America’s Cup, anche la stampa british storce il naso
America's CupVela 23 Novembre 2010 Zerogradinord 0
America’s Cup – Londra – L’argomento è sempre quello, ma merita un nuovo ripasso perchè il fronte di chi giudica con distacco la nuova America’s Cup appare in aumento. Tra gli ultimi a sottolineare il generale stato di incertezza sono due delle testate più autorevoli in suolo britannico.
Il primo è l’International Herald Tribune, che a firma di John Upton pubblica un puntuale articolo relativo agli attriti che in questi giorni si stanno evidenziando in seno all’amministrazione comunale di San Francisco, divisa tra favorevoli e contrari all’affaire Coppa America. Argomento che su Zerogradinord.it abbiamo trattato approfonditamente un paio di giorni fa.
Il secondo è l’apprezzato periodico SeaHorse, da molti, non solo in Inghilterra, considerato “manifesto” di riferimento della vela internazionale. Con un lungo ed interessante articolo redatto da Dave Hollom il mensile british muove dubbi sulla reale competitività della prossima America’s Cup che, almeno a giudicare dalle premesse – introduzione dei multiscafi ad ala rigida – appare piuttosto sbilanciata a favore del defender.
AMERICA’S CUP, BID TO HOST REGATTA DIVIDES A CITY
[Source International Herald Tribune] For at least 43 days, Mayor Gavin Newsom proposes to turn San Francisco Bay into an arena for the America’s Cup, the world’s most prestigious yacht race. The water would be cleared of unauthorized boats and a no-flight zone imposed 6,000 feet above the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf and Angel Island.
Organizers estimate that as many as 600,000 spectators would crowd the shoreline and other parts of San Francisco to watch the final race in the summer of 2013, the culmination of an event that they say could pump at least $1 billion into the area’s economy.
But Mr. Newsom’s proposal to make San Francisco the seventh host city in the 159-year history of the America’s Cup is creating tension between the mayor and the city’s chief budget analyst, who has raised questions about what some view as an extravagant incentive package from a city facing a $712 million deficit.
Although the mayor’s office initially said San Francisco needed to offer a rich deal to win out over bidders in Spain and Italy, the analyst, Harvey Rose, said recently that he had been unable to confirm that another city was competing with San Francisco to host the regatta.
Last week, Mr. Rose released an economic impact report estimating that the America’s Cup would cost San Francisco at least $128.3 million, with expenditures hugely exceeding tax revenue. He said the costs would include an $86.2 million loss from granting development rights and free leases on waterfront property to the Cup organizers, led by Lawrence J. Ellison, chief executive of Oracle, the computer software and hardware company.
‘‘I think it is interesting that we would be spending city funds at the same time that departments are getting their budgets cut,’’ Mr. Rose said during an interview.
But aides to Mr. Newsom, who was elected lieutenant governor this month and will leave office in January, said the costs of staging the regatta would be offset by economic activity and improved infrastructure on the city’s waterfront.
‘‘We strongly feel that the costs that are associated with this event are investments — they are not giveaways,’’ said Jennifer Matz, the mayor’s economic development director. ‘‘We will continue to ensure that this deal is a good one for the city and the residents and the visitors that come here.’’
Mr. Newsom’s economic development advisers led negotiations for the proposed agreement with Mr. Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing team, which is sponsored by the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Mr. Ellison earned the right to select the host city in February when he captured the America’s Cup off the coast of Valencia, Spain. Mr. Ellison, who also sets the tournament rules, envisions a new format for the 34th America’s Cup that is designed to increase profit, bring in more advertising and corporate sponsors, reduce costs for entrants and entice younger viewers.
Under the new format, preliminary races would be held in ports around the world in 2011 and 2012. San Francisco’s proposal commits Mr. Ellison to hold 43 days of racing on the bay, regardless of whether other ports are used for pre-regattas, said Tom Ehman, a spokesman for the BMWOracle Racing team.
The traditional challenger and defender series and the final Cup race would be held on San Francisco Bay in the summer of 2013, Mr. Ehman said.
He also said that the cost estimates in the budget analyst’s report showed that a San Francisco America’s Cup would involve a ‘‘minimal’’ public outlay.
The Board of Supervisors is being asked to approve the agreement quickly. Mr. Ellison’s team plans to announce the host city by Dec. 31.
Ross Mirkarimi, a member of the board who has been working closely on the agreement, said he was not deterred by the recent budget analysis. Mr. Mirkarimi said many of the issues would be taken up on Dec. 1 at a meeting of the board’s Budget and Finance Committee.
‘‘The mayor’s office and Cup organizers have to answer the hard feasibility questions at our hearing on Dec. 1 or else this will be all for naught,’’ he said. ‘‘In tight times, the dividend of hosting the Cup will be weighted against real needs, from tackling potholes to poverty.’’
‘‘I believe we can put together a creative deal that lifts all boats,’’ Mr. Mirkarimi said.
Under the proposal, the city is offering Mr. Ellison’s team long-term development rights on three piers. It is also offering to turn over a parcel of undeveloped waterfront property that is zoned for a 10-story condominium. The Port of San Francisco values that parcel at $33 million. In exchange, Mr. Ellison would spend $150 million to build breakwaters and to repair infrastructure at two conjoined piers, 30 and 32. The money would also go toward similar work at Pier 50.
The piers would be used as viewing areas or as an operations center. Mr. Ellison would be granted 66-year leases, during which he could develop the piers.
The primary opposition to the proposal has come from Supervisor Chris Daly, who has described the bid as a public giveaway to one of the richest men in the world. ‘‘The Board of Supervisors and the mayor are facing another very challenging budget, possibly with even more limited ability to raise revenues,’’ said Mr. Daly, who is leaving office. ‘‘Health and human services and community programs are going to be slashed in the budget, and when you look at the budget analyst’s report, it confirms my earlier suspicions, which is that the Cup is going to cost the city significant sums of money. We just can’t afford it.’’
According to the report, taxpayers would pay $64 million for traffic control, construction, security and other costs related to the event. Those expenditures would be partly recovered through $22 million in revenue from additional hotel, payroll, sales and parking taxes.
The city would relinquish $86 million more in revenue from property development opportunities than it would recover through Mr. Ellison’s $150 million investment in aging waterfront infrastructure, the report states. Bond sales that might be needed to finance the deal could add up to $14 million in additional costs.
Mr. Newsom’s advisers said the report dismissed the public value of work needed to restore rotting piers and disregarded $32 million the city plans to raise from the private sector.
With the debate over the cost of hosting the America’s Cup heating up, the city is exploring a less expensive alternative that would shift the main viewing areas to San Francisco’s northern waterfront after the deal is approved.
The alternative plan would place the new viewing areas at Piers 27 and 29, at the base of Telegraph Hill, and could eliminate the need to overhaul Pier 50, which might no longer be used.
It is unclear where the regatta would be held if San Francisco were unable to reach an agreement. Officials in Valencia have indicated that the city is not in the running. Term sheets prepared by the Italian government indicate that it is prepared to offer tax breaks, assistance with visas and other government support, but no official Italian bid has been identified.
By the time he released his report Thursday, Mr. Rose said he had still been unable to identify a competing city.
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