Valencia Yacht Management

We have moved!

2011-02-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

We have now moved to our new site, which is integrated with our website:

http://www.vlcym.com/category/news/blog/

Please find us there. There you will find updated information on our projects and other related topics.

ORACLE Racing: AC45 Production in Warkworth

2011-01-27T04:57:00.000-08:00

Not really sure what Matthew and his mates are up to, but he definately sounds excited!!

ORACLE Racing: Eye in the sky - aerial shots of the AC45

2011-01-27T04:53:00.001-08:00

ORACLE Racing: Back on Track

2011-01-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

Testing sessions resume on the AC45 on Tuesday following a few days of stormy weather in Auckland. And the old guard do a 'fly past' of the new generation, showing the way.

Banque Populaire - Trophée Jules Verne - Day 4

2011-01-26T09:58:00.001-08:00

Still ripping its way south!!

OFFICIAL DATES OF 34TH AMERICA’S CUP RELEASED

2011-01-26T01:16:00.000-08:00

WHAT:
The 2013 race dates for the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup Match (Finals) were confirmed today by Regatta Director Iain Murray.

Since 1983, the Louis Vuitton Cup – the America’s Cup Challenger Series – has been held when more than one Challenger is vying for the right to race the Defender for the America’s Cup (as is the case for the 34th America’s Cup). The role of the Louis Vuitton Cup is twofold – not only to select the best Challenger, but also to help prepare that the team to race successfully against the Defender in the America’s Cup Match (Finals).

The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will race the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s (GGYC) defending team in the finals, a first-to-win-five (best of nine) race series known as the America’s Cup Match (Finals).

WHEN:
Louis Vuitton Cup: 13 July – 1 September 2013*
America’s Cup Match (Finals): 7-22 September 2013**

WHO:
Under the Protocol Governing the America’s Cup, GGYC as the Defending Club has the responsibility to select the dates.

The official notice of these dates to the currently entered six teams, and other prospective teams, from Regatta Director Iain Murray is now available atwww.americascup.com under the Gallery section.

WHERE:
San Francisco Bay

Foncia retire from the race

2011-01-26T01:04:00.000-08:00

The report was sent from Foncia’s Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart at 0659hrs this Wedenesday morning.
“ On January 26^th 2011 at 0240hrs UTC positioned at 41°12,6 S and 8°59,8 E Foncia was sailing a course of 115 degrees at an average of 18 knots under Solent and one reef with the wind at 140 degree blowing at 25-30 knots, wind swell, and had the same conditions for around eight hours.
The mast broke above the solent hound, in other words around 25 metres above the deck (27.3m long tube). The rigging is still up held in place by the lower shrouds, the runners, the staysail stay and main jib stay. The broken sectiont is hanging down at 20m up and is still held in place by the halyards. The solent, unfurled, because in use when the damage occurred was twisted around the whole mast.
The mainsail is held by its halyard at the third reef. Everything has stayed on board, nothing lost overboard. I can’t hide our disappointment, but we are healthy except I have a little pain in my right thumb which I got when I was trying to get the Solent under control.
We do not ask for any assistance. We are currently trying to head for Cape Town under sail, around 600 miles off. Our current speed is 11 knots course 76 deg. The forecasts for the next few days show no risk (today 25 to 30 knots from the S, weakening and clocking W). In two days the passage of the anticyclone (bringing light winds). If the seas are slight then maybe we will have the chance to climb the mast to recover the pieces and to be able to drop the mainsail. After that we should see 20-25 knots from the SE in to Cape Town.
Our ETA Cape Town then should be 30^th or 31^st January. We retire from the Barcelona World Race.”

18 footers old style

2011-01-25T03:08:00.001-08:00

Watch the end!!

Ice

2011-01-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

The ABC's Karen Barlow is surrounded by a landscape of icy sculptures as the Aurora Australis enters Antarctic waters. This is a good reason why the BWR ice gates have been moved further north.

Banque Populaire - Trophée Jules Verne - Day 1 - 23 Jan 2011

2011-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Wild !!

Brenta 100

2011-01-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

100 ft Chrisco from Luca Brenta Yacht Des on Vimeo.

First sail for the AC45

2011-01-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

Maiden sail for the AC45. Auckland, 16 January 2011. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / America's Cup

[Source: America's Cup] Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour showcased a glimpse into the future of the America’s Cup with the debut of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The forerunner to the next generation of America’s Cup boats, the AC45 made its maiden voyage, the first of many sea trials planned over the coming weeks.

“Thanks to the efficiency of the New Zealand boat building industry and a huge effort by our team, the first AC45 is now ready for sea trials just a mere four months after this exciting new multihull class was first conceptualized,” said Tim Smyth, co-construction manager for Core Builders Composites of Warkworth, New Zealand.

AC45 Wing-Sailed Catamaran Under Sail in Auckland

2011-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour showcased a glimpse into the future of the America’s Cup with the debut of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The forerunner to the next generation of America’s Cup boats, the AC45 made its maiden voyage, the first of many sea trials planned over the coming weeks.

“Thanks to the efficiency of the New Zealand boat building industry and a huge effort by our team, the first AC45 is now ready for sea trials just a mere four months after this exciting new multihull class was first conceptualized,” said Tim Smyth, co-construction manager for Core Builders Composites of Warkworth, New Zealand.

The AC45 will be the centerpiece of the 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series, which will start mid-2011. The high-tech carbon fibre catamaran is the first in a fleet of the new 45-foot one-designs that will be tested by America’s Cup teams before racing on the America’s Cup World Series circuit.

The AC45 is an essential element of the vision for the 34th America’s Cup, which will feature 72-foot catamarans raced on San Francisco Bay in 2013. Focused on creating more on-the-water excitement for both the teams and the fans, the AC45 is designed for both speed and close racing. While capable of closing speeds of up to 30 knots, the AC45 was designed to remain nimble enough to handle the tight race courses planned by America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM).

“The biggest challenge with multihulls is learning how much to anticipate. With the AC45 being a big, powerful multihull capable of tripling the wind speed, your reactions and skills are accelerated. It’s all about being ahead of the cycle,” said ORACLE RACING skipper James Spithill. “I think the AC45 will enable all teams to advance to hard-core race mentality very quickly.”

The AC45 was designed by the ORACLE RACING design and engineering team, which developed the catamaran on behalf of the America’s Cup community. At task was designing a boat that would not only meet the racing criteria, but could also fit inside a 40-foot container, which is the shipping vessel for the America’s Cup World Series.

“The boat was designed for all-around performance so it can be sailed in wide range of conditions, and that means the next America's Cup will see races start on time,” said Ian Burns, ORACLE RACING design coordinator. “Plus it’s a regatta boat, meant for lots of racing, so quick assembly and disassembly was a must to accommodate an active competition schedule.”

The AC45 had to be robust enough to sail through a wide wind range, from 5 to 30 knots, as well as survive in the event of collisions, which are foreseen as teams learn to adapt to multihull closing speeds.

Utilizing the same technology used in the aerospace industry, the hulls are built in carbon epoxy with honeycomb cores, making them extremely stiff and light structures. The sandwich construction involves two carbon skins less than 1mm thick laminated over an ultra-light honeycomb core.

“The new America’s Cup is for those who are hungry for a challenge and the AC45 is really a fresh take on the multihull,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President, Mascalzone Latino.

“We plan to run tight race courses that will force boats to engage with each other, creating really close racing situations. Multihulls are very fast boats and will therefore reach the course boundaries sooner, so races will become a true test of skill and strategy, not just speed,” said Iain Murray, CEO, America’s Cup Race Management and Regatta Director. “The AC45 will fast-track teams to state-of-the-art wingsail technology and crew technique in the first season, and will greatly prepare them for the AC72.”
Specifications:

LOA: 44.13’ (13.45m)
BEAM:22.6’ (6.9m)
DSPL:1,400 kg
Mast Height:70.5’ (21.5m)
Sail Area:1430 sq’ (133 sqm) (up w/main & gennaker), 2,259 sq’ 210 (sqm) (dwn w/main & reacher)

AC45 Splashdown!

2011-01-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

The AC45 splashed today in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour to a round of applause from the impromptu crowd as the wing-sailed catamaran was lifted overhead and into the water for the first time.

AC45 Wing Sail Time Elapse

2011-01-16T06:28:00.001-08:00

AC 45 launched

2011-01-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

'Oracle Racing rig and float the first AC45 in Auckland. 16/1/2011' Chris Cameron

Top international photographer, Chris Cameron, was on hand to capture the launch of the prototype AC45 in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour, a day ahead of schedule. The AC45 is the forerunner to the AC72 which will be used in the 34th America's Cup. The 45ft long yacht will feature a wingsail, the same as the larger 72ft yacht to be used in the September 2013 Match in San Francisco.

The AC45 has been under construction at the Core Composites facility in Warkworth, 40 minutes north of Auckland. The prototype will be assembled in the old Team New Zealand building at the Viaduct harbour, ahead of the provisional launch date of 17th January 2011.

Each team will be required to own at least one of the AC45 yachts which will be used for competition in the new America's Cup World Series of 13 regattas which will precede the 34th America's Cup.

For more images from Chris Cameron click here

16/01/2011 - Auckland (NZL) - 34th America’s Cup - AC45 finalization - Gilles Martin-Raget-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

A runner fitting fails during the rigging of the first AC45. Oracle Racing rig and float the first AC45 in Auckland. That is Murray Jones of ex Alinghi fame with the EC6 fitting in his hand! Murray was very much involved with his own brand of carbon rigging whilst in Switzerland. 16/1/2011 - Chris Cameron

Oracle Racing rig and float the first AC45 in Auckland. 16/1/2011 - Chris Cameron

16/01/2011 - Auckland (NZL) - 34th America’s Cup - AC45 finalization - Gilles Martin-Raget-www.americascup.com

Ainhoa arrives in NZ

2011-01-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

Brad arrives to Wellington

2011-01-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ainhoa Sanchez catches some shots of Brad shortly before his arrival into Wellington, from the helicopter! She really takes great shots.

New BWR leader

2011-01-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

The crew of Estrella Damm lead the BWR fleet into the southern hemisphere - taking full advantage of the pit stops of the earlier race leaders.

AC 45 takes shape

2011-01-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foto copyright Gilles Martin-Raget

Foncia underway again

2011-01-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

First in to Récife and first out, Foncia returned to the race course this evening after an 18 hours stopover to repair the sacrificial crash box on the bow of the VPLP/Verdier designed IMOCA Open 60.

Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart arrived at 2330hrs (UTC) last night and left the dock at 1740hrs (UTC).
According to the technical team repairs went well. The foam was largely intact and so required some new carbon and lamination, effectively with a new nose ready to take on the race course again.
Foncia is reported to have set off again in winds of around 12 knots, ready to take on their next challenge, the Saint Helena anticyclone. Desjoyeaux and Gabart restart in fifth position more than 160 miles behind race leader Estrella Damm.

The Virbac-Paprec team were expecting to be heading back to the race course around 2015hrs (UTC). Their repairs were reported to have gone well although some supplementary work was required to repair damage to the bracing support for the main sheet track caused by the jury mainsheet anchoring set up by Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron.
“ Work went well in spite of the additional work caused by the fortune set up by JP and Loïck which sheared the support for the carbon sheet track. Julien and Philippe repaired that but the resin does not dry well in the humid equatorial climate. Jean-Yves, Bruno and I replaced the new track. Jean-Pierre and Loïck left to rest before heading back out to sea around the start of the evening.” Said shore team member Nicolas

Estrella Damm leads into the third Sunday of the race by 118 miles from MAPFRE.
In eighth GAES Centros Auditivos is less than 2 miles ahead of Renault ZE Sailing Team. They have Neutrogena34.7 miles ahead, but Hugo Boss is now 84 niles behind them.

AC 45 construction photos

2011-01-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

'Construction of the AC45 catamaran wingsail' Ivor Wilkins/www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran wingsail - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - beam finishing - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - wingsail - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - platform - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - wingsail - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - factory floor - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - wingsail - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - platform - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Construction of the AC45 catamaran - Ivor Wilkins-www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Coming soon ...?

2011-01-13T06:31:00.001-08:00

Fifth challenger officially confirmed?

2011-01-12T22:58:00.001-08:00

[Source: America's Cup] “What a great way to start off the new year, with our official host city San Francisco in place and now the announcement of our sixth entry,” said Iain Murray, Regatta Director for the 34th America’s Cup and CEO of America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM). “I’m looking forward to having more good news to share, with the launch of the first AC45 later this month.”

This sixth entry joins previously announced challenges from Italy (Mascalzone Latino), France (ALEPH), and Sweden (Artemis Racing). A fourth challenger has been accepted but has yet to disclose any details of its entry, while ORACLE RACING from the United States has been accepted as a defender candidate by the Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Nearly 160 years old, the America’s Cup has become one of the world’s leading sporting competitions. Focused on creating a new era for the America’s Cup, the America’s Cup Event Authority is transforming the event for media and online broadcasting to deliver an enhanced viewer experience.

In addition, ACRM is transforming the on-the-water experience through the introduction of elements that will deliver unparalleled racing competition, including new course formats, racing rules and the wing-sailed AC72 catamaran, a groundbreaking new boat design.

Mapfre making miles

2011-01-12T02:23:00.000-08:00

The strong trade winds and high speeds south from the Canary islands have taken a toll on the Barcelona World Race leading group as Jean Le Cam and Bruno Dubois head for the Cape Verde islands this afternoon after losing the mast of their IMOCA Open 60 Président 83 miles NW of Santo Antao at around 1930 last night. The duo lost the entire rig and had to cut sails free.

After hitting some type of floating object which has damaged the crash box on the bow of Foncia which they noticed on Sunday, Michel Desjoyeaux and Francois Gabart confirmed this morning that they are preparing to make a technical stop in Brasil, probably in Recife to repair or replace the sacrificial section which served its purpose, preventing damage to the hull.

Speeds have dropped now for the leaders who keep pressing hard down towards the Doldrums, but who will be taking the chance to re-group, to recharge their energies after three seemingly endless days and nights of on-the-edge sailing. For the leading duo the passage across the Doldrums looks to be relatively straightforward, and they will start to feel the effects of the convergence zone this evening. The slow-down for the leaders might be scarcely noticeable and last around 24-36 hours.
Leader Virbac-Paprec 3 might even expect to be sliding into the southern hemisphere, across the Equator by Wednesday evening around 1800-1900hrs.

The top half of the fleet have a time window of around 48 hours to get down to the Doldrums, but then as the Trade Winds in the north start to diminish, the light winds convergence zone spreads north and the later arrivals might lose up to another half a day or so, on the leading pack.

The technical stopover for Desjoyeaux and Gabart, expected to be in Recife this Friday, is expected to be relatively straightforward, and requires a detour which is not too far off the course considering the present position of the St Helena high pressure system which presses the fleet closer to the Brazilian coast. The ‘nose job’ procedure could take as little as four hours to complete with the boat required to be lifted out of the water.

But for Le Cam and his Catalan co-skipper, the prospects are much bleaker.
The French skipper might be more battle scarred, hardened by the slings and arrows of misfortune on the oceans over his 25 year career than the full time cardiologist Garcia, but both were putting a stoic, brave face on their fate.Garcia, whose childhood dream of racing round the world looks to be over for the moment, said:

“I’m touched by it. I have thought about it all night. But there is nothing either of us can do about it. Life is like this. Sometimes you just have to take it.”

“I never expected this at all.”

Messages of solidarity and support were received by the President duo, not least the practical advice from Alex Pella, Garcia’s fellow Barcelones skipper who offered a list of personal advice, having had to stop there after losing the mast of his Mini in 2007, not least to enjoy the Portuguese beer and pizzas in the yacht club.

While Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron extended their lead to 83.2 miles this afternoon over Foncia, Spain’s Olympic duo Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez proved the quickest in the fleet, sailing 424 miles in 24 hours, the greatest distance yet in this edition of the Barcelona World Race. They are up to fourth place now, passing Mirabaud,and are just 40 miles behind their third placed compatriots on Estrella Damm, Pepe Ribes and Alex Pella.

The route for the looks set to narrow and become trickier over the next few days.

Jan 11 Summary of the day (English version)

2011-01-12T02:16:00.000-08:00

Extreme style

2011-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Président dismasts

2011-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Jean Le Cam warned at 20:25 (French time), the race director of the Barcelona World Race that today Monday, January 10, 2011, the boat Président lost her mast. Jean Le Cam and his Spanish teammate Bruno Garcia are on board and safe.

The incident happened while the yacht was positioned 18 º 03 ‘N / 26 º 14′ W and was sailing at a speed between 16 and 20 knots. The boat crashed into a wave and the mast broke.

Michel Ollivier (technical director) and the race directors are in constant contact with the boat and can confirm that the two skippers have not requested any assistance. Both are currently on board and under engine will cover the 83 miles that separate them from San Antao Island, the most northerly of the Archipelago of Cape Verde.

Weather conditions currently at the area are north-easterly wind blowing at 19 knots, with short seas.

Watch them work

2011-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

New website

2011-01-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

Zhik Moth Worlds 2011

2011-01-10T01:46:00.001-08:00

Great pics from Thierry as usual - check out the action down under...

Just another day at the office for Nathan Outteridge (AUS) who flawlessly handled the gusty 16-18 knot Easterly on Lake Macquarie at the 2011 Zhik Moth Worlds during the final day of the Qualifying Series. In the last start of the day he blasted off the line at 20 knots, after dipping the line from above the start boat.

Almost there

2011-01-10T01:42:00.001-08:00

AC45 Production 3rd Stage, Warkworth

2011-01-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

Tim Smyth and Chris Mellow guide through the 3rd stage production of the AC45 in Warkworth NZ.

The Wing

2011-01-07T06:12:00.000-08:00

Charlie McKee with solid sail (wing), during the Practice Race in Belmont. I am sure we are going to see more like this over the coming months!!

Karver greeting

2011-01-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

Barcelona World Race Game tutorial

2011-01-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Although the game is having some teething problems, it has generated quite a following. Quite real and well worth look. Check it out on their website.

34th America's Cup coming to San Francisco

2011-01-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

San Francisco has been selected as the host venue for the 34th America's Cup.

"We sought a venue that fulfills our promise -- to showcase the best sailors in the world competing on the fastest boats," said Richard Worth, Chairman, America's Cup Event Authority. "And hosting the America's Cup in San Francisco will realize that promise."

San Francisco Wins Right to Host 2013 America’s Cup

2011-01-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

San Francisco has been selected as the host venue for the 34th America’s Cup. An official celebration event will be hosted in San Francisco on January 5th, event location details to be announced.

“We sought a venue that fulfills our promise – to showcase the best sailors in the world competing on the fastest boats,” said Richard Worth, Chairman, America’s Cup Event Authority. “And hosting the America’s Cup in San Francisco will realize that promise.“

“We thank Mayor Newsom, Board President Chiu, Supervisor Mirkarimi and all of the Board of Supervisors, the staff at City Hall and the Port Authority, Mark Buell and San Francisco America’s Cup Organizing Committee, and all who have worked so diligently on securing the bid,” Worth continued. “We look forward to working closely with City of San Francisco over the coming months to create a world-class America’s Cup event, and a large and lasting beneficial impact on the City.”

The world-famous San Francisco Bay will be home to the 2013 America’s Cup Finals and the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup, as well as an America’s Cup World Series event in 2012. This will be the first time the America’s Cup has been hosted in the United States since 1995.

“Today is one of great celebration, with San Francisco winning the right to host the America’s Cup, and all of the economic benefit, jobs and excitement that comes with it,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “San Francisco is the best place on Earth to host an event of this stature, and we could not be more proud to be the city that brings the America’s Cup back home to the United States.”

Independent studies show that the America’s Cup delivers the third largest economic impact in sport to host countries, behind the Olympic Games and soccer’s World Cup. The 34th America’s Cup is projected to pump an estimated $1.4 billion dollars into the San Francisco region.

“As a native San Franciscan, I grew up sailing in front of the City. Racing for the America’s Cup in San Francisco is something I have dreamt of my whole life,” said Paul Cayard, CEO of Sweden’s Artemis Racing, a challenger for the 34th America’s Cup. ”By hosting sailing’s most important event in the Bay, the world will see sailing as it never has before. As a team, Artemis Racing is particularly looking forward to competing in San Francisco.”

Racing will be held on the iconic San Francisco Cityfront and be visible from world-renown tourist destinations such as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, Crissy Field, the Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf. An influx of millions of tourists is expected for the Challenger Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Finals in late 2013.

“My support for San Francisco hosting the America’s Cup goes beyond the opportunity to see our team competing on home waters,” said Russell Coutts, CEO, ORACLE Racing, the current America’s Cup defending team. “We are excited to sail for our sport’s greatest trophy, on a stretch of water legendary among sailors worldwide.”

The Race Village will be constructed on Piers 19 and 29, with the team bases at and around Pier 30/32. As part of the plan, the America’s Cup Event Authority will redevelop these piers as well as the surrounding infrastructure to support the racing, while rehabilitating the piers for the enjoyment of generations of San Franciscans to come.

With a goal of creating the most dynamic America’s Cup in history for fans and participants, changes have been introduced to the 34th edition. Enhancements include the introduction of groundbreaking new 72’ wing-sailed catamarans capable of speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, new race formats and rules, and a transformed media and online broadcasting approach to enable an interactive viewer experience.

In the summer of 2011, America’s Cup teams will commence racing in the new America’s Cup World Series in the new wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The America’s Cup World Series calendar of events will be published in early 2011.

James Spithill keynote speech at the 2010 World Yacht Race Forum

2010-12-16T02:49:00.000-08:00

Wonder who wrote that!!

King Ben

2010-12-16T02:39:00.000-08:00

Britain's Ben Ainslie in full flight in today's Finn class.

One champion who has found form is three times Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie. After a steady rather than spectacular start to the regatta, he won all three races today to lead the fleet by a single point over Zach Railey from the USA. Two Frenchmen, Jonathan Lobert and Thomas Le Breton are third and fourth.

Ainslie has had a long time away from the Finn, competing in the Louis Vuitton and World Match Race Tour events. He wrapped up the World Match Race title two weeks ago at the Monsoon Cup.

“I'm getting more comfortable in the boat, and starting to get the feel back,” he said. With a limit of three races a day for the heavyweight dinghy, there are just four more races to sail.

In the other single-handed dinghy, a major upset is on the cards. An Australian is in the dominant position and his name is Tom. But it isn't International Sailor of the Year Tom Slingsby.

Sail Melbourne 2010 - Highlights from Day 3

2010-12-16T02:34:00.000-08:00

Tom Slingsby receives ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award plus latest from day 3 of Sail Melbourne 2010

New Year, New Route - Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12

2010-12-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

Camper shows us (or doesnt!)

2010-12-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

Thomas Jundt and Mirabau

2010-12-16T02:25:00.001-08:00

Following the success of the foiling monohull, Mirabaud LX, the Geneva-based

engineer and sailor now plans to develop a wing with the aim of breaking new

records.

Geneva, the 10th December 2010 – Geneva-based sailor and designer Thomas Jundt

plans to develop a wing mast for his foiling monohull, Mirabaud LX.

Since the radical boat hit the water in April 2008, Mirabaud LX has undergone constant

improvement including new floats, sails, foils and continuous fine-tuning to the structure in

general.

World renowned and the subject of heated discussion in the International sailing community,

Mirabaud LX has had considerable success on both salt and fresh water. In particular Thomas

Jundt, Antoine Ravonel and Eric Gobet blew off the 200-strong fleet in the Genève-Rolle-Genève

2009 race, winning the monohull category and breaking the event record.

The same year, in May 2009, Mirabaud LX sailed for the first time without any floats, flying solely

on her foils.

This autumn, Mirabaud LX won the yacht category of the prestigious Weymouth Speed Week with a

run over the 500m course at an average of 23.24 knots and a top speed of 25.8 knots.

“I visited Newport (Rhode Island, USA) this autumn to take part in the Little America’s Cup and to check

out the latest rigid sail developments,” explains Thomas Jundt. “I’ve been watching the evolution of wing

sails for many years, but this time I was really struck by the amount of new technology on show, their ease

of use and the associated performance. I was convinced that we needed to add this development to the

Mirabaud LX project.”

Mirabaud LX will only be the second yacht with a wing on Lake Geneva, after Philippe Stern’s catamaran Altaïr

XII that caused a stir in the early 90’s.

“We have supported Thomas Jundt’s projects for the past three years and have keenly followed the successive

developments of Mirabaud LX,” comments Mirabaud Associate and CEO Antonio Palma. “Thomas has a unique

and innovative approach and his projects are professionally planned and implemented. We are delighted to be able

to support this new development.”

Mirabaud LX’s wing is currently in the conception phase and will be completed before the major racing circuit begins

on Lake Geneva

A glimpse of the future: Mirabaud LX 2011 will break the mould of what we consider a racing yacht to be.

http://www.maxcomm-media.com/Mirabaud-LX--2011,44,4,en,f,g96,n1.htm

Wild Oats XI

2010-12-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

Wild Oats XI out on Sydney Harbour for the Solas Big Boat Challenge

BMW ORACLE Racing clinches RC 44 season championship

2010-12-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

The crew – including Russell Coutts (tactician), Dirk de Ridder (mainsheet), Ryan Godfrey (bow), Ross Halcrow (trimmer), Revelin Minihane (pit), Colin Orsini (grinder) and Chris Schirmer (trimmer) – placed second in the fleet racing portion of the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

Coupled with their sixth-place finish in the match racing portion, BMW ORACLE Racing placed fourth overall in the event. They also won the RC 44 Austria Cup in April and the RC 44 Copenhagen Cup in June and finished with a 2-point advantage over Artemis Racing in the season championship.

“We knew the season was hanging in the balance,” said Ellison. “Everyone was intense, but Russell did a great job of calling tactics and the whole crew did a fantastic job. We didn’t make any cataclysmic mistakes and we used our opportunities to pass boats. We did OK.”

The RC 44 World Champion yacht 17, with guest helmsman William “Doug” Douglass and tactician James Spithill, won the fleet racing portion of the regatta with the low score of 39 points.

“Today was a little windy and we saw how the boats could get wicked up and go,” said Douglass, a veteran of the Farr 40 and Melges 32 one-design classes. “We were a little asleep today.”

The crew – including Jonas Hviid Nielsen (trimmer), Kyle Langford (grinder), Joe Newton (trimmer), Philippe Presti (mainsheet), Bryce Ruthenberg (match racing trimmer), Piet van Nieuwenhuyzen (bow) and Matt Von Bibra (pit) – led the fleet racing throughout the three days.

They survived today despite a couple of mishaps in the final race, including an early start, twisted spinnaker and the temporary loss of van Nieuwenhuyzen overboard on the first downwind leg. He was recovered without incident.

“I think it was impressive for Doug to come in the first time and win,” said Spithill. “It took us time to get him up to speed, but he did a great job. Full credit to the guys for hanging in there.

“Today was very shifty and hard to read,” Spithill continued. “It was also a bit warmer, so Piet went for a swim. We kind of broached and he fell off. It took forever to get him back aboard.”

Like 17, BMW ORACLE Racing, which also won the 2010 Fleet Racing Championship, had an early start, but the crew was able to dig its way out of trouble to prevent the points from accumulating, especially on the downwind legs.

“We probably won it downwind today,” said Coutts. “We didn’t make any big errors and were able to pass boats because of the shifts and puffs. That was the winning factor.”

RC 44 2010 Season Championship

1. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts – (8)-1-1-4-2-4 – 12 points

2. Artemis Racing (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson – 1-(8)-4-2-5-2 – 14 points

3. 17 (USA) William Douglass/James Spithill – (11)-3-5-3-1-3 – 15 points

4. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies – 2-2-3-5-3-(6) – 15 points

5. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton – 4-6-2-1-(8)-5 – 18 points

6. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser – 3-4-6-7-6-(9) – 26 points

7. Katusha (RUS) Guennadi Timtchenko/Paul Cayard – 6-5-(8)-6-4-8 – 29 points

8. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis – 5-7-7-(9)-7-7 – 33 points

9. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni – 11-(12)-12-11-9-1 – 44 points

10. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce – 7-9-10-8-(11)-11 – 45 points

11. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder – 9-10-9-10-10-(14) – 48 points

12. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov – 11-12-12-(13)-13-10 – 58 points

13. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner – 11-12-12-(13)-12-12 – 59 points

14. Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams – 11-12-12-13-(15)-13 – 61 points

ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami Final Standings

(Boat, match racing-fleet racing – total)

1. Mascalzone Latino, 3-3 – 6 points

2. Artemis Racing, 2-5 – 7 points

3. Yacht 17, 7-1 – 8 points

4. BMW ORACLE Racing, 6-2 – 8 points

5. Team Aqua, 1-9 – 10 points

6. No Way Back, 8-4 – 12 points

7. Ceeref, 10-6 – 16 points

8. Katusha, 9-7 – 16 points

9. Sea Dubai, 5-11 – 16 points

10. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-12 – 16 points

11. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero, 13-8 – 21 points

12. Peninsula Petroleum, 12-10 – 22 points

13. Ironbound, 11-13 – 24 points

14. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team, 14-14 – 28 points

Dejavu!!

2010-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Do yacht clubs really matter in the America's Cup?

According to the Deed of Gift, the basic set of rules that govern the America's Cup, "any organized yacht Club of a foreign country, incorporated, patented, or licensed by the legislature, admiralty or other executive department, having for its annual regatta an ocean water course on the sea, or on an arm of the sea, or one which combines both, shall always be entitled to the right of sailing a match for this Cup". In the 32nd edition of the world's oldest sailing event, a few exceptions were granted. The Spanish challenged through their national sailing federation, the Chinese through the newly-created Qingdao International yacht Club....

Have we seen this all before? Check out the good article written by Pierre at Valencia Sailing. I think he has a point. All seems a bit silly!

BMW ORACLE Racing on threshold of RC 44 season championship

2010-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Ellison and tactician Russell Coutts scored an eighth and a fifth in today’s two races and now have 34 points. A top-three finish in the fleet racing, coupled with the sixth they scored in the match racing would be enough to secure the overall championship they led coming into the final event of the season.

Points are easy to come by on the racecourse, however, and the crew’s win is far from certain.

“We’re not there yet,” said BMW ORACLE Racing mainsail trimmer Dirk de Ridder. “There are a lot of boats out there and it’s easy to rack up the points. The key is to get a free lane. When you get near other boats you tend to slow down, so it’s almost worth it to sail extra distance and get a clear lane.”

Ellison and Coutts trail the RC 44 World Champion yacht 17, led by helmsman William “Doug” Douglass and tactician James Spithill, by 20 points. Douglass and Spithill scored two bullets today and have 14 points in 6 races.

“I’ve got a good crew and a great tactician in Jimmy Spithill,” said Douglass. “He’s putting me in the right place and the guys have the boat tuned great. It’s easy to go well when the boat’s fast.”

For the RC 44 World Champion crew of 17, Douglass represents the third fleet racing helmsman this season. The lack of continuity is far from ideal, but the crew has adapted.

“It’s difficult getting a new helmsman every regatta because the communication from one to the next is always different and basically you’re starting over again at every event,” said 17 crewman Kyle Langford. “But because we’ve had so many different guys we’ve been able to figure out what to focus on to make it work.”

The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami and 2010 season conclude tomorrow with the first warning signal scheduled for 12:00 pm.

DOUGLASS, ELLISON LOOK TO WRAP UP RC 44 CHAMPIONSHIPS

2010-12-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

ORACLE Miami Cup, 2010 championship hang in balance tomorrow
In a season that has seen a number of newcomers to the RC 44 Class, it's yet another newcomer that's dominating the fleet racing portion of the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

Appleton lead’s Bake’s entry to match racing season championship

2010-12-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

Team Aqua’s owner Chris Bake celebrates with his boys. “I am proud of this title”, he said. “It’s a great testament to the team and the work Cam has done.” Photo: Copyright Nico Martinez / RC44

405: Class Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, with Cameron Appleton at the helm, left no chance to Artemis, helmed by Terry Hutchinson. Photo: Copyright Nico Martinez / RC44

MIAMI (9 December 2010) – Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, led by New Zealand skipper Cameron Appleton, today won the match racing portion of the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami.

The close victory over Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis Racing, led by American skipper Terry Hutchinson, also gave Team Aqua the season championship under the match racing format.

“It’s a great testament to the team and the work Cam has done,” said Bake, who’s been in the class since its inception. “He’s been consistent all year, especially on the match racing side. It makes me proud to see them win today.”

Hutchinson and Artemis won the start of the race, but Appleton was able to get to the right side of the racecourse and then used the advantage of starboard tack to gain control of the match near the first mark.

Team Aqua then fended off repeated challenges from Artemis to grab the double championship.

“Terry did a nice job in the pre-start and won comfortably, but we broke free and took advantage of a right shift the guys saw, and that was the difference,” said Appleton.

“Winning the match racing championship is a big highlight of the year. We feel we sailed well all year and the guys on board have done a fantastic job. It’s a strong crew to sail with,” Appleton said.

Hutchinson, known for his succinctness, summed the final up in one sentence: “We won the start, let him get to the right, and that was that.”

With the finish Artemis moved into second place in the match racing season championship, leap-frogging BMW ORACLE Racing, which placed sixth today and fell from a tie for first to third overall.

“We’re out there trying to do the best we can each race and whatever happens happens,” said headsail trimmer Ross Halcrow. “It was unfortunate we made a couple of unforced errors at the start of the round robin and that’s put us where we are.”

In other racing today Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino finished third with a victory over Synergy Russian Sailing Team, which placed fourth. Team Sea Dubai placed fifth by beating BMW ORACLE Racing in a close match.

RC 44 World Champion James Spithill guided the yacht 17 to a win over No Way Back to place seventh and relegate No Way Back to eighth.

Katusha beat Ceeref in the race for ninth and 10th, class newcomer Ironbound finished 11th with a win over Peninsula Petroleum, and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero returned from a broken mast on the first day to defeat AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team to place 13th.

Although Bake watched his crew win the title from off the boat, he’ll be at the helm for the upcoming fleet racing and finds great pleasure in setting aside his day-to-day worries for a brief time.

“For me, with limited time away from work and great passion for sailing, I can’t think of a better format to come out and test my skills,” said Bake, who’s been in the class since Day 1. “I have a challenging time on the water and a sociable and enjoyable time off it. We all have a lot on, but when I step on the boat I park my day-to-day things and focus on the boat and getting into gear, and that feels great. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s got me hooked.”

ORACLE RC 44 Cup Match Racing Final Standings
1. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton
2. Artemis Racing (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson
3. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni
4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov
5. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser
6. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts
7. 17 (USA) William Douglass/Jimmy Spithill
8. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies
9. Katusha (RUS) Guennadi Timtchenko/Paul Cayard
10. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis
11. Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams
12. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner
13. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce
14. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder

RC 44 Match Racing Season Standings
1. Team Aqua – 10 points
2. Artemis Racing – 12 points
3. BMW ORACLE Racing – 14 points
4. Team Sea Dubai – 22 points
5. No Way Back – 23 points
6. 17 – 24 points
7. Katusha – 30
8. Ceeref – 33
9. Mascalzone Latino – 45 points
10. Islas Canarias – 45 points
11. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team – 48 points
12. Synergy Russia Sailing Team – 52 points
13. Peninsula Petroleum – 59 points
14. Ironbound – 61 points

RC44 - ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami 2010 - Day 2

2010-12-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

[Source: RC44 Class Association] After yesterday’s wet and wild start to the ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami, the regatta ground to a virtual halt today with a lack of wind.

After waiting all day for the wind to build, Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio was forced to abandon the day’s schedule at 1520 hours with insufficient breeze on the racecourse.

The loss of the semifinal round today sees the event advance to the match racing final tomorrow morning where Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, led by Cameron Appleton, will square off against Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis Racing, with Terry Hutchinson as skipper. The two crews won Group A and B, respectively, with 5-1 records.

Headcam

2010-12-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

Onboard ALL4ONE in Dubai! As mentioned by Sailing Anarchy - this from a very dull event. We still find the dinosaurs sexy, but there was something suprisingly dull about the last event. I am sure ORACLE didn´t make a big effort to change that.
Produced by Keith Brash , Video filmed by Olivier Douillard (Headcam)

Huge sale!

2010-12-09T12:00:00.001-08:00

Big sale on at the Alinghi team base - great offers on for xmas presents!

Ver Sin título en un mapa más grande

IMOCA Open 60 Central Lechera Asturiana dismasts

2010-12-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

The safety gates are established to limit the descent of the yachts into dangerous areas, perhaps because of floating ice or because these areas are too far away from maritime rescue services in the southernmost countries.

The zone borders will depend on the evolution of the ice caps (floating polar ice), and as such, won't be made known until the 1st of November 2010, two months ahead of the start.

Penalties
Any stop ahead of 140ºE will not be penalised. That is the longitude for the extreme Southeast of Australia, before the island of Tasmania. From thereon until the finish in Barcelona, any stop on land will be of an obligatory 48 hours in length.

Speed Trophies
For this edition of the Barcelona World Race, legs will be marked out between the longitude of natural points of passage. For each of these natural legs there will be a speed trophy, which means a ranking in terms of the time each entry has taken to complete the distance, independently from the overall ranking in the regatta.

The following Trophies will be given:

•North-South Mediterranean Trophy: Barcelona - Gibraltar.
•North-South Atlantic Trophy: Gibraltar – Cape of Good Hope.
•Indian Ocean Trophy: Cape of Good Hope – Cook Strait.
•Pacific Trophy: Cook Strait – Cape Horn.
•South-North Atlantic Trophy: Cape Horn – Gibraltar
•South-North Mediterranean Trophy: Gibraltar - Barcelona.

Central Lechera Asturiana was dismasted while on delivery passage to Barcelona for the start of the Barcelona World Race. The crew are safe, not injured and are making to Cascais, Lisbon.
The IMOCA Open 60 Central Lechera Asturiana of co-skippers Juan Merediz (ESP) and Fran Palacio (ESP) suffered a dismasting in the early hours of this morning off the Portuguese coast while they were on delivery from Sanxenxo to Barcelona.

The crew are uninjured and in good health and are making towards Cascais, by Lisbon as are the team’s shore crew by road from Galicia. Once there they will further evaluate the situation and assess their options.

Despite this setback the entire team are united in their drive to be at the start of the Barcelona World Race on 31st December.

The competing teams and the Barcelona World Race organisation have already pledged to do all they can to try to ensure that Central Lechera Asturiana makes the race start.

Central Lechera Asturiana was dismasted very early this morning while on delivery passage to Barcelona for the start of the Barcelona World Race. The crew are safe, not injured and are making to Cascais, Lisbon.

The IMOCA Open 60 Central Lechera Asturiana of co-skippers Juan Merediz (ESP) and Fran Palacio (ESP) suffered a dismasting in the early hours of this morning off the Portuguese coast while they were on delivery from Sanxenxo to Barcelona.

The crew are uninjured and in good health and are making towards Cascais, by Lisbon as are the team’s shore crew by road from Galicia. Once there they will further evaluate the situation and assess their options.

Despite this setback the entire team are united in their drive to be at the start of the Barcelona World Race on 31st December.

The competing teams and the Barcelona World Race organisation have already pledged to do all they can to try to ensure that Central Lechera Asturiana makes the race start.

Hugo Bossing!

2010-12-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Yacht ultrasound done afloat

2010-12-08T10:52:00.001-08:00

Ultrasound NDT testing was conducted to the top sides of a 63 foot sailing composite yacht in Marina Real, Valencia by the Valencia Yacht Management team with ATISAE technicians. The test proved positive, showing that the topsides laminate and hull was in good condition. Possible further tests may be conducted to the underwater body when she comes out of the water. A relatively cheap process that was completed in one morning, eliminating any doubts about a potentially dangerous problem. For further information on such services contact info@vlcym.com.

Americas Cup 2013?

2010-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

Sailing cartoons

2010-12-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

New Zealand cartoonist Mark O'Brien's cartoons, caricatures and characters have made a name for themselves over the years. We even enjoyed their fun perspective when things got out of hand between Oracle and Alinghi in the last Cup.

I met Mark years ago when he was starting out with the 93 Whitbread and the guy really has a gift for the things he draws.

Caricatures for gifts
LIve caricaturing at events
Cartoons for websites, publications, events*
Characters for councils, companies and campaigns
Illustrations for manuals, books, Christmas cards
MONSTAmurals for events, walls, backdrops

email Mark at mark@markob.co.nz or phone 0800 666782 (in NZ) for some ideas and a quote...

He is taking Christmas caricature and card commissions up to December 17

Some of his work includes:
*Official Cartoonist 1993/94 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race
Swedish Match Team Cartoonist 1997/98 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race
Freelance cartoonist America's Cup Auckland 2000 2003
Luna Rossa Team Cartoonist America's Cup Valencia 2007
Alinghi Team Cartoonist 2008/9 /10

WSSRC Ratifies Outright World Sailing Speed Record

2010-12-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

The World Sailing Speed Record Council has announced the ratification of a new world record for Rob Douglas (USA).
Record: World Sailing Speed Record
Venue: Luderitz, Namibia
Name: Rob Douglas USA
Equipment: Kitesurf. Mike Zajicek custom. Kite Cabrinha Switchblade 9 sqm
Dates: 28 October 2010.
Course length: 501M
Current: Nil
Start time: 14; 10; 25.12
Finish time: 14; 10; 42.62
Elapsed time: 17.50 seconds
Speed: 55.65 knots
Corrected for current: N/A

Comments: Current record: Sebastien Cattalan FRA 55.49 kts, 28 October - 14 minutes earlier.
There are no claims at present to exceed this record.

World Sailing Speed Record Council - http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/

Salt Water Shower - Wet and Wild Footage from PUMA Ocean Racing

2010-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

If you want to sail with the PUMA Ocean Racing team, you better get used to being soaking wet for days at a time. Life on a Volvo 70 not dry- but the sailing must go on.

New challengers for the 34th America's Cup?

2010-12-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

According to Valencia sailing, there is a new Korean challenger for the next Cup. Checking the official web page we found nothing!

Rumours have also started to surface of another Canadian challenge.

As far as the Defender´s website is concerned, we only have ARTEMIS as an officially announced challenger. We know Team New Zealand are working for the moment, but still nothing official has surfaced on any of these entries. If you were a potential sponsor, it doesn´t look good at present. Who will be sailing where come 2013 (or even next year)?

Sourced from the defender´s webpage:
The oldest trophy in international sport, the America’s Cup has become an obsession for some of the most famous, powerful, and exceedingly eccentric characters in the world. The America’s Cup transcends mere sport; rather, it is a story of adventure, ambition, technology, innovation, creativity, and competition.

It is a story that begins a long time ago. To put the history of the America’s Cup in context, consider that when the first Games of the modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, it had already been 45 years since the yacht America had bested the British fleet in 1851.

That first race around the Isle of Wight, on the Solent off the south coast of England, was for the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Guinea Cup. The winning boat, America, was built by a syndicate from the New York Yacht Club, led by commodore John Cox Stevens. America was designed to be sailed across the Atlantic, to participate in the Universal Exhibition, and then race against the best of the British fleet, for ‘gentlemen’s wagers’.

But Stevens and his colleagues tipped their hand too early, blasting up the Solent on the final delivery from across the English Channel, and dissuading any locals from taking bets against the radical looking cutter. Eventually, after significant pressure from the press and the general public, America was allowed to sail in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Guinea Cup, winning the race, and claiming the trophy to take home.

In 1857, Stevens and his syndicate donated the trophy through a Deed of Gift to the New York Yacht Club, declaring the Cup should be held in trust as a “perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries.”

Thus was born the America’s Cup, named after the boat, rather than the country.

The America’s Cup, still true to the Deed of Gift, is a challenge-based trophy. The Yacht Club winning the America’s Cup becomes the Defender, and must race against eligible challenging yacht clubs to defend the trophy.

In the early years, the defending New York Yacht Club could boast several advantages that it wielded to keep the Cup safe in its trophy room. Challenging boats had to be built heavily enough to sail to New York (often across the Atlantic) but then were competing in the light conditions of the US East Coast in summer.

This, among other advantages, allowed the New York Yacht Club to keep the America’s Cup for 132-years, often described as the longest winning streak in sport.

The streak lasted through two World Wars, eventually coming to an end only in 1983, in the 12-Metre class. For most of the history of the America’s Cup, the Defender would accept just one challenge, but in 1970, with several clubs from different countries interested in the Cup, the New York Yacht Club accepted multiple challenges, the challenger candidates first racing each other to determine who would sail against the Defender in the America’s Cup Match.

Many Cup historians see this as the beginning of the end for the dominance of the Defender. The evidence certainly supports that conclusion. From the time Louis Vuitton began supporting the Challenger Series, creating the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1983, the Challenger has beaten the Defender in the America’s Cup Match four out of seven times (in multi-challenger editions). Up until that point, the Challenger had never won in 24 attempts.

The team to end the streak was Australia II. The ‘Men from Down-Under’ sailed with confidence, thrashing the other challengers en route to the Match. Boasting a radical keel designed by Ben Lexcen, and skippered by the sure hand of John Bertrand, the upstart Australians beat legend Dennis Conner and his crew in an electrifying Match, the outcome in doubt right up until the end of the seven-race series, 4 – 3.

Conner was able to exact a measure of revenge by claiming the Cup back in 1987, bringing the trophy to San Diego, before Team New Zealand again took the Auld Mug to the Southern Hemisphere in 1995.

32nd America's Cup - Final Match - Day 2
After a successful defence by New Zealand in 2000 (the first successful defence outside the United States), in 2003, the Swiss-based Alinghi came to New Zealand and won the Cup. Alinghi became the first team to win the America’s Cup on its first attempt, bolstered by the vast Cup experience of many of its crew.

For the 32nd America’s Cup, Alinghi, brought the competition to Europe for the first time, selecting Valencia, Spain as the venue. Against what may be the strongest line-up of challengers to ever assemble in the America’s Cup, Alinghi eventually defeated Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2 to successfully defend the trophy.

The 33rd America’s Cup will be remembered for both the legal acrimony that preceded the racing, resulting in a one on one Deed of Gift Match, as well as for the two incredibly sophisticated, cutting-edge, high-tech multihulls that each team built for the race.

After numerous court challenges, the event took place in February, 2010 between Alinghi, with its enormous A5 catamaran and BMW ORACLE Racing with USA, its trimaran powered by a towering wing sail.

The American challenger, driven by the largest wing ever built, was too powerful for the Swiss defender and swept the Match 2-0, winning the trophy for its San Francisco based Golden Gate Yacht Club. Shortly after the victory, it was revealed that the Club Nautico di Roma and its Mascalsone Latino Audi Team was the challenger of record for the 34th America’s Cup.

ed With so little known to date, let us hope this Cup gets the respect that those crazy eccentrics have come to love and given it over the years.

DEFENDERS AND CHALLENGERS

Year Defender Challenger Score

1851 Aurora, England America, USA 0-1
1870 Magic, USA Cambria, England 1-0
1871 Columbia, USA Livonia, England 4-1
1876 Madeline, USA Countess of Dufferin, Canada 2-0
1881 Mischief, USA Atalanta, Canada 4-1
1885 Puritan, USA Genesta, GBR 2-0
1886 Mayflower, USA Galatea, GBR 2-0
1887 Volunteer, USA Thistle, Scotland 2-0
1893 Vigilant, USA Valkyrie II, GBR 3-0
1895 Defender, USA Valkyrie III, GBR 3-0
1899 Columbia, USA Shamrock, Ireland 3-0
1901 Columbia, USA Shamrock II, Ireland 3-0
1903 Reliance, USA Shamrock III, Ireland 3-0
1920 Resolute, USA Shamrock IV, Ireland 3-2
1930 Enterprise, USA Shamrock V, Ireland 4-0
1934 Rainbow, USA Endeavour, GBR 4-2
1937 Ranger, USA Endeavour II, GBR 4-0
1958 Columbia, USA Sceptre, GBR 3-1
1962 Weatherly, USA Gretel, Australia 4-1
1964 Constellation, USA Sovereign, GBR 4-0
1967 Intrepid, USA Dame Pattie, Australia 4-0
1970 Intrepid, USA Gretel II, Australia 4-1
1974 Courageous, USA Southern Cross, Australia 4-0
1977 Courageous, USA Australia, Australia 4-0
1980 Freedom, USA Australia, Australia 4-1
1983 Liberty, USA Australia II, Australia 3-4
1987 Kookaburra III, Australia Stars & Stripes 87, USA 0-4
1988 Stars & Stripes 88, USA New Zealand, NZ 2-0
1992 America 3, USA Il Moro di Venezia, Italy 4-1
1995 Young America, USA Team NZ, New Zealand 0-5
2000 Team NZ, New Zealand Luna Rossa, Italy 5-0
2003 Team NZ, New Zealand Alinghi, Switzerland 0-5
2007 Alinghi, Switzerland Team NZ, New Zealand 5-2
2010 Alinghi, Switzerland BMW ORACLE Racing, USA 0-2

AC45 Production 2nd Stage, Warkworth, New Zealand

2010-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

Tim Smyth, Core Builders, guides us through the 2nd stage production of the AC45.

Ainslie Wins World Match Racing Tour on Monsoon Cup

2010-12-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

"King" Ben and his crew are the kings of the world. Kuala Terengganu, 5 December 2010.

As you see on this crash stress grows up on semi final - this was the no holds barred attitude that Ben and his crew carried through to the final to take the regatta and the World Championship! Great rewards after Origin´s withdrawal from the 34th Americas Cup.

Britain's Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN has won his first ISAF Match Racing World Championship title by winning the Monsoon Cup on a day of high drama in Malaysia.

RC44 - Oracle RC44 Cup Miami 2010 - Match Race Day 1

2010-12-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami off to rollicking start. The RC 44 class made its debut in American waters today in conditions that make Miami a renowned racing venue: a northwesterly breeze gusting over 20 knots and the boats planing around the racecourse north of Government Cut at speeds of 17 to 20 knots.
More on http://www.rc44.com

More action from Miami

2010-12-08T09:36:00.001-08:00

Larry hard at work... check out this great video on Larry. BLOOMBERG GAME CHANGERS follows Larry Ellison from his early days in Chicago through the founding of the multi-billion-dollar software company to his rise as the highest paid executive of the last decade with a total compensation of $1.84 billion.

Testing conditions in Miami, with these yachts and crews tested to the limit

and beyond....

They might be monohulls, but they still look sexy!

Stressful job!

2010-12-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami off to rollicking start

2010-12-08T09:25:00.001-08:00

Copyright Nico Martinez / RC 44 Class. Artemis leads David Murphy’s Ironbound, who makes its debuts in the RC 44 Championship Tour.

Strong winds dismast Islas Canarias Puerto Calero while others tear sails
MIAMI (7 December 2010) – The RC 44 class made its debut in American waters today in conditions that make Miami a renowned racing venue: a northwesterly breeze gusting over 20 knots and the boats planing around the racecourse north of Government Cut at speeds of 17 to 20 knots.

The ORACLE RC 44 Cup Miami commenced today with the 14-boat fleet split into two groups of seven for preliminary match racing. If time permits by mid-Thursday, semifinals and a final will be held for the top two from each group.

Wintertime racing off the southeast coast of Florida has long been a sailor’s playground. The sun is brilliant, the water is warm and the conditions usually challenge the best of crews.

Although the Northern Hemisphere winter is still officially two weeks away, chilly temperatures this morning had the sailors thinking it came early. The passing of a cold front helped stir up the strong northwesterlies, and the fleet completed eight flights of five matches for 40 races in total.

In Group Alpha, Cameron Appleton has Chris Bake’s Team Aqua tops in the group with a 5-1 record, followed by Harm Müller-Spreer and Markus Wieser in Team Sea Dubai. Sea Dubai actually posted a 6-0 record, but had penalty points applied by the umpires.

In Group Bravo, Terry Hutchinson guided Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis to the top of the group with a 5-1 record. Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino enjoyed its best day since returning to the class and is second at 4-1 with one flight to complete the round. BMW ORACLE Racing, with Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts, is third at 4-2.

The conditions taxed many of the crews, who were sore from being thrown about the light-displacement yachts, but none other than Daniel Calero’s crew aboard Islas Canarias Puerto Calero. The Spanish crew from the Canary Islands was forced out of action with a broken mast before morning had turned to afternoon.

Islas Canarias had just completed a jibe in its Flight 1 race when the mast broke about five feet above the gooseneck, where the boom attaches to the mast, and the spar went over the port side.

“We had just completed our jibe when we heard a big crunch," said Calero. “There wasn’t much we could do to save the mast."

Crewman Carlos Hernandez jumped into the warm Atlantic Ocean to help the crew recover some of the sails and disassemble the rigging so the mast could be brought back aboard the yacht for the motor to the harbor.

Islas Canarias Puerto Calero returned to shore where the crew began stepping a spare mast that the RC 44 Class Association has available at each regatta for just such an incident.

“This is the good side of this class, there’s a mast ready to go and we’ll be ready to race tomorrow," said Calero. “We were enjoying the great conditions today and can’t wait to get back out tomorrow."

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami Day 1 Quotes

Cameron Appleton, Team Aqua: “We came off the water with one loss and that was good on a day like today. It was very shifty. Wind started out with puffs up to 28 knots or more, we saw the first rig come down in the class, and everyone seemed to be handling the conditions in different ways. It was a good test for the crews. A really good crew was rewarded today by sailing the boats well. Today was tricky because of a little cross swell and change in pressure. It kept us all on our toes.

Francesco Bruni, Mascalzone Latino: “We’re very happy, obviously. We had four good starts. We’re making big progress from Valencia to here and are now starting to win some races. We’re learning the boat more and more. It’s normal to struggle in the beginning, but now we’re learning again. We had 20 knots, sunny and breezy. It was puffy, shifty, a very nice challenge. It was just a bit too cold, but everything else was brilliant."

Pieter Heerema, No Way Back: “Today was exciting, a beautiful wind but tough. Lots of people had problems in boathandling. That makes the sailing exciting. We had an up and down day. We sailed well, no problems with the boathandling, but we didn’t always grab the opportunities we created for ourselves. At a certain point you just have to nail it."

Terry Hutchinson, Artemis: “It was an incredibly difficult day. Our guys sailed very well. This was our first regatta since Dubai where we had any training prior to the first day of racing and it showed. Sailing north of Government Cut (the channel leading to Miami Harbor) was pretty good. The course gave options for both sides to work."

Harm Mueller-Spreer, Team Sea Dubai: “We had six wins, good boatspeed and very good starts. We had a bit of bad luck in the second to last race because we hit the Russians (Synergy Russian Sailing Team). But our boathandling is good, the maneuvering is good and the feeling for the pre-start is good. I feel very comfortable. First off we had not so much wind and then it increased to 25 knots or more and slowly decreased all afternoon."

Ian Williams, Ironbound: “The boat’s fantastic. The best thing is that you only have eight guys and lots to do. Everybody needs to pull their weight and be aware of what’s going on, doing right things at the right time. It makes it a great challenge as a team to do well."

ORACLE RC44 Cup Miami Provisional Results
(Through 8 flights)
Group Alpha
1. Team Aqua (UAE) Chris Bake/Cameron Appleton – 5-1, 5 points
2. Team Sea Dubai (UAE) Harm Müller-Spreer/Markus Wieser – 6-0, 4 points*
3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS) Maxim Logutenko/Evgeniy Neugodnikov – 2-3, 2 points
3. No Way Back (NED) Pieter Heerema/Ray Davies – 4-2, 2 points*
3. Katusha (RUS) Guennadi Timtchenko/Paul Cayard – 2-4, 2 points
6. Peninsula Petroleum (ESP) John Bassadone/Inaki Castaner – 1-4, 1 point
7. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) Daniel Calero/Jose Maria Ponce – 0-6, 0 points
(* penalty points applied)

Group Bravo
1. Artemis (SWE) Torbjorn Tornqvist/Terry Hutchinson – 5-1
2. Mascalzone Latino (ITA) Vincenzo Onorato/Francesco Bruni – 4-1
3. BMW ORACLE Racing (USA) Larry Ellison/Russell Coutts – 4-2
4. 17 (USA) William Douglass/Jimmy Spithill – 4-2
5. Ceeref (SLO) Igor Lah/Rod Davis – 2-4
6. Ironbound (USA) David Murphy/Ian Williams – 1-4
7. AEZ RC 44 Sailing Team (AUT) René Mangold/Christian Binder – 0-6

Alinghi will not compete in 34th America's Cup in 2013

2010-11-26T02:27:00.000-08:00

Former America's Cup holders Alinghi of Switzerland will not attempt to win the trophy for a third time in 2013.

Spokesman Paco Latorre said: "Alinghi considers that the existing conditions make it impossible for the team to participate in the 34th America's Cup."

He refused to elaborate on the 2003 and 2007 winners' decision not to compete.

"We've made our announcement and that's all we have say," Latorre said. "It's not for us to say that this is good, bad, disappointing or surprising."

Alinghi were routed in two races by San Francisco-based BMW Oracle Racing off Valencia in the 33rd America's Cup in February.

Those contests only happened after a bitter two-and-a-half year legal battle between Alinghi's owner, Swiss biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli, and Oracle's backer American software tycoon Larry Ellison.

Latorre said in his statement that Alinghi remain interested in the America's Cup and "will be closely following its developments in the coming months".

The next America's Cup will be sailed in a new class of 72ft catamarans, a departure from the traditional sloops.

Only three groups have filed challenge papers for the 34th America's Cup. They are Mascalzone Latino of Italy, Artemis Racing of Sweden and a group that has not been identified.

BMW Oracle Racing is considering bids from San Francisco and Italy to host the event, and will make a choice by the end of the year.

Alinghi third at Geneva Match Race

2010-11-25T04:40:00.000-08:00

AlinghithirdatGenevaMatchRace

Arnaud Psarofaghis, Alinghi

(Photo credit: www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo)

Alinghi vs. Keith Swinton

(Photo credit: www.bgmr.ch / JF Hervo)

Alinghi's new match racing team with Arnaud Psarofaghis at the helm took third at last weekend's Bentley Geneva Match Race, behind Bertrand Pace and Eric Monnin. The group, including Alinghi America's Cup sailors Yves Detrey and Nils Frei, and fellow D35 sailor Tanguy Cariou, was match racing together for the first time and by the end of the three day event, Arnaud declared himself 'happy' with their third place: “We progressed very well throughout the event and given it is the first time I have match raced with members of the Alinghi team, I am really pleased with our excellent coordination. Our onboard communication worked well as did our manoeuvres and I am very happy with our ranking.”

After a light start on Friday, the breeze kicked in Saturday afternoon with 18-20 knots and the race committee was able to run two round robins and the semi-finals. Sunday saw the first to three point finals and petit finals caught short when the wind died and so the winner was decided based on the round robin results. Two-time America's Cup sailor, Nils Frei commented on their first outing as a group: “It was a good result considering this was our first match race with Arnaud on the helm. There is no doubt that he is talented and a fast learner with lots of potential.”

Ranking:
1. Bertrand Pacé /France
2. Eric Monnin / Switzerland
3. Arnaud Psarofaghis / Switzerland (Alinghi crew)
4. Keith Swinton / Australia
5. Jérôme Clerc / Switzerland

Eric Monnin vs. Keith Swinton

Nice to see them back!

50 days adrift

2010-11-25T04:10:00.000-08:00

Three teenage boys have been found alive after being lost in their boat in the Pacific Ocean for 50 days.

The boys, from the Tokelau Islands, a New Zealand-administered territory in the South Pacific, had been given up for dead after an unsuccessful search.

A tuna fishing boat picked them up near Fiji and is taking them to hospital for treatment for severe sunburn.

The boys survived on coconuts, water they trapped on a tarpaulin and a seabird they managed to catch.

'Strong mental spirit'

The boys - two aged 15 and one aged 14 - had gone missing from Atafu atoll in a small aluminium boat after an annual sporting event on 5 October.

“Start Quote

They did mention that during the last two days they had started drinking salt water, which could have been disastrous”

Tai FredricsenFirst mate of tuna boat

They were presumed to have died after unsuccessful searches by the New Zealand air force.

A memorial service was held for them.

The boys were then spotted north-east of Fiji on Wednesday afternoon by a member of the tuna boat's crew.

"We drew up next the them, and we asked if they needed any help and their reply was a very ecstatic 'yes'," the tuna vessel's first mate, Tai Fredricsen, told the BBC.

"We immediately deployed our rescue craft and got them straight on board and administered basic first aid."

Mr Fredricsen said the boys had a small supply of coconuts on their boat, but that it had ran out after two days.

"They had a period when they were only drinking fresh water, which they were capturing during the night in a tarpaulin," he said.

"They also told me that two weeks prior to us rescuing them, they were able to catch a sea bird which was very lucky for them."

"They did mention that during the last two days they had started drinking salt water, which could have been disastrous for them," he added.

Mr Fredricsen said the boys were in surprisingly good shape considering their ordeal under the blazing tropical sun.

"They've got a lot of gusto, a lot of strong mental spirit. Physically they are very disturbing but mentally they are very strong."