Have the preliminary, World Series races for the America's Cup been overhyped? Do yachting enthusiasts really give a rat's ascot about them? It appears the answers to those question are yes, and not so much.
Despite a fair amount of press coverage, Day One of the America's Cup World Series regatta yesterday was sparsely attended, as the Examiner notes. The paper may just be trying to get the city's goat, since so much has been made about the economic impact of the America's Cup when the final races happen here next year. But for now, the die-hard sailing freaks who are willing to take a vacation day to come watch the races (or the die-hard sailing freaks who also happen to be unemployed or have night jobs) seem few and far between.
Perhaps it's just that there are too damn many of these regattas and the international elite who care about them aren't getting too jazzed about the preliminaries just yet -- you can see here the schedule of regattas across the globe this summer. Also, there will be another series of races in the Bay October 4 to 7, when it will likely be warming, so there's that. Fogust makes people want to stay away from open, windy areas.
[Examiner]
