Learning From Defeat

When Neil Ressler, Ford Motor Co.'s chief technical officer, convinced his bosses it would be good to sponsor a boat in the America's Cup, he faced a tough choice -- whether to support the AmericaOne or Young America team. "I really didn't know much about either team," Ressler admits. "But I did remember Paul Cayard's skill and success the last time -- he hurt us in 1995." So Ressler put his bet on Cayard, skipper of AmericaOne, a move that got Ford at least as far as the challenger finals.

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