The decision to add a male crew member to the previously
all-female America3 yacht racing team "has the potential to
create far more consequences down the road than winning or losing
the right to defend the America's Cup," according to Barbara
Lloyd of the N.Y. TIMES (see THE DAILY, 3/20). The team won an
important race yesterday with new tactician Dave Dellenbaugh.
They need to win five of the next seven races to have a chance at
defending the Cup. While most of the all-female crew has "toed
the company line so far in accepting the addition of a male
counterpart on the boat, only time will tell whether such an
important decision so late in an America's Cup campaign turns out
to be fortuitous." Writes Lloyd, "The switch was made in haste
and apparently without the knowledge of more than a handful of
the crew." And Dellenbaugh's presence has "raised questions,
including a watchful eye by corporate supporters of America3 who
bought into sponsoring an all-female crew." Lloyd also notes
that "still at issue is whether the women actually pushed for the
change, or whether it was an idea imposed upon them by male
management" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/21). Michael Hiestand gives America3
owner Bill Koch a thumbs-down for his decision to add a male crew
member: "If you're selling novelty, you should deliver" (USA
TODAY, 3/21). But Koch said that the sponsors of America3 are
"at peace" with the decision: "All the sponsors that we talked
to, including the one who had a contract that said we could not
have a man on the boat, said they were all for the decision. And
they were behind it 100 percent" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/21).
