Paul Cayard

Easily one of the highest profile sailors in the world, Paul Cayard has forged his stature through great talent and a clear and very determined program to get to the top. Not only to get there, but in such a way that he is one of the highest paid, most sought after pros in the world.

It came as a bit of a shock then, when we learned that Larry Ellison had relegated Cayard, along with Chris Dickson, to the bench of the Oracle AC program. What - Cayard not only was not skippering (a role that he clearly felt should have been his), he wasn't sailing at all. Bizarre, to be sure, but then we always knew that this program was extremely top-heavy with some very big egos, and it was easy to predict that conflicts would arise. Of course Cayard never did get on the boat, but Dickson did, elevating their game to the finals where they were out sailed by Alinghi.

We caught Paul for an InnerView, and almost all the questions are from you readers. Paul was brief, and to the point. Enjoy.

courtesy Americaone

I think what most people admire about you, besides your obvious talent at getting a boat around the course significantly faster than the rest of us, is your non-PC approach to telling it like it is. In that spirit, give us your AC evaluations of both Larry Ellison and Chris Dickson.

PC
I am not going to go into character analysis.  Larry called the shots and the results are in.

Based on what you’ve seen and know, who do you think will win the Cup, and why?

PC
The stronger team is winning.  TNZ needed a faster boat to win and it doesn’t look like they have it.

Any offers for the AC 2006 yet? What is your vision for that challenge and what role do you intend to fill?

PC
I am getting a few contacts.  I am not in any hurry to dive into anything so I am just watching this one unfold.

Can you give us the inner scoop on why you were on the bench and Dicko on the boat - seems like the program could have benefited a lot by some team culture.

PC
You’ll have to ask LE for the inner scoop. Yes, I agree, it looked like Oracle could have benefited from a bit more team culture.  You could see the difference with Allinghi.

Nationality and the Cup. You have been on both sides of the issue. Do you favor the teams trying to stay more or less national? Would you support a rule that allows most of the crew to be "residents" of other countries and the helm, afterguard, and other "brain trust" positions in a syndicate remain restricted to the country of birth or nationality? Should the whole "competition among nations" just be thrown out?

PC
I think we have to keep a sense of nationality because it is a big draw to the public and it is part of the tradition.  However, it may not be necessary for all sailing team members and design team members to be nationals.   In any case, the criteria for nationality should be passport only.  The residency rule just doesn’t work and is very expensive.

The AC class boats are seemingly down to edging out miniscule gains in boat speed at huge expense. Do you support the continued use of ACC boats for the AC, or would you prefer to see a smaller or more developmental boat in future America's Cups?

PC
I think we should stick with the ACC boats.  We have spent a lot of money getting it down to a fairly even speed contest.  Changing the boat will just open it up to the richer teams to get a bigger speed advantage.  As the return on investment diminishes, so will the expenditure.

If you and Dickson were on Oracle together who would have been skipper? And if he was skipper and you were helmsman, what would you have said to him if he acted/treated you the way he did with Holmberg?

PC
We don’t have to worry about that.

If you had won the cup on A1 or loosely associated with Oracle/BMW and brought the cup back to San Fran - what was the concept/plan to race there? As the defender, were you going to modify the courses to fit in the Bay, go outside the gate or, somewhere different altogether?

PC
Our basic concept was to put on a very exciting race that a broader public could get interested in.  To do that you need action and a shorter time frame.  With the wind in SF Bay, wind is a given.  The boats would race in up to 30 knots.  The course would have been; start, a 3-mile beat, 3-mile run, ½ mile beat to the finish…35 minutes.  Then another race. Best 2 out of 3 for the days’ points.  People could watch the race from the shore.

Which was the most fun, Il Moro, Stars + Stripes '95, or America One, and could you compare the strengths and weaknesses of the campaigns??

PC
They all had their moments.  Il Moro was fun because we had the money from the get go and I was just 29 when it started.  Sailing with DC, Whidden and the gang was fun too.  A1 was satisfying in that is what a tough struggle and we did well.  A few people that I counted on bailed on me when the going got tough.  In the end, with $30M, we almost beat a team that spent $80M.  The Louis Vuitton Finals of 2000 were some of the best race I have been in.  1992 was not bad either with two, 1 second, victories over Team New Zealand.

Pay scales escalated these past years with the B's and the Volvo competing for a limited talent pool. Do you see the current AC/high end pro sailing wages as sustainable?

Cayard w/ El Toro buddy at age 15.

PC
No.  Money comes and goes.

Since it seems the Cup has strayed away from classic match racing (example: how many penalties were there in the whole LV series this year vs. one day of races at the Congressional Cup?), do you think there would ever be a move to see at least some portion of the eliminations sailing in a fleet format?

PC
I doubt it.  The fleet racing we have had in this Class certainly has been exciting but the “Match” is so engrained in this event.

What was the real story with Raul Gardini?

PC
He was a very good sailor in his own right.  He won the Fastnet Race twice as skipper.  Yet he never pretended to be an America’s Cup sailor.  He was content with who he was and his place in business.  He was a great leader and stood by the management he picked.

The sport is growing with more pros being well compensated. What is the compensation, on average, for a 3-day regatta, for afterguard, middle, and bow in your estimation/experience?

PC
Afterguard earn $800-$1200/day, middle and bow earn anywhere from $300-$800/day.

What's the preference if you had to do one of the following as a campaign CEO: Volvo; Bruno Peyron's circuit on OD cats; or the Antarctica Challenge? And does the answer change if you are just an onboard skipper?

PC
I am interested in the Big Cats.  It would be something new to me…new technology.  The speed would be fun too.  In a way, the big cats are the ultimate sailing machines.

Did Nautor do an evaluation of their Volvo experience? Was the AToo portion of the program a money loser or did they make a return on investment? Did Nautor learn anything from this experience?

PC
All in all, the Nautor Challenge had a positive effect on the brand.

What sort of racing (other than stars) would you like to do next?

PC
I am still interested in the AC and as I said above, the big Cats are of interest to me.

If your kids are interested in sailing, what path will he steer them toward?

PC
I am not pushing my kids into sailing.  They are very casual sailors.  My son has had some interest in sailing a 29er.  They both sail Optimists in Sweden in the summers.

Would you consider skippering a multihull in The Race?

PC
Yes.

We know that when it is all said and done, your true love is the Star. Are you going to put a serious effort into an Olympic Star campaign or do you have too many other things going on?

PC
I am putting a reasonable effort into going to the Athens Olympics. 

What's your favorite course on SF Bay? City front (pretty but usually a follow the leader parade) or Berkley circle (not as pretty but a even course).

PC
I like the city front especially when the tide is changing.  It can be very tricky.  The circle is better for a true championship.

The VOR just announced their new rules package. What are your thoughts on the new Volvo boats? Would you go back and do the race on one of these?

PC
I think they made some improvements but it is basically the same race.  I am not urgently looking to do it but that is mostly because I have done it and won it.

Are you tactician for Samba Pi Ti this year? Do you have commitments to other owners for 2003, and if so, what class(es)?

PC
I am committed to Samba for this year and next.

What's the process of hooking up with an owner? Do owners contact you directly or do you have your own representation that seeks out opportunities?  What's the ideal situation for you as a professional (other than AC and VOR)?

courtesy Oracle Racing

PC
The process can work either way.  I think the Farr 40 class provides the best venue for professional sailors other than the AC and Volvo or Race.  The Farr 40 is great for the owners as well.

What do you see as your primary focus ten years from now - a mix of racing and management, campaigning your own boat, or some other role in yachting? How about a book of your professional experiences? Your Whitbread and VOR emails were compelling and entertaining, and a few chapters about the Blackaller years would be a trip.

PC
I think I will still be doing pretty much the same thing is 10 years.  I am 43.  The question is what will I be doing in 20?  And if I am concerned about that, should I make a change now?  That is the window I am looking at.  As I said before, I would like to make another highly qualified, run at the Cup. 

I may right a book someday.  I do have plenty of good stories.

Few of us yanks remember, but I recall a special Paul Cayard edition Ferrari that was introduced during your time with II Moro. Did you receive an offer from Ferrari to manage their F-1 program? Really big bucks? Did you give it any serious thought? And do you still have your PC Edition in the garage?

PC
Yes I did receive an offer from Ferrari to manage their F1 team right after Il Moro.  I turned it down because, knowing what I know about my business, I knew that I would be lost in F1. And yes it was big dollars.  I have a slightly different version in my garage.

So what cars, SUV's are in your driveway? Are you driving a 7-series with the Oracle/BMW money? Hope so!

PC
Let’s just say that I am very fortunate for everything I have starting with a very understanding and supportive wife and two great kids.

Paul, thanks for your time.

PC
Thank you.