Hello Sailor

I am of the blunt-end sharp-end variety of sailor. In other words I know as much about actual sailing as Helen Clark knows about fashion. But I do have some knowledge of theatre and presentation, and, like many New Zealanders, I am staying up, forsaking the enticements of (among others) Morpheus to stay in bed, in favour of watching Television One’s coverage of the America’s Cup.

For those reasons I feel I am entitled to comment on the commentary. To put it bluntly: Television One’s commentary team of John McBeth and Peter (Pete) Montgomery has to go. The former still knows nothing of competitive yachting, and the latter has failed to recognise that most viewers now do, and he, himself, has reached his use-by date or lay-line as “we” in yachting circles call it.

Am I alone in being fed up to futtocks by McBeth’s incessant giggling at his unfunny “jokes” and by Montgomery’s incredibly patronising attitude to viewers and guest commentators, most acutely recently with Russel Coutts, with repeated interjections such as “for the folks at home, who nothing of sailing, explain what you just said”? Individually these irritations may not amount to much but collectively and accumulatively they are starting to spoil much of this event for me.

So, here’s the plea…

If we are to have New Zealand involvement in the next America’s Cup, and let’s hope we will, get rid of McBeth and Montgomery. Instead let’s have a commentary team comprised wholly of current and former America’s Cup sailors and skippers—people who know what they are talking about. There is precedent. Channel Nine’s cricket commentary team is comprised entirely of former players, so is that channel’s rugby league commentary team—both are the best in the business.

However, will such a team be too technical for us “landlubbers” as Peter Montgomery described you and me Tuesday night? No, I don’t think so. I understood every word Russel Coutts uttered (when he got a chance) that same night and Peter Lester is always clear, concise and accurate. Of course Coutts may not be available as a commentator for the next Cup but Lester will be and Dickson is likely. I am prepared to bet, too, that if Alinghi lose the Cup Butterworth will be looking for something to do.

But that’s for the future. For now I have no choice but to put up with McBeth and Montgomery if I want to watch the live coverage. Unfortunately, with these two around, I have to say my Cup doesn’t exactly runneth over about that.

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