since when has any AC been "affordable"? This ain't the friggin Special Olympics...

Was Sir Lipton's campaign(s) "Affordable"?

Was the 12 meter campaign really "affordable"?

maybe define "affordable"... It's certainly affordable for the two finalists right now, and even some of the challenger teams..

It's always been a "yachting" event between uber-rich... why mess with it?

When else would you see this sort of technology/engineering really get tested on the world stage without some big $$ and ego behind it?

Would any of us even dream of foiling ANYTHING if we just watched 12 meter OD classes going round and round? Having watched the AC finals, it seems everyone all the sudden wants a foiling boat (cat, mono, swim fins, goldfish, etc)

heck, would anyone even watch the AC without these strange flying beasts? It was hard watching AC events of the past even when i WAS rooting for a particular team.. (the paint-drying analogy)