BMW Oracle officials "very serious" in intent to move forward with Rhode Island
GOLDEN GATE YACHT CLUB
Yacht Road, San Francisco, California USA 94123
December 17, 2010
Mr. Keith Stokes
Executive Director
Rhode Island Economic Development Corp.
Suite 101, 315 Iron Horse Way
Providence, R.I. 02908
Dear Keith,
I would like to thank you for meeting with our team over the past week and, in particular, arranging the meetings yesterday with Governor-elect Chafee and Senate President Paiva-Weed.
Over the past week, you have clearly presented why Rhode Island, and Fort Adams State Park, in particular, has the capability to host the 34th America's Cup, an event that is one of the largest sporting events in the world in terms of economic benefit and mass media audience. In particular, we are impressed with Fort Adams and the possibility of its being the center of public access, use and enjoyment of Narragansett Bay.
We are very serious in our intent to move forward with Rhode Island. There is much to do to meet the timeframes we have set. The Golden Gate Yacht Club has committed to other America's Cup teams that a host city will be announced by December 31, 2010.
On our side we must establish the how the teams, visitors and VIPs will be accommodated and how we will raise the necessary corporate sponsorship. You can greatly assist us by advising on the readiness of Fort Adams to complete the necessary public infrastructure improvements to base the teams and hold the event within the timeframes we have discussed with you and your team.
To demonstrate our interest in working with Rhode Island, I have asked Tom Ehman, a fellow member of the GGYC Board and America's Cup Committee, and head of External Affairs for BMW ORACLE Racing, to attend next Monday's Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation's December board meeting to convey our interest to your Board and the Governor.
I look forward to our continued dialogue over the next several days.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Barclay
GGYC Board and America's Cup Committee
C.O.O., BMW ORACLE Racing
Labels: 34th America's Cup, America's Cup, BMW Oracle
8 Comments:
Interesting letter. Last week at an Oracle team meeting, Larry told us would be in San Francisco.
What kind of image does that give of teh current trustee. Using the AC as a commodity in a Media Operated negotiation. Ridiculous.
On top of that, Barclay is COO of the sailing team. Nice show of independance!
How much humilition will SF accept. Why don't they drop their offer?
If the City of San Francisco/board can't get their respective acts together and beyond all of their whining and moaning (despite being a totally awesome urban venue, with awesome conditions), then Newport is "the" perfect venue to re-launch America's Cup for the Defender. This is SFO's bid to lose, and they may in fact do that. Newport is "the" venue that most non-sailing American's have embedded in their memories that says "America's Cup". Please cue up the old-school 1983 CBS playbacks on YouTube on Valencia Sailing (as well as any Celtics-Lakers and McEnroe-Borg videos).
What kind of crap is that? After 10 months of negotiations, Oracle now decide (a week before the deadline) that they should be talking to RI????
Lie and deceit, Ru$$ell's favorite words.
How is that "crap"? You're farting at thunder, man. You probably don't like carbon fiber, wing masts, and anything faster than 8 knots either, right?
SFO's city board has screwed around too long. It's their own fault, dude, not Russell Coutts.
Oracle has a deadline for the Challengers.
Think of it this way:
California's economy is on its heels (it's state deficit is so large - count billions - you could run an oil tanker through it); Rhode Island's in a similar high unemployment situation during the economic downturn - the timing of such an economic event coming out of the recovery and what the exposure would do is a lot for a smaller state like RI.
Federal fiscal stimulus is ending for the states and this is going to hammer regional and local governments.
If you missed 60 Minutes this week (since you were probably preoccupied farting at thunder), this might open your eyes as to what SFO are potentially turning their backs - this isn't some bridge to nowhere legislation or train tunnel into Manhattan from NJ - it brings huge global sponsorship, media attention, innovation, and potential economic development partnerships. It put Auckland and Valencia back on the map (if it didn't, you sure wouldn't have found this blog, right, dude? Isn't Auckland's Inner Harbor better for it? How about Valencia?):
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7166293n&tag=related;photovideo
So, there are advantages to whichever has the sense to get on board.
Personally, I was pulling for SFO - even being from the East Coast, but since their city board is has been a bunch of butter-fingered, grand-standing, fumblers, I now really hope RI and Newport get it as it would do that area a lot of good.
Plus, it would be a nice short day trip for me to Newport if you plan to entertain the crowds at Fort Adams State Park trying to fart at thunder before the dock out. I'd buy you a snow cone and a funnel cake to see that and make it worth your while.
Anyhow, best of luck Newport and RI in the coming week! :)
Anyone else sense another dead line is about to come and go and we will get a statement that they've been listening to challengers and in the best interests of the Cup community and trustees they will delay the venue announcement until three days before the start of the challenger selection series in 2013.
All this Cup is CRAP !!! Hopefully Ernesto comes with an interesting parallel circuit to this bullshit
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