Mickey Hart Enjoys the Rhythm of the AC45
Posted on 18 June 2011
Mickey Hart, longtime drummer for San Francisco’s Grateful Dead, has discovered the rhythm of the America’s Cup.
“This is multi-dimensional rhythm machine,” Hart said after an exhilarating sail as a guest racer on board an AC45 with Russell Coutts and the ORACLE Racing team today. “The sails, the boat, the current, the wind, the integration of the sailors. These guys are rhythm masters.
“They are dancing with the wind and the current. It’s fascinating. It’s a wonderful dance and they are playing on the edge,” Hart said. “That’s where the glory is – on the edge.”
Following the ORACLE Racing crew’s sensational capsize on the Bay Monday, Hart displayed his prankster sense of humor by arriving for the sail wearing a snorkel and goggles and carrying flippers.
But humor aside, Hart showed great respect for the crew work on board. “I like to see people performing at the top of their game. You want to see it played by the best. These guys are the best of the best – like the (Boston) Celtics on a good day.”
Hart is no stranger to the America’s Cup. He wrote the score for Walter Cronkite’s 1987 America’s Cup documentary and he has sailed on the Bay with San Francisco sailing legend the late Tom Blackaller.
Hart sees the Bay as the perfect venue for the America’s Cup. With the Golden Gate Bridge spanning the Bay like a huge harp, it is his city’s crown jewel, just like the pyramids of Egypt or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. “To see the racing from the shore is really special as opposed to having it out there (open ocean). Now you are embedded in the sport.”
Hart is looking forward to the racing in San Francisco. “I always like the edge and this is the edge. This is big, extreme fun.”
Check out Mickey Hart's AC45 ride here.