Experiences not to be forgotten

This weekend, there is a Melges 32 class event in Ft Lauderdale, FL, and a component of the event is for entrants to have a junior sailor on their crew, exposing the youth to both the excitement of the boat, and the extremely talented sailors that will be in attendance. I had a similar opportunity thirty years ago as a young teen, when I was able to sail in the famous Congressional Cup match race event with… Bruno Troublé. It was an experience I have never forgotten.

You likely need to be a certain age to know about Bruno, and why the opinion he shared in Issue 2486 is so valuable. Here are some background notes that he shares:

“Coming back from the Olympics in 76 (Solings), I was asked to come and sail with Baron Bich. From tactician, I quickly became the skipper of the French boat in 77/80 (not much in the later part of 77 after I was hit by a winch drum in the stomach (cast failure, two weeks in hospital ). In 1980, we were the semi-finalist after beating Lawrie Smith on Lionhart, but then were beaten in the challenger finals by Australia. In 1983 - with the same boat as Baron was out and money was scarce - we were beaten before the semis, but then I became the sparring partner helmsman for Alan Bond's team (steering ''Challenge'' in pre start training).

“It was in 1982 when I came up with the idea of the Louis Vuitton Cup for the challenger series, and I have been working with LV since as a part time consultant. I never missed one single race of the trials and Cup! In 2001, I was co-organizer of the AC Jubilee in Cowes, which became one of my very best memory in life. From 1988 to 2003, I was in charge of the communication/ media/ press centre for the Cup. As for 2007, I was working only for LV to make sure that their investment was right. And sadly it wasn’t…"

In Issue 2486, John Rousmaniere also shares his views, and between these two gentlemen, along with so many other valued and respected contributors that have witnessed so much and understand the aura of the Cup, Scuttlebutt has been fortunate to provide extremely valuable dialogue regarding this storied event.