I'm in the marine industry, so when a message comes across my desk, lauding the House and Senate for passing H.R. 3321: America's Cup Act of 2011, it caught my interest.
Until today, I had never heard that it took an Act of Congress to hold an America's Cup in the US. So I read the legislation. It turns out that this is a piece of legislation circumventing the Jones Act and probably other legislation to allow one 350' megayacht, one small nondescript cargo vessel, one coastal dredge, and one nondescript smallish container vessel to enter the US. It also allows three (3) named LNG vessels the right to do the same, and specifies that one LNG vessel of Alaskan registry not be allowed to discharge LNG cargo while in drydock. And oh yes, it allows one (1) dated America's Cup trial horse, repurposed as an expensive day charter vessel, also to enter. All the genuine America's Cup vessels and their accompanying support vessels rather obviously do not require such an Act to enter and participate.
More below . . .
Even I can see that this Act has nothing to do with having an America's Cup
in US waters.
To me, it looks like some money changed hands somewhere and certain people, favored by certain legislators, were granted the right to do certain things, probably financially remunerative, which would otherwise be prohibited by US law and for good reason.
So what do LNG carriers have to do with a sailboat race? I do resent this sneaky backdoor attack on the US Flag Merchant Marine and the men and women who serve this country on what few vessels we have left.
What is damn peculiar is the way in which everyone in the marine industry and local S.F. officials, including San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, have spoken out in unqualified support of this corrupt act, which does nothing necessary to holding the next America's Cup.