Bruno368
1. La Maddalena is a hard place to get to, but there is a ferry. Why come 200 miles from Antibes on a 20-foot RIB?
I had to. I had it chartered to one of the teams. I couldn’t get insurance for someone else to deliver it. But I enjoyed the trip. In fact, we left Antibes at 5 a.m. Four hours later, we were having breakfast in a beautiful cove up the coast at Girolata—no houses, no people. Then we followed the Corsican shore down and had lunch at a restaurant with the boat tied to the table leg, like a horse. We got here at 5 p.m., 12 hours in all. It was really lovely.
**2. Why pick remote La Maddalena for this regatta?
**I came here with my friend Vincenzo (Onorato). The government was keen to bring some blood to this dead place. It’s an island off an island, so you can’t do a rock concert or a convention, but a big sailing event was good, with coverage on the internet and the press. I love New Zealand and I love La Maddalena. Both places are hard to get to. I think that’s why they’re charming.
**3. You’re having trouble with breakdowns and crashes in borrowed equipment. Any thoughts?
**BMW Oracle is not pleased with the way their boats were damaged, but it’s all covered in the agreement. I don’t think these boats will ever sail in the America’s Cup again. This is why we have four boats. Let’s just hope the other two don’t get damaged in the next few days (while the BMW Oracle boats are being repaired).
**4. What’s the goal of the World Sailing Teams Association?
**Our first event, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland, we called the “Friendly Games.” It was such a success, everyone wanted to do it again, so we founded the WSTA with Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts. Then, when they won the Cup, what better way to train for the next Cup? If the Cup stays in monohulls, this series will be a great training ground. Vuitton is committed through 2011. After that, who knows?
**5. You turn 65 next week. Are you going back to Antibes in your RIB?
**No! It’s not my problem. I sold it here!
