 30 –yes, Virginia, and all your little friends, Larry Ellison really does want to schedule an America’s Cup match for San Francisco Bay, 2014—but, as I was saying, what’s been playing out is not quite Kafkaesque, and yet it does bring into focus the reasons why you’re never a fool to be pessimistic about getting things done in San Francisco.

Ultimately, however, this is about defending America’s Cup in America.

READ THE REST OF KIMBALL LIVINGSTON’S POST…

Kimball Livingston also had another post with a letter from David Lewis, the Executive Director of  Save the Bay, to Gavin Newsome.

As you know, Save The Bay is the oldest and largest organization working to protect and restore San Francisco Bay for people and wildlife. We are enthusiastic about the prospect that San Francisco may be selected to host the 34th America’s Cup. The world’s premier sailing race represents a special opportunity to showcase San Francisco Bay to the world, and create lasting benefits for public access to the Bay and its shoreline.

We believe that the best prospects for San Francisco to be selected as the host city for the America’s Cup, and to complete the physical improvements needed to support the Cup, lie in continuing the collaborative process that you and your staff have initiated with us and others this month, not in a legislated statutory exemption to the California Environmental Quality Act.

We look forward to working with you to bring the America’s Cup to San
Francisco, and to working with the agencies that have jurisdiction over the Bay and waterfront areas where facilities and improvements may be needed. Working together, we are optimistic that all parties can promptly process project plans for the Cup.

Thank you very much for your leadership.

David Lewis