It is essential to remind ourselves that inspiration , that initial spark or trigger alone , is not enough . When Thomas Edison was asked about his genius and success , he replied : “ Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration ”. Well done is better than well dreamt . Faith , or an idea , without work , is dead . If you are lazy , it is perhaps better not to be inspired because those who do not dream about what is possible will not suffer the despair of non-accomplishment .
As we delve deeper into the relationship between inspiration and success , I would like to connect this topic to a sports event I was reminded of during my recent business travels to Australia and New Zealand . During my travels , I visited the New Zealand Maritime Museum , where the story of the America ’ s Cup again fascinated ( and inspired !) me .
The America ’ s Cup is the oldest continuously contested international sporting competition globally . The Cup , informally known as the Auld Mug , is a trophy in sailing . Queen Victoria awarded it in 1851 to John Stevens , owner of the schooner America , for a crushing victory against a fleet of sixteen other racing boats , the best England had to offer . Six years later , Stevens donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club ( NYYC ), and required that it be made available for perpetual international competition among countries .
Since then , the names of winning yachts have all been inscribed , but the trophy itself remains nameless . It is an irony of history that countless billions of dollars have been spent over the years in pursuit of an unnamed cup . But it is a trophy that has become a symbol of national pride ever since .
The America ’ s Cup is a match race , one against one , sailing ’ s equivalent of a boxing match .
First , the challenger teams must battle each other to determine which team has earned the right to take on the defender in the America ’ s Cup .
The NYYC kept winning for 132 years , the longest winning record in international sporting history , cementing the myth that the cup belonged to the US . It was bolted in place during much of this time , with no thought of it ever being lost . The cup ’ s history is marked by the successes and failures of some of the world ’ s wealthiest people : Vanderbilt , Rockefeller , Turner , Bond , Bertarelli … digging into their deep pockets to defend national pride .
Finally , in 1983 , after three previous unsuccessful challenges , Australian businessman Alan Bond succeeded when he returned for a fourth time , complete with a golden spanner to unbolt the cup from its plinth .
Dennis Connor achieved lifelong notoriety as the first American skipper to lose the cup . He vowed to get it back , and , in 1987 , he recovered his nation ’ s honour .
This was the time that Team New Zealand started to become a serious challenger . After
narrow losses in the challenger series in 1987 and 1992 , they finally removed the Auld Mug to Auckland after a brilliant 1995 campaign . They also became the first non-American team to defend the cup in 2000 successfully . After losing it in 2003 , they again won it in 2017 and successfully retained it in 2021 , hence being the current America ’ s Cup champions .
The America ’ s Cup is among the world ’ s most watched sporting spectacles , right up there with the Tour de France , Olympic Games and various sporting code World Cups .
This is a sport where campaigns can cost hundreds of millions of dollars . Years of preparation are required ( these days , there are three to four years between contests ).
So , how did New Zealand , a small Pacific Island nation with a population less than that of Johannesburg , take on the technological and financial might of syndicates from the world ’ s wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries and often win so perfectly ?
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