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Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:03:20 -0700

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Groupama 3 breaks even

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:17:00 -0700

[Source: Groupama] On the 44th day at sea, Groupama 3 has made up the ground on Orange 2 very quickly and is now ahead of the reference time. However Franck Cammas and his men have yet to traverse a ridge of high pressure. At that point the giant trimaran is bound to slow down in the lighter breeze, where it will be necessary to put in a gybe before hooking onto a low which will propel her as far as Brest.

Twenty-two days behind, twenty-two days in front! This round the world course, now less than 2,500 miles from completion, marks an important phase: the reversal of the trend. Amassing a lead of up to 620 miles (6th day) and a 492 mile deficit (40th day) off Brazil, Groupama 3's progress has often been thwarted by rather unfavourable weather. This Tuesday comes as a great relief then for all the crew aboard Groupama 3, who can now view the next stage of the programme in a slightly more relaxed manner and with more clarity, as the forecasts are encouraging for this Atlantic sprint.

"We have some good conditions, we're going fast and there's a great atmosphere on deck, but we're going to have a battle on our hands with the ridge of high pressure that's lying across our path. Nevertheless, we can really smell home now! We've been waiting for this moment to get ahead again... At times recently, it's been possible to read a bit of doubt on our faces. However, our routing was right and we're beginning to make gains now. We remain humble because we've still got a way to go yet and there may be some obstacles across our path, such as containers or the like... Nevertheless, the strategy that's taking shape is giving the crew something to be enthusiastic about! In principle, we shouldn't be lacking in wind at the end and we're still envisaging a finish this weekend" indicated Jacques Caraës during the 1130 UTC radio session with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris.

In time for spring...
Suspense continues to reign today though as the completion of the course will depend on the time Groupama 3 takes to traverse the ridge of high pressure: if the wind is greater than ten knots, the giant trimaran could hook onto a front the minute she escapes the high pressure. However, if the zone of high pressure shifts across at the same time as the boat, the time frame may be considerably longer and Franck Cammas and his men might have to bide their time until they can hook onto another disturbed system... The least favourable routing gives an arrival on Sunday morning.

"The last few days will be pretty tough and we're going to have to stay on our guard, because we've certainly accumulated some fatigue along the way. Some of us have lost weight and all of us have weaker legs due to not moving round much aboard Groupama 3. We've had a balanced diet, even though it's not excellent everyday! The boat has also lost weight and you can feel that she's lighter... Five years ago on Orange 2, we weren't spoilt after the equator with a very W'ly course and two ridges of high pressure to traverse. We didn't really get going again until we were level with the Azores. We've certainly got an advantage today, especially as Groupama 3 has a superior speed capacity when sailing close-hauled. We're also driving the boat a bit harder because Bruno Peyron had a bit more room for manoeuvre to beat the Jules Verne Trophy in 2005: he always remained below the maxi-catamaran's potential."

The final high pressure trap
"A ridge of high pressure is a barrier of light winds. However, that's not the only difficulty before the finish as there will be some fronts to negotiate. Groupama 3 has been well positioned since exiting the Doldrums, by shifting across to 40°W. Indeed the trajectory will be able to bend northwards and as the wind eases, the giant trimaran will accompany the rotation to the SE, then the S, gybing once the breeze has clocked round to the SW. The axis of the ridge of high pressure, where the winds are lighter, should be reached early this Tuesday evening. The zone which contains wind of less than fifteen knots stretches around 400 miles, with a particularly sensitive phase of around fifty miles with just ten knots or so of breeze..." says Sylvain Mondon from Météo France.

Once through this tricky zone, the wind is set to pick up considerably from Wednesday afternoon: an initial low is passing across the Azores to join up with Europe, whilst a second is due to follow suit. As such the wind will be established over this final section of the course through until the middle of next week, which means we can be fairly optimistic about the finish off Ushant. "The probabilities on a round the world in winter indicate that the strongest winds are in the Bay of Biscay: there will be waves of up to four to five metres and forty knots of breeze or more..."

International Rolex Regatta

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:05:00 -0700

A Treat for Spectators as Well as Competitors
Photo credit: St. Thomas Yacht Club/Ingrid Abery

The only thing that could possibly be more fun than competing in the International Rolex Regatta, scheduled for March 26-28, is watching it from shore. Among the highlights of the regatta's three racing days are Friday's "town races," which take the fleet from St. Thomas Yacht Club right into the heart of the bustling commercial harbour of Charlotte Amalie. The tradition now is for workers downtown to time their lunch breaks to coincide with the noon finish, while others host regatta parties for viewing from various vantage points along the course, which reverses itself when the fleet is started in the harbor after lunch and sent back home to the East End of the island.

On Saturday, the IC 24 class will play part in another spectacle when they race off the beachfront at the Ritz Hotel, giving sun seekers there plenty to talk about. The IC 24s are innovative one-design boats that are indigenous to the islands and wildly popular. With a good breeze, they are physically challenging, and spectators don't get bogged down in guessing who wins - it's whichever team finishes first, no handicap rules to worry about here.

The handicap racing classes (for CSA Spinnaker Racing, Spinnaker Racing/Cruising and Non-Spinnaker Racing) will, however, on the same day have their own chance to impress when they thread their way through and around the cuts, cays and islands off the east end of St. Thomas and along the picturesque coast of St. John.

For Sunday, the beautiful and yet tactically demanding Pillsbury Sound Race, in and among the cays of St. Thomas and St. John, is a highlight of the regatta that finishes off the on-water excitement before racers enjoy the Sunday evening Rolex Awards Ceremony, where a giant stage magically appears in the shallow beach water at the St. Thomas Yacht Club and Rolex timepieces are presented to winners of select classes.

Throughout the event, crews are well looked after with music, meals and dancing at the club and even a giant reggae music concert and food festival at Yacht Haven Grande, the luxury marina where some of the event's larger boats are berthed.

"Our courses are a high caliber mix of round-the-island distance races and windward-leewards designed to test a sailor's skills and showcase the stunning shoreline, and our parties are designed to be of epic memory-making proportions," said Event Co-Chair John Sweeney. "This is what we owe to the sailors at this 'crown jewel' of Caribbean races. But at the same time, we owe something back to the St. Thomians and visitors who have supported this event for 37 years. We want them to indulge in these races, too!" http://www.regattanews.com/

A free team-building exercise!

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:48:00 -0700

Photos by Sander van der Borch / Artemis
"That was a good team building exercise!" With those words Paul Cayard, skipper of the Swedish boat Artemis summed up their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today with Britain's TEAMORIGIN, one that was more akin to a bar brawl.

Packed with protest flags, incidents and flogging sails at three marks of a four-leg course, this close-fought duel went ultimately to Artemis and her helmsman Terry Hutchinson on a series of umpire calls.

Asked to explain all that happened, Cayard simply said: “We should have had to pay for that (team building), but luckily the Brits paid for it for us!”

Britain’s skipper Ben Ainslie had attempted to gybe across the Artemis bow coming into the finish, Cayard said. “But it gave us an opportunity to come in and start a bit of a war with them. Terry did a great job managing the war. And then we had a bit on down there with the kite and everybody just got into it and somehow we got the win!”

The race was one of seven packed into a long, incident-filled day of racing on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour that that passed without breakdown, or damage to boats, sails or sailors. There was shifty breeze all day from 14 to 20 knots and ranging from the south to the southwest and Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio and his team miraculously squeezed in seven matches to complete the Round Robin.

Fortunes changed as TEAMORIGIN lost two races while Artemis won two. Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of Mascalzone Latino Audi was also on a roll, winning two races, including one against his Italian competition Azzurra.

The racing completed the round robin, leaving Emirates Team New Zealand as the top seed, with a 6-1 record, Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi Team is second with 5-2. Tomorrow the pairings for the first elimination round are: 4th seed Azzurra vs. 5th seed Artemis; 3rd seed All4One vs. 6th seed TEAMORIGIN; 2nd seed Mascalzone Latino Audi Team vs. 7th seed ALEPH; 1st seed Emirates Team New Zealand vs. 8th seed Synergy.

Artemis starred in the snapshot highlight of the day as their veteran Kiwi mid-bowman David Brooke was swept overboard by a flogging jib sheet but never even got his feet wet. As the sheet hit him in the back, Brooke grabbed it and swung out over the water to be grabbed by his crewmates on the return swing.

Race One: Emirates Team New Zealand def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 01:00 – Before the start, ETNZ’s Barker set up to the right of Karol Jablonski, on the Russian boat as they came up to the line on starboard but it was Jablonski who was bow out, and the Russians led as ETNZ tacked away. The breeze was 17 knots but shifty. Synergy, on port, led at the first cross, and pushed the Kiwis back to the right. The Russian boat led for the first two thirds of the leg but then Jablonski was slow to cover. Synergy sagged off on a big shift and the Kiwis were out of jail. Barker led around all marks, by as much as 1:53 at the second weather mark.

Race Two: Azzurra def. ALEPH, 01:39 – Bertrand Pacé steering the French boat ALEPH bailed out after an initial dialup and was chased by Francesco Bruni of Italy’s Azzurra team. They came back to the line with ALEPH trailing. A victory here would keep the Italians in contention for the second seed. Bruni went for the pin end at speed while Pacé tacked away to the right. The Italian skipper covered up the first leg in puffy, shifty 10-15 knot conditions but Pacé tenaciously kept it close, rounding the top mark just 12 seconds behind. ALEPH failed to make any inroads on the run and then lost a full minute on the second beat as light, puffy conditions favoured the boat on the left side.

Race Three: Artemis def. All4One, 00:22 – Sweden’s Artemis, with Paul Cayard as skipper and Terry Hutchinson on the wheel, seized control at the start, coming off the pin end into a big right-hand shift that boosted them to an early four boat length lead. The German/French boat All4One rounded the top mark four lengths astern but closed on the spinnaker run only lost ground getting the chute down and the jib up. Helmsman Sébastien Col sailed a good second beat and then made substantial gains on Artemis when favored by another big shift on the run to the finish but trailed by 22 seconds.

Race Four: Mascalzone Latino Audi def. TEAMORIGIN, 00:06 - A mano-a-mano confrontation 1 min 40 sec before the start, with both boats stalled and backing down on port, ended badly for Ben Ainslie and Britain’s TEAMORIGIN when Gavin Brady, and ML Audi were green-flagged on a British protest call. Brady sailed away to start on starboard at the committee end while Ainslie trailed, three boat lengths in his wake. The Kiwi skipper of the Italian boat opened a 32 second lead at the top mark but Ainslie kept the pressure on, whittling the margin down at every mark, and closing at the end until they were overlapped. This was the closest race of the regatta.

Race Five: Artemis def. TEAMORIGIN – TEAMORIGIN copped an initial penalty at the leeward mark, and cleared it, then got a flag against Artemis when Ainslie, on starboard, got inside the Swedish boat as it came into the top mark on port. On the run Ainslie led bow to stern but Hutchinson was on TEAMORIGIN’s port quarter and an attempt by Ainslie to gybe for the finish saw Artemis rounding up as she turned to keep clear and two flags against the British plus a red, signaling an immediate penalty turn. Game over.

Race Six: Mascalzone Latino Audi def. Azzurra, 00:13 - In the battle of the Italian contenders, Gavin Brady, at the helm of ML Audi, hooked Azzurra on starboard before the start, forcing Francesco Bruni to split away on port. Racing was very even. Azzurra did a long board out to the port layline and led at the top mark by five seconds. Brady went on the attack on the run and a flurry of protests were green-flagged before he gybed away on port to sail through Bruni’s lee and round the bottom gate ahead. Bruni kept it close but the next two legs were Brady’s.

Race Seven: All4One def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team – The German/French boat helmed by Frenchman Sébastien Col went into this race with the opportunity of a third seeding if they won and a sixth if they lost to the Russian boat skippered by Karol Jablonski. They earned a third seed, leading at every mark and winning by six boat lengths as the evening light faded on the Waitemata.

Provisional leaderboard after Flight Seven:

1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-1, 6 pts
2. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 5-2, 5 pts
=3. All4One, 4-3, 4 pts
=3. Azzurra, 4-3, 4 pts
=3. Artemis, 4-3, 4 pts
6. TEAMORIGIN, 3-4, 3 pts
7. ALEPH Sailing Team, 2-5, 1 pts *
8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 0-7, 0 pts

* Penalty point deducted

LIVE Sport Sailing 103.0 FM is featuring all-day live coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. On television, during the seven days of the round robin, TVNZ is carrying nightly reports on its sports news. From March 16, during the elimination rounds, TVNZ will feature nightly half-hour reports. For the finals on 20th and 21st March there will be live coverage of the racing from noon to 4:00pm.

Bikinis on Boats

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:07:45 -0700

Greetings yachties, A yachtyakkaree suggested I build a thread about bikinis on boats, parental guidance is strongly recommended. click on the photos to follow the linksBikini.comJames Blunt and Gary Dourdan Yachting in Spain Posted by celebrityvacation James Blunt is famous for his easy listening pop ballads but certainly knows how to unwind like a rock star on [...]

Emirates And Mascalzone Power On In Auckland

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:40:00 -0700

Emirates Team New Zealand and Mascalzone Latino both scored wins to solidify their top billing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, whilst Artemis battled to a hard-fought win over TEAMORIGIN.

Video: Tom Ehman brings the America's Cup back to New Zealand

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:58:00 -0700

Tom Ehman brings the America's Cup back to New Zealand. Auckland, 16 March 2010. Video copyright TV New Zealand

Emirates Team NZ leads LV Trophy Auckland regatta, Mascalzone now second

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:44:00 -0700

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] "That was a good team building exercise!" With those words Paul Cayard, skipper of the Swedish boat Artemis summed up their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today with Britain's TEAMORIGIN, one that was more akin to a bar brawl.

Packed with protest flags, incidents and flogging sails at three marks of a four-leg course, this close-fought duel went ultimately to Artemis and her helmsman Terry Hutchinson on a series of umpire calls.

Asked to explain all that happened, Cayard simply said: “We should have had to pay for that (team building), but luckily the Brits paid for it for us!”

Britain’s skipper Ben Ainslie had attempted to gybe across the Artemis bow coming into the finish, Cayard said. “But it gave us an opportunity to come in and start a bit of a war with them. Terry did a great job managing the war. And then we had a bit on down there with the kite and everybody just got into it and somehow we got the win!”

The race was one of seven packed into a long, incident-filled day of racing on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour that that passed without breakdown, or damage to boats, sails or sailors. There was shifty breeze all day from 14 to 20 knots and ranging from the south to the southwest and Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio and his team miraculously squeezed in seven matches to complete the Round Robin.

Fortunes changed as TEAMORIGIN lost two races while Artemis won two. Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of Mascalzone Latino Audi was also on a roll, winning two races, including one against his Italian competition Azzurra.

The racing completed the round robin, leaving Emirates Team New Zealand as the top seed, with a 6-1 record, Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi Team is second with 5-2. Tomorrow the pairings for the first elimination round are: 4th seed Azzurra vs. 5th seed Artemis; 3rd seed All4One vs. 6th seed TEAMORIGIN; 2nd seed Mascalzone Latino Audi Team vs. 7th seed ALEPH; 1st seed Emirates Team New Zealand vs. 8th seed Synergy.

Artemis starred in the snapshot highlight of the day as their veteran Kiwi mid-bowman David Brooke was swept overboard by a flogging jib sheet but never even got his feet wet. As the sheet hit him in the back, Brooke grabbed it and swung out over the water to be grabbed by his crewmates on the return swing.

Race One: Emirates Team New Zealand def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 01:00 – Before the start, ETNZ’s Barker set up to the right of Karol Jablonski, on the Russian boat as they came up to the line on starboard but it was Jablonski who was bow out, and the Russians led as ETNZ tacked away. The breeze was 17 knots but shifty. Synergy, on port, led at the first cross, and pushed the Kiwis back to the right. The Russian boat led for the first two thirds of the leg but then Jablonski was slow to cover. Synergy sagged off on a big shift and the Kiwis were out of jail. Barker led around all marks, by as much as 1:53 at the second weather mark.

Race Two: Azzurra def. ALEPH, 01:39 – Bertrand Pacé steering the French boat ALEPH bailed out after an initial dialup and was chased by Francesco Bruni of Italy’s Azzurra team. They came back to the line with ALEPH trailing. A victory here would keep the Italians in contention for the second seed. Bruni went for the pin end at speed while Pacé tacked away to the right. The Italian skipper covered up the first leg in puffy, shifty 10-15 knot conditions but Pacé tenaciously kept it close, rounding the top mark just 12 seconds behind. ALEPH failed to make any inroads on the run and then lost a full minute on the second beat as light, puffy conditions favoured the boat on the left side.

Race Three: Artemis def. All4One, 00:22 – Sweden’s Artemis, with Paul Cayard as skipper and Terry Hutchinson on the wheel, seized control at the start, coming off the pin end into a big right-hand shift that boosted them to an early four boat length lead. The German/French boat All4One rounded the top mark four lengths astern but closed on the spinnaker run only lost ground getting the chute down and the jib up. Helmsman Sébastien Col sailed a good second beat and then made substantial gains on Artemis when favored by another big shift on the run to the finish but trailed by 22 seconds.

Race Four: Mascalzone Latino Audi def. TEAMORIGIN, 00:06 - A mano-a-mano confrontation 1 min 40 sec before the start, with both boats stalled and backing down on port, ended badly for Ben Ainslie and Britain’s TEAMORIGIN when Gavin Brady, and ML Audi were green-flagged on a British protest call. Brady sailed away to start on starboard at the committee end while Ainslie trailed, three boat lengths in his wake. The Kiwi skipper of the Italian boat opened a 32 second lead at the top mark but Ainslie kept the pressure on, whittling the margin down at every mark, and closing at the end until they were overlapped. This was the closest race of the regatta.

Race Five: Artemis def. TEAMORIGIN – TEAMORIGIN copped an initial penalty at the leeward mark, and cleared it, then got a flag against Artemis when Ainslie, on starboard, got inside the Swedish boat as it came into the top mark on port. On the run Ainslie led bow to stern but Hutchinson was on TEAMORIGIN’s port quarter and an attempt by Ainslie to gybe for the finish saw Artemis rounding up as she turned to keep clear and two flags against the British plus a red, signaling an immediate penalty turn. Game over.

Race Six: Mascalzone Latino Audi def. Azzurra, 00:13 - In the battle of the Italian contenders, Gavin Brady, at the helm of ML Audi, hooked Azzurra on starboard before the start, forcing Francesco Bruni to split away on port. Racing was very even. Azzurra did a long board out to the port layline and led at the top mark by five seconds. Brady went on the attack on the run and a flurry of protests were green-flagged before he gybed away on port to sail through Bruni’s lee and round the bottom gate ahead. Bruni kept it close but the next two legs were Brady’s.

Race Seven: All4One def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team – The German/French boat helmed by Frenchman Sébastien Col went into this race with the opportunity of a third seeding if they won and a sixth if they lost to the Russian boat skippered by Karol Jablonski. They earned a third seed, leading at every mark and winning by six boat lengths as the evening light faded on the Waitemata.

Provisional leaderboard after Flight Seven:
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-1, 6 pts
2. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 5-2, 5 pts
=3. All4One, 4-3, 4 pts
=3. Azzurra, 4-3, 4 pts
=3. Artemis, 4-3, 4 pts
6. TEAMORIGIN, 3-4, 3 pts
7. ALEPH Sailing Team, 2-5, 1 pts *
8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 0-7, 0 pts

* Penalty point deducted

Grant Dalton: Monday's was our worst race in the last 6 years

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:43:00 -0700

While we're waiting for the breeze to pick up and settle down in Auckland, it's interesting to watch the following, albeit short, video of the general manager of the world's best monohull sailing team (following Alinghi's demise), that they sailed their worst race in the last 6 years. I wonder what race was that in 2004 when the kiwis sailed even worse!

Grant Dalton admits that Monday's was their worst race in the last 6 years. Auckland, 16 March 2010. Video copyright Emirates Team New Zealand

Green Light For Groupama 3

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:42:00 -0700

Offshore of Cape Verde, Groupama 3 is powering back into contention in relation to her virtual rival for the round the world record.

BMW Oracle's skin-friction reduction riblet film: Sorry, confidential

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:14:00 -0700

When three weeks ago, 3M sent out a press release regarding the use of its skin-friction reduction riblet film on the hull of BMW Oracle's USA in Valencia during the 33rd America's Cup, we contacted 3M in order to learn more about that cutting-edge technology. Unfortunately, 3M people were tight-lipped, due to the confidentiality agreements signed with the then Challenger of Record. For your information, these were our questions and the, very brief, answers we received:

Question: What material is the riblet film made of?
Answer: Plastic microreplicated materials with riblet structure (See press release).

Question: How is it applied on the hull of the yacht and at what stage of the
hull's construction?
Answer: The backside of the film has a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

Question: What is the total weight of the film?
Answer: Confidential information.

Question: What is the height and spacing of the riblets?
Answer: Confidential information.

Question: How much reduction in skin friction was achieved?
Answer: Confidential information.

Question: The only time previous to last month the riblets were used (in
the America's Cup) was in 1987 on Stars & Stripes. How different was the
2010-version of the film from the older one?
Answer: The new riblet film is different than the material used on Stars & Stripes Sailboat in 1987 and was designed in cooperation with BMW ORACLE team for the higher speed of the new BMW ORACLE sailboat.

Question: Is there an estimate of the cost?
Answer: There is no cost information that can be provided at this time.

Question: Assuming the ban on its use was lifted do you see this technology
trickling down to smaller racing yachts?
Answer: This and other marine opportunities are being considered.

Question: Finally, there are reports on the internet that in addition to the
film, there was a polymer that was discharged from the hull in order to
further reduce skin friction. Can you give us more information on that?
Answer: This is a question which you would have to direct to BMW Oracle.

We have also forwarded the same questions to Mike Drummond, BMW Oracle's chief designer, and hope we'll get more information.

Whitty Wins Harken Women's Match Race

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:51:09 -0700

Lucinda Whitty, representing Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, and her crew of Stacey Jackson and Nina Curtis, have won the ISAF Grade 3 Harken Women's International Match Racing Regatta in convincing style with three straight wins in the grand final.

ETNZ Suffer First Defeat At Louis Vuitton Trophy

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:17:00 -0700

The French ALEPH team dolled out the first defeat to the hosts Emirates Team New Zealand in the only action on a weather-curtailed day at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland.

Abu Dhabi Marks Middle East's Volvo Ocean Race Debut

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:05:00 -0700

An agreement signed in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, today will see the Arabian Gulf's emerging marine leisure hub become a host port for the 2010-12 race.

Louis Vuitton Trophy – Auckland – Round Robin3

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:45:44 -0700

Greetings yachties, The Americas Cup comes to Auckland and the round robin continues as ETNZ get beaten on the water, below is a collection of all the best links, stories, lies and video of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland New Zealand 9 – 21 March 2010 EnjoyWaitemata Harbour to host America’s Cup boats Auckland, dubbed the City of [...]

Payne Wins PUMA Moth Worlds

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:29:00 -0700

Britain's Simon Payne took the title at the 2010 PUMA Moth World Championship in Dubai, with Australia's Andrew McDougall and the USA's Brad Funk completing the podium.

Abu Dhabi marks middle east's Volvo Ocean Race debut

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:02:00 -0700

[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] An agreement signed in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, today will see the Arabian Gulf’s emerging marine leisure hub become a host port for the 2010-12 race. A racing team from Abu Dhabi will also take its place on the start line of the race in Alicante, Spain in the autumn of next year.

“This event will take Abu Dhabi’s marine leisure proposition to the world and will enable us to demonstrate, first hand, our powerful credentials to a highly influential professional yachting audience,” said His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the agreement’s co-signatory.

“Via the expansive international media coverage the race enjoys, Abu Dhabi’s name will ride high on another world-class sporting wave,” he added.

An agreement signed in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, today will see the Arabian Gulf's emerging marine leisure hub become a host port for the 2010-12 race. Abu Dhabi, 15 March 2010. Photo copyright Mhic Chambers

The agreement, signed between His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, ADTA’s Director General and Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, takes Abu Dhabi into global yachting history as the first Middle East port to host the event since its 1973 inception.

“We found in Abu Dhabi an incredible synergy,” said Frostad. “This destination has a long maritime history which it wishes to elevate to a new era while celebrating the achievements of the past. There was a willingness to meet our requirements, an understanding of the participants’ needs and an enthusiasm which simply stood out ahead of others.”

Team Abu Dhabi, a crew specially selected by ADTA will tackle the ‘Everest of Sailing’, in a newly designed boat, which will be built in the UAE capital by the Abu Dhabi Mar Group.

“It is our ambition to include a UAE national in the crew who will be our ocean ambassador representing the emirate’s long seafaring heritage,” said Al Muhairi. “The locally-constructed boat will also signal our potential as a new build and repair port, which will recall the heady days when vessels made on these shores set sail for months of pearling expeditions and proved to be among the sturdiest afloat.”

The new marina being built at Emirates Palace - the emirate’s signature hotel and among the world’s most opulent - will be the focal point of the host port.

Al Muhairi said Abu Dhabi, its fellow emirates and the wider Gulf is expected to get fully behind the event and to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race fleet to the region when the crews arrive in Abu Dhabi at the finish of leg two from Cape Town, South Africa.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is known for extreme levels of endurance and expertise - values which are synonymous with our own,” added Al Muhairi. “I believe the entire region will follow the teams’ progress and produce a welcome which will be truly deserving of the legendary Arabian hospitality.”

Abu Dhabi holds the Middle East's main yacht show. Video copyright Abu Dhabi Tourist Agency

The Volvo Ocean Race traces its origins back to 1973 and is the world’s premier offshore sailing race. The Volvo Open 70 racing boat is sailed by professional athletes, who race around the world with the prevailing winds.

The remaining host ports will be revealed throughout March.

Emirates Team NZ has its first loss of the LV Trophy Auckland

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:26:00 -0700

[Source: Emirates Team NZ] The French team Aleph was having the best of their race against Emirates Team New Zealand on Monday when ETNZ’s gennaker ripped in the left corner on the first down-wind leg.

Dean Barker and crew finished the run under jib. They gained some ground on the second beat but ran out of runway on the downwind leg to the finish. Aleph finished 36 sec ahead.

With a five-win, one-loss record for the regatta so far, Emirates Team New Zealand retains its place at the top of the leaderboard.

Skipper Dean Barker said Aleph deserved its win today. “They had not had a good run in the regatta so far but they’re a strong team and today the came out really firing.

“We were behind, but working hard to close the gap and create some opportunities when the gennaker tore. We hoped the sail would hold, but it didn’t and that effectively ended our race.

“We did make up some of the lost ground (Aleph’s lead at the first mark was 27sec, the second mark 57sec, the third mark and at finish 38sec) but on these short courses there’s not much opportunity to recover.

“Today we’ll have a hard look at everything we’re doing to make sure we’re in good shape for the rest of the regatta.”

First loss for Emirates Team NZ in this LV Trophy and great win for Aleph Sailing Team. Auckland, 15 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

First loss for Emirates Team NZ in this LV Trophy and great win for Aleph Sailing Team. Auckland, 15 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ bowman Jeremy Lomas falls into the water with the spinnaker pole. Auckland, 15 March 2010. Photo copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Emirates Team NZ bowman Jeremy Lomas falls into the water with the spinnaker pole. Auckland, 15 March 2010. Photo copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:14:00 -0700

Photos by © ARTEMIS S van der Borch

Report by Paul Cayard

Another tough day for Artemis today. In our match against Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, we were penalized for gybing too close in the prestart and this was too heavy of a burden for us to shake off.

With the wind blowing 15-18 knots from the Southwest, we had a fairly even start with the Italians heading right while we went to the left. At the first cross, we were one boat length ahead and we switched right on them to have the power of the right (starboard tack) at the next cross. We led them around the first mark and both boats did a gybe set. We had an ok maneuver while they had a bad one losing the tack of the gennaker. We stretched a bit because of this and had a four boat length lead at the bottom mark. The plan was to stretch it out enough to get the penalty turn done at the finish line. However, up the second windward leg, they actually closed in on us while the two boats sailed right next to each other.

We had to go into an attack mode on the final run, trying to engage them and take them past the finish line. We did not execute a critical gybe and this let them off the hook and the race was over there.

We were a bit upset with the penalty call but that is the way it goes sometimes and you can say that it is better not to put yourself in a situation were the umpires can determine your fate.
In the other matches, Emirates Team New Zealand beat Azzurra, ALL4ONE beat Aleph for the French championship, and TeamOrigin beat Synergy. No major situations to report from any of those matches. No major damage on the racecourse today so it was a good day for the organization.

Scores: TNZ 5 winsAll4One, Azzurra, Origin and Mascalzone Latino with 3 winsArtemis with 2 winsAleph and Synergy with 0

Tomorrow Artemis takes on the Brits from Team Origin in the second match of the day, following Emirates Team New Zealand vs Aleph (FRA) in the first match. The forecast is still for fairly good winds from the Southwest.

Paul

For photos of the racing and live streaming http://artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv
Cayard Sailing Website

Equator: 41d 21h 09'

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:12:00 -0700

Jules Verne Trophy
The final marker before the finish off the Créac'h lighthouse, the equator was traversed this Sunday at 11h 04' 53'' UTC, after 41 days 21 hours 09 minutes at sea. This equates to a deficit of 1d 02h 04' in relation to the reference time. Such a separation might seem sizeable, but it should quickly be reduced in the tradewinds of the northern hemisphere.

Full of energy for the ascent, the crew of Groupama 3 is still just as concentrated in this final phase between the switch of hemispheres and the island of Ushant some 3,350 miles ahead. The last mission for Franck Cammas and his nine crew is to set a minimum time of 8 days and 19 hours to devour the North Atlantic, which amounts to an average speed of 15.9 knots along the optimum course... Such a speed is totally within the grasp of the giant trimaran, which is likely to enjoy some favourable weather conditions for this final sprint, since the NE'ly tradewinds are in position after the Doldrums, the latter of which is situated at around 4°N.

High pressure shift
"Last night was laborious with some squalls developing incredibly quickly and following what was already a light tradewind. We endured some long spells with just 7 to 8 knots of breeze, which was lighter than forecast by the weather models. At night, without a moon to accompany us, we fire up the radar, which enables us to see any rain squalls that may kill the wind. We did suffer a little bit as we couldn't really do what we wanted in relation to our weather forecast" indicated Franck Cammas at the radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ.

Reasonably worried by this transition of hemispheres, the skipper of Groupama 3 should soon find something to smile about again as the zone of high pressure, which had stabilised over France, is curling up on itself as it shifts across towards the Mediterranean. As such Groupama 3's trajectory towards Ushant could well be very pure: "It's true that the forecasts are rather encouraging for the end of our trip. However, it's also true that there is sometimes a discrepancy between the forecasts and the reality. The past few hours have been proof of that" continued Franck, who was preparing for a tricky night ahead: "I'd have preferred to traverse the Doldrums by day rather than night as it would have been less active. However, fortunately Groupama 3 is at ease in the light airs."

Clearly disappointed, the skipper of Groupama 3 is sure of one thing: the quality of his crew, whose fighting spirit and determination are stronger than ever. "The watches are pretty active. When there are manoeuvres to be performed, there are always seven of us on deck, and then just three are required for trimming: we spend our time racing between the sheets, the coffee grinder and looking at the shape of the sails with a torch. We're trying to claw back a very important few tenths of a knot and, in addition to that, this boat is very sensitive to the slightest trim adjustment: there is quite a lot to do and so we're playing with all that whilst trying to react as quickly as possible to the elements." - http://www.cammas-groupama.com

Groupama 3 Passes The Equator One Day Down On World Record Pace

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:54:00 -0700

Groupama 3 crossed the equator for the second time on Sunday, 41 days, 21 hours and 9 minutes into her round the world record attempt, just over 1 day and 2 hours slower the current record holder Orange II.

Video: Highlights from Day 5 of LV Trophy Auckland

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:34:00 -0700

Highlights from Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Video copyright Louis Vuitton Trophyd

Hungry pack fights for top place at Louis Vuitton Trophy

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:17:00 -0700

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand went unbeaten, while Paul Cayard and Artemis lost a vital match on a penalty call in an action-packed day of racing during the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland.

With just two days of racing remaining before the end of the round robin, a hungry pack of four teams is in equal second place, each with three points and fighting to catch the thus-far unbeatable Kiwis. They are All4One, representing Germany and France, Azzurra and Mascalzone Latino Audi Team from Italy and the British-based TEAMORIGIN.

Conditions were ideal for racing with almost flat water and a southerly breeze that ranged from 12 to 20 knots with some big shifts and puffs. Peter Reggio’s race committee from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron got off four races with time to spare even after pauses for boat repairs and commercial shipping.

Emirates got an extra share of the limelight today when it hosted All Black rugby football star Dan Carter as 18th man, and when it broke a spinnaker pole during a hoist, the third fracture in the regatta in as many days. The Kiwis shrugged it off, losing only a few seconds in their match against Azzurra and setting their spinnaker without a pole.

Carter put in a lot of extra time comparing rugby to sailing action for the media microphones and signing autographs for the crowd that gathered in the Louis Vuitton Village in Market Square when he came ashore. His verdict? He was impressed by the teamwork and amazed at the intensity of the sounds of a Cup boat complaining under full load.

Speaking of the penalty against Artemis, Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. “It (the penalty) was out there for the taking and it’s nice that it landed on our plate!”

Brady said that about 35 seconds was needed on the short courses of the Louis Vuitton Trophy for a team to exonerate itself with a penalty turn. The other boat had only to stay close to guarantee a win. After the start and while they were racing it was vital not to be lured into a penalty situation that would cancel the first.

“You’ve got to get on the right hand side of them and get starboard and it’s hard for the umpires to give you a penalty,” he said. “It was simple for us after that. We just had to watch for all the traps. I could see Terry and Paul looking back. They made it pretty clear when they were both looking back at me like hawks.”

Race One: All4One, def. ALEPH, 01:06 – The breeze was 14 knots from the south, sou-west as the all-French team of ALEPH met the German/French All4One. After an intense pre-start in which Bertrand Pacé at the wheel of ALEPH attempted to get a hook on his opponent, it was the combined team steered by Frenchman Sébastien Col that grabbed control of the right as the boats split at the start. On the first cross All4One led narrowly and ALEPH had to duck but that was as close as she got. Bolstered by the local knowledge of her Kiwi tactician John Cutler, All4One extended her control. “Our start strategy was to stay to the right of our opponent but the first thing we wanted was to be going full speed when the gun went,” Cutler said. “We started on port which was the lifted tack. That took a bit of pressure off us. We just had to wait for the next shift to come our way. When we crossed, Sébastien did a very nice job on a slam dunk on Bertrand Pacé and we were again on a very nice shift. The leader had the option to sail on the wind shifts and the trailing boat really didn’t have a lot of choice.” With yesterday’s Umpire decision, penalising them one point, ALEPH shares the bottom of the table with zero points.

Race Two: Emirates Team New Zealand def. Azzurra, 00:42 – This was the opportunity for Italy’s Azzurra team skippered by Francesco Bruni to level the points lead with Emirates Team New Zealand if they won. Dean Barker’s host team offered the Italians a slender opportunity when they broke their spinnaker pole at the first weather mark but it was still a one-sided match. Riding as 18th man on ETNZ, New Zealand rugby star player Dan Carter got a close up view of Barker’s surgical tactics before the start. Barker wanted the left and fought for it. The Kiwis got under the transom of the Italian boat to control them before the gun, then headed out to the left at speed while Bruni could only tack away and go right. They were 1,000 metres apart on the short harbour course before the Italians came back to trail by eight boat lengths at the first mark. The Kiwis showed a crack in their impeccable crew work as the spinnaker pole end dropped overboard at the hoist and broke as it wrapped around the shrouds. But the chute went up as planned and they sailed both runs with the spinnaker clipped to the bow. The finish delta was 42 seconds and the Azzurra team drowned their spinnaker, if not their disappointment, when they trawled it overboard while dropping after the finish.

Nobody can beat Emirates Team NZ, even when they break their spinnaker pole and sail both runs with the spinnaker clipped to the bow. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Nobody can beat Emirates Team NZ, even when they break their spinnaker pole and sail both runs with the spinnaker clipped to the bow. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Nobody can beat Emirates Team NZ, even when they break their spinnaker pole and sail both runs with the spinnaker clipped to the bow. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Race Three: TEAMORIGIN def. Synergy Russian Sailing team, 01:18 – Karol Jablonski, Polish skipper of the Russian boat, has a reputation as a tenacious and sometimes unconventional starter, as Ben Ainslie and the British TEAMORIGIN crew were reminded today. Jablonski had the favoured starboard tack entry and after losing a preliminary pre-start skirmish he was able to grab control and start where he wanted on the left and force Ainslie away. The expected left shift never really materialized and the British boat led when they first closed tacks. Jablonski kept in touch around the first two legs and the Russians only trailed by four boat lengths at the end of the first run. Problems getting the spinnaker down cost them heavily and the British boat had a 400 metre margin at the finish.

Easy victory for Team Origin over Synergy. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

Easy victory for Team Origin over Synergy. Auckland, 14 March 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

Race Four: Mascalzone Latino Audi Def Artemis, 01:03 – The pre-start struggle saw Paul Cayard’s Artemis, steered by Terry Hutchinson, penalized for gybing too close. Cayard was blunt. “It was not, in my opinion, a foul!” Brady, steering ML Audi, saw it differently. “In this game the rules are pretty strict and we’ve got umpires watching us. He couldn’t quite get his boat onto starboard. He was desperately trying to but the rules of sailing say the sail has to be set and he couldn’t get his sail through (in time).” Artemis led off the line to control the first beat and was leading by less than a boat length at the top mark until a very untidy situation on ML Audi when the spinnaker flew loose from the tack. Brady’s boat lost five boat lengths but pulled it back on the subsequent legs to overtake Artemis on the last run, surviving an Artemis protest as they sailed through the Swedish boat’s lee. They came to the line together with ML Audi one length clear ahead. The finish delta after the Artemis penalty turn stretched out to 1:03.

Provisional leaderboard after Flight Five:
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 5-0, 5 pts
=2. All4One, 3-2, 3 pts
=2. Azzurra, 3-2, 3 pts
=2. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 3-2, 3 pts
=2. TEAMORIGIN, 3-2, 3 pts
6. Artemis, 2-3, 2 pts
7. ALEPH Sailing Team, 1-4, 0 pts *
8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 0-5, 0 pts

*Penalty point deducted

Ecklund Wins Audi Melges 20

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:18:00 -0800

Joy Dunigan
Ecklund Wins Audi Melges 20 Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, Also Named 2010 Winter Series Champion

March 13, 2010 (Miami, Fla.) - Congratulations to Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) on STAR, as he and his crew of Harry Melges and Morgan Reeser have won the Audi Melges 20 division of Bacardi's Miami Sailing Week, hosted in part by Coconut Grove Sailing Club (CGSC), supported by Shake-A-Leg Miami and Melges Performance Sailboats. It was the third act of the Miami Winter Series in which Ecklund is also champion. In second overall is Peter Keck (Lake Geneva, Wisc.) on M&M Sailing with Bill Ward and Sam Rogers as crew. Chuck Holzman (Farmington Hills, Mich.) on Flyer was third with crew members Scott Nixon and Pat Drummond.

The Audi Melges 20 and Melges 24 fleets ended the event on a high note with three races a piece. Under absolutely beautiful blue skies, big seas and a steady 18 knots of breeze with gusts up to 22, they went racing. Two Course 4s and a final five-legger completed the day.

Keck came on strong for the first race, acquiring a nice lead to take the win ahead of Eric Wynsma (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) on Superfly followed by Holzman for third. As the day progressed some of the most amazing downwind runs were witnessed for the first time ever in the fleet. For races two and three, Holzman hardlined the competition with a blistering 1-1 finish. In race two, he took an initial lead with Ecklund finishing second, Wynsma was third. At one point in race three, Holzman found himself half way down the run, before the next boat was around the top mark. By this time, fleet leaders Ecklund and Keck had dropped from racing altogether and left Holzman, Michael Kiss (Macatawa Bay, Mich.) on Bacio and Marc Hollerbach (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) on Fu to complete the top three.

In the Melges 24, today's conditions were just what the fleet ordered. It was a beautiful sight seeing the Melges 24 ripping downwind, hotter and faster than ever! Topping the fleet was Jennifer Wilson/Donald Wilson (Chicago, Ill.) on Convexity, Steve Kopf (Charleston, S.C.) on Blur in second and Guy Mossman (Charleston, S.C.) on Battle Rhythm finishing third.
View Full Melges 24 Results
View Melges 24 Photo Gallery

Thanks to all the competitors who have participated during the entire series. A very special thanks to Bruce Golison and his extraordinary race management team, especially to Regatta Chairman Ron Rostorfer and team.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After 7 Races)
1.) Jeff Ecklund, STAR; 1-1-3-1-4-2-[16/DNF] = 12
2.) Peter Keck, M&M Sailing; 4-3-1-2-1-11-[16/DNF] = 22
3.) Chuck Holzman, Flyer; 6-6-5-[11]-3-1-1 = 22
4.) Eric Wynsma, Superfly; 2-5-7-5-2-3-6-[7] = 23
5.) Michael Kiss, Bacio; 5-4-4-[8]-7-5-2 = 27
6.) Marc Hollerbach, Fu; 3-9-2-10-[10]-4-3 = 31
7.) Joel Ronning, Catapult; [9]-2-8-7-5-6-7 = 35
8.) Erwyn Naidoo, Bohica; 7-8-6-4-8-[9]-5 = 38
9.) John Arendshorst, Blink; [11]-11-9-3-6-8-4 = 41
10.) Robert Wilber, Cinghaile; 10-7-10-9-[11]-7-9 = 52
Full Audi Melges 20 Results
Official Event Website

Tough day for Artemis in Louis Vuitton Trophy

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:06:00 -0800

[Source: Artemis] With the day off yesterday, all teams were ready to get back into it today. We had a moderate Southwesterly breeze at 1030 this morning, which built to as much as 23 knots for our match and the last match.

Artemis had a tough race against Azzurra. We called for the right at the start and Terry got it. We worked the shifts and built a 165-meter lead at the first mark. Then it all went sideways. The pole went in the water on the windward side and the kite went in the water to leeward. That was race over for us and a gift to the Italians. That one hurt because if we had beaten them we would have been well set up to get straight into the semis with Emirates Team New Zealand. But it is the round robin and there will be “knock out” races ahead and those are “do or die”.

In the first race of the day, Emirates Team New Zealand beat ALL4ONE rather easily, in the second race Team Origin won the race but there was a collision, which may cost them half a point for damage.

In the final race of the day, Mascalzone Latino and Synergy had a good tussle, but in the end Mascalzone Latino got the win.

Racing continues tomorrow at 1000 and we, Artemis, face Mascalzone Latino in the last match of the day.

Artemis break their spinnaker pole and lose the race against Azzurra. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Sander van der Borch / Artemis

Artemis break their spinnaker pole and lose the race against Azzurra. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Sander van der Borch / Artemis

Artemis break their spinnaker pole and lose the race against Azzurra. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Sander van der Borch / Artemis

It's all over for Artemis. They break their spinnaker pole and Azzurra sails to victory. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ Enjoys Unbroken Record at LV Trophy

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:10:00 -0800

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] Brisk breezes and high-pressure competition delivered a basket of surprises and some painful losses during the fourth day of competition for the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland.

After a day lost to heavy, gusty winds, the moderate to fresh conditions today were still sufficient to test the eight international teams that took turns in match racing on the Waitemata Harbour on the Emirates Team New Zealand boats NZL84 and NZL92.

In the second race, a collision between Britain’s TEAMORIGIN and the French team ALEPH earned the French boat a penalty, plus the loss of a point. Then in race three, Sweden’s Artemis conceded a healthy lead over Italy’s Azzurra when the spinnaker pole went over the side and they went trawling with the spinnaker.

With three days remaining in the round robin, the host Emirates Team New Zealand has a perfect record after a convincing win today over the German/French boat All4One. Azzurra, the young Italian team that won the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice is in second place with a 3-1 score. The two teams will meet in the second race tomorrow.

Currently four teams are in equal third place with two wins and two losses. They are All4One, sailing under the German and French flags, Artemis, Mascalzone Latino Audi from Italy and TEAMORIGIN. The tie between Artemis and ML Audi will be decided tomorrow in the fourth race.

Conditions on the Waitemata Harbour were perfect for racing with bright sunshine, blue skies and a 12-knot breeze that built in the afternoon, bringing with it some clouds and a brief shower. Crowds ashore watched racing on the jumbo screen in the Louis Vuitton Race Village in the Viaduct Basin’s Market Square but the best viewing was from the grassy slopes of North Head.

Race One: Emirates Team New Zealand def. All4One, 00:26 – ETNZ skipper/helmsman Dean Barker took the host team to a 4-0 record, never really threatened by the German/French boat All4One after a tense, scrappy pre-start duel. Sébastien Col at the wheel of All4One was pushing the Kiwi boat in the last seconds as they came to the line but the Kiwis pulled off a down-speed tack and split away on port as Col was forced to tack and follow. The French helmsman pressed hard on the first leg but New Zealand exploited the dominance of the right side and maintained a comfortable lead. “The race was lost at the start when we left the overlap a little bit too late,” said Jochen Schümann, skipper and tactician for All4One. “They were in control at all times. It looked good for us at times but never good enough that we could sail around them.”

Emirates Team NZ are unstoppable. They break their spinnaker pole and Azzurra sails to victory. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ are unstoppable. They break their spinnaker pole and Azzurra sails to victory. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Race Two: TEAMORIGIN def. ALEPH, 02:11 – With the breeze up to 17 knots the race began with a bang in the pre-start as the bow of TEAMORIGIN slammed into the stern scoop of NZL 84, crewed by ALEPH. There was damage to both boats and the French boat, steered by Bertrand Pacé, was penalised under Rule 16 for altering course. The umpires reported that as the boats turned out of the dialup, Ben Ainslie steering the British boat was keeping clear of ALEPH but the French boat turned away, causing the contact. Matt Cornwall mid-bowman on TEAMORIGIN said: “Obviously the French think we fouled them. Question is whether they swung their transom and prevented us from getting our bow down in time to avoid their transom. They did close the gap on us and didn’t give us room to keep clear.” In addition to the penalty, ALEPH was docked one point for hard contact which the team said it will appeal to the jury. At the gun, Pacé started to leeward of Ainslie. The British boat consolidated an early advantage to control for the rest of the race as the breeze built to over 20 knots. The French enjoyed a great last leg and came storming into the finish only two boat lengths behind TEAMORIGIN.

Team Origin score a much-needed victory against Aleph. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

Race Three: Azzurra def. Artemis, Ret. – Terry Hutchinson steering the Swedish team Artemis, with skipper/tactician Paul Cayard calling the shots, started strongly in their race against the Italian boat Azzurra. The Swedish boat chased the Italians deep into the start box before it breaking clear, tacking and starting on starboard with speed. Francesco Bruni had a clean start on starboard at midline but Hutchinson enjoyed an early lead that he smartly leveraged into a 44 second lead at the weather mark. But only for seconds. As Artemis bore off and set up for a spinnaker hoist, the pole end went over the side, was dragged aft and the pole broke around the shrouds as the spinnaker went under the boat. Game over. “The jammer for the pole slipped,” Hutchinson reported. “Down the pole came and went in the water and that was all she wrote. The sheet went under the boat and the spinnaker went under the rudder. It’s disappointing but we’ll debrief it and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes twice.”

It could have been an excellent day for Artemis, until they broke their spinnaker pole. Auckland, 13 March 2010. Photo copyright Sander van der Borch / Artemis

Race Four: Mascalzone Latino Audi def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team 00:19 – After a pause for repairs, there was plenty of energy from Poland’s Karol Jablonski, steering the Russian boat, and Kiwi Gavin Brady at the helm of ML Audi Team. Synergy had the advantaged starboard entry but chose to duck below the Italians. It the hotly-contested manoeuvres that followed, with two green flags from the umpires, Brady drove Jablonski above the line. Despite that, the Russians broke clear and crossed the Italians on the first tack. When Jablonski conceded the right to Brady, the Italian boat took the lead and held it. Even a botched spinnaker takedown when the Italians gift-wrapped their boat’s bow with a messy late takedown was not enough to give the Russians a chance.

Provisional leaderboard after Flight Four:
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, 4-0, 4 pts
2. Azzurra, 3-1, 3 pts
=3. All4One, 2-2, 2 pts
=3. Artemis, 2-2, 2 pts
=3. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 2-2, 2 pts
=3. TEAMORIGIN, 2-2, 2 pts
7. ALEPH Sailing Team, 1-3, 0 pts *
8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 0-4, 0 pts

* Penalty point deducted

Video: James Spithill talks about the Louis Vuitton Trophy and the America's Cup

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:49:00 -0800

James Spithill talks about the Louis Vuitton Trophy and the America's Cup. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Video copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Camet Women's Wahine Sailing Shorts

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:21:00 -0800

Camet introduces the Women’s Wahine Sailing Shorts in Slate Grey

With the great success of the Wahine in silver, we have decided to add a new color to the line! The addition of slate grey will allow teams to purchase both men’s and women’s team gear (The men’s shorts being the new Nantucket short which was introduced just this year). The Wahine, along with the Martinique, is a big step forward in the design of women’s clothing. Brian Camet says, “We are the first company to really focus on women’s sailing apparel and make it both fashionable and functional for women". For more information on these shorts, please contact your local dealer.

- fisheriessupply.com - pointlomaoutfitting.com/camet.php - sailingproshop.com
- landfallnav.com - linehonors.com/brand/camet.html - apsltd.com
- mauriprosailing.com -team1newport.com
Full list available at Camet.com

Groupama 3 At The Zenith!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:55:00 -0800

At 15�S, Groupama 3 is 900 miles from the switch of hemispheres, but the sun is at its zenith as the crew approach the boreal spring: the Doldrums, it too stretched across the equator, is already in the sights of navigator Stan Honey and the onshore router Sylvain Mondon.

Groupama 3: At the zenith!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:47:00 -0800

Jules Verne Trophy

At 15°S, Groupama 3 is 900 miles from the switch of hemispheres, but the sun is at its zenith as the crew approach the boreal spring: the Doldrums, it too stretched across the equator, is already in the sights of navigator Stan Honey and the onshore router Sylvain Mondon. As such the trimaran can now set a direct course for this point at 32°W.

The beat finally seems to be at an end! This is certainly the case for the southern hemisphere and probably true of the northern hemisphere... Indeed, there's still a long way to go, the equivalent of that of a Transat Jacques Vabre, which nearly all the crew of Groupama 3 have already competed in over past years. However, in this case, it's from Brazil to Ushant that these 4,250 miles are to be devoured and there are now just ten and a half days in which to do so! In the meantime the pace is gradually picking up and the separation, which has reached 470 miles, is stabilising. All that remains now is to reduce their deficit... This should start to happen this weekend as Orange 2 only made a moderate pace in 2005 on her equatorial passage and took nearly nine and a half days between the switch of hemispheres and her arrival in Brittany.

"The weather's good and we're sailing in glorious sunshine: it's perfect weather for staying outdoors! There isn't a lot of wind, not very big seas and no noise... It was so hot last night that I slept on the trampoline up forward because down below, it was bordering on 40°C. I feel more tired than when we were in the Deep South... We're in the process of entering the tradewinds with around fifteen knots of breeze, where we'll be able to make fast headway. Groupama 3 is particularly fond of these conditions. We even sent Loïc Le Mignon up the mast to do a check-up and a spot of DIY on the wind sensors" indicated Lionel Lemonchois at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris. - http://www.cammas-groupama.com/

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:15:00 -0800

Statement by Captain Salvatore Sarno, Managing director Team Shosholoza

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:02:00 -0800

Statement by Captain Salvatore Sarno, Managing director Team Shosholoza:

“I am shocked and outraged at the way Team Shosholoza has been treated this week and condemn in the strongest terms the audacious action taken by the Consortio Valencia 2007 who have used the Spanish Police to seal off the South African America’s Cup base in Port America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, and ordered us to empty the base and vacate it immediately.

“I personally went to Valencia in September last year to meet with the Mr J Gisbert, the Managing Director of the Consortium and we agreed on 28th March as the deadline for vacating the base. In addition I have paid 90 000 euros to cover arrears in rent which became effective when Alinghi declared that there would be no more America’s Cup in Valencia. We have also supplied declarations from the Spanish Receiver of Revenue that Team Shosholoza has no outstanding debts or tax owed in Spain. In addition, because they were threatening to impound our equipment, we also supplied certificates of insurance and our custom bond as we need custom clearance in order to move our equipment.

We started packing up the base some months ago and had made arrangements for all the team’s equipment to be moved to storage facilities elsewhere in Valencia. However we were unable to start affecting our move because BMW Oracle Racing team, who occupy the adjacent base, had moved their containers and other equipment onto the quayside in front of the doors to the Shosholoza base during recent racing for the 33rd America’s Cup.

Yet incredibly, with over two weeks still in hand before our deadline to move expires, the Consortio Valencia decided not to honour their word and instead used the police to assist them in this audacious and outrageous action.

This is not a polite way to be treated. It is an abuse of power and not right what they have done to us. I have expressed my fury and disappointment in no uncertain terms in an open email to Mr J Gisbert of Consortio Valencia. The email is as follows:

Dear Mr Gisbert

I have been astonished to hear that this morning police officers have been at the base with a Court order to lock and seal it. Mr Moctar Fall who was preparing the material for the trasportation to the contracted wharehouse has been forced to leave the premise.

It seems that you had been duly informed of our preparation to leave the base and nevertheless you have preferred that the police sealed the base because you were under an erroneus impression

Your action remember to me the old racist apartheid regime who was governing our Country twenty years ago: same system, same action. Certainly you feel now very proud for having given a lesson to the Africans.

I want just to recall you that Team Shosholoza, the africans, played an important role in Valencia to have the public partecipating effectively to that historic event which was the 32nd Americas Cup.

We were the first team to take delivery of a base and establish the Team in your town. As you know from the certificate of Debt Clearance from the Receiver of Revenue, we have no debt in Valencia and we have duly paid our taxes. When we met in september I simply explained to you our situation; you agreed with me on the proposal I suggested and then.......you failed to respect the agreement.

Due to the above we stress to the public our dissatisfaction on the way you and the Authorities have treated guests in your country. I hardly believe that somebody can utilise such a bad determination against honest people like Team Shosholoza. Remember that your national soccer team will be guest in our Country in three months time: would you like that our Authorities will treat them in the same way??

Mr Gisbert you and Valencia 2007 are guilty of abuse of power and Team Shosholoza request that formal apologies be forwarded to the Team, miss Shirley Mullins and mr Moctar Fall.

It is understood that in case the closure of the base will delay our packing,transfer we will not be responsible anymore for such a delay.

Reacting to an article by editor Pierre Orphanidis posted on his Valencia Sailing Blogspot last night, Captain Sarno said the police seals had been removed this morning and that Team Shosholoza is now in the process of moving: Said Captain Sarno: “We are moving but I would like to stress that it is certainly not a sad end for Team Shosholoza.”

Botin Carkeek - TP52 2010 modifications

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:52:00 -0800

I doubt there is anyone better suited to talk about the modifications on the TP52 yachts for 2010 than Marcelino Botín, designer of Quantum Racing (Medcup & World Champion in 2008 and Medcup & World runner up in 2009) and Emirates Team NZ (Medcup chamion in 2009). So, here's what Botín had to say about his two designs:

The main modifications to both our TP52s have been done mainly to meet the new 2010 rule changes.

Emirates Team NZ did clever improvements all over the boat to further optimize every system, under the supervision of Richard Meacham. We have reviewed the new larger sailplan with our CFD/VPP technology at different sailing conditions, and designed a new rudder to match the predicted changes to overall balance. Also a heavier bulb and a new bowsprit were fitted, under the guidance of principal structural engineer Giovanni Belgrano. Wind Tunnel sessions were carried out in Auckland as well, to come up with a new gennaker concept.

Emirates Team NZ testing their TP52 yacht in breezes between 22 and 28 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ testing their TP52 yacht in breezes between 22 and 28 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Quantum Racing received a major upgrade, as we have designed a new deck shape and layout. This was done in close collaboration with the team, which had several new ideas to keep improving. The boat is being modified at Longitud 0 yard in Castellon, were it was originally built. A new bulb and bowsprit have also been designed for them. Our CFD engineer Alberto Porto has worked closely with Quantum’s head designer Dave Armitage, and a full aerodynamic optimization programme has been carried out on the new 2010 sailplan. This work has been going on since early 2008 with great success.

Emirates Team NZ TP52 blazing in 28 knots!!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:22:00 -0800

There is no time to rest for the world's sailing powerhouse. As we said earlier today, Peter Reggio might have cancelled all Louis Vuitton racing due to the strong breeze but the Emirates Team NZ crew didn't spend the day barbequeing. Instead, they spent the morning testing their modified TP52 yacht on the Waitamata Harbour, in winds that ranged from 22 to 28 knots, carrying out stress tests on the bowsprit at 24 knots.

Later this afternoon, we will have the expert opinion on the latest modifications from Marcelino Botín, the team's principal designer and mastermind of the TP52 yacht that swept the 2009 Medcup circuit. Nevertheless, we hear that Botín might be facing a formidable competitor this year, coming out from the computers of Argentinean Juan Kouyoumdjian. The rumor goes that Kouyoumdjian designed a TP52 boat for Team Origin so radical that it will have people scratching their heads in Cascais in two months.

Emirates Team NZ carrying out stress tests on the bowsprit of their TP52 yacht at 24 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ carrying out stress tests on the bowsprit of their TP52 yacht at 24 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ testing their TP52 yacht in breezes between 22 and 28 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ testing their TP52 yacht in breezes between 22 and 28 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Emirates Team NZ testing their TP52 yacht in breezes between 22 and 28 knots. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Chris Cameron / Emirates Team NZ

Louis Vuitton Trophy – Auckland – Round Robin2

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:13:18 -0800

Greetings yachties, The round robin continues, ETNZ leads the pack with 5wins, below is a collection of all the best links, stories, lies and video of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland New Zealand 9 – 21 March 2010 EnjoyWaitemata Harbour to host America’s Cup boats Auckland, dubbed the City of Sails for its huge sailing fraternity, hosted two [...]

Audi Melges 20 At Bacardi Miami Sailing Week

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:00:00 -0800

Joy Dunigan

An Incredible Start For The Audi Melges 20 At Bacardi Miami Sailing Week

March 11, 2010 (Miami, Fla.) - With breeze on conditions forecasted, 15 Audi Melges 20s made their way out on to the race course for the first day at Bacardi's Miami Sailing Week, hosted in part by Coconut Grove Sailing Club (CGSC), supported by Shake-A-Leg Miami and Melges Performance Sailboats. Leading the field of fierce competitors is 2010 Miami Winter Series leader Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) on STAR, followed closely by Peter Keck (Lake Geneva, Wisc.) on M & M Sailing. In third, is Michael Kiss (Macatawa Bay, Mich.) on Bacio.

Three great, short and sweet (1.0 nm), Course 4 races were held under mostly cloudy skies. Racing commenced on time with Marc Hollerbach (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) on Fu and Kiss rounding dead even at the first mark challenging one another for the lead. Hollerbach won the offset with Kiss in tow, then Ecklund, Eric Wynsma (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) on Superfly and Joel Ronning (Excelsior, Mn.) on Catapult in fifth. Ecklund slowly but surely advanced to the front, overtaking the lead position for the win. Wynsma came on strong to take second with Hollerbach holding in to finish third.

Race two presented another pretty aggressive start with Keck and Ronning having great starts. Ronning surged to round the first mark in the lead with Ecklund and Wynsma looking to get in on the top spot action. Keck made great progress all race long, eventually working his way into the third position. It wasn't until the last beat and run to the finish that Ecklund found a fast lane to beat Ronning to the finish, taking his second bullet of the day. Ronning, with Bill Hardesty calling tactics held on for second, and Keck took third.

The last and final race of the day witnessed peeks of sunshine and a lot lighter air than what the fleet originally started with. Race three was all Keck. It was a stellar performance as he placed himself, with Sam Rogers as tactician and Bill Ward aboard, miles ahead of the fleet to take an indisputable win. Hollerbach, who started along side of Keck at the pin end, also had a great race to finish in second. Despite a poor start, Ecklund fought back with great conviction to take the third spot, allowing him to capture the first place overall lead.

Post race, Melges Performance Sailboats' Andy Burdick presented another informative tech-talk episode featuring Steve Hunt, tactician aboard Hollerbach's Fu, Marc Hollerbach; Morgan Reeser and Scott Nixon, tactician aboard Chuck Holzman's Flyer. Video uploads of all the discussions will be made available shortly via the Official Audi Melges 20 Class YouTube Channel.

More great racing continues on Friday, with three more races scheduled and anticipated big breeze conditions. Ecklund is the overall leader with Keck in second, only behind three slim points. Kiss is in third, with a total of 13 points.

TOP TEN RESULTS (After 3 Races)
1.) Jeff Ecklund, STAR; 1-1-3 = 5
2.) Peter Keck, M&M Sailing; 4-3-1 = 8
3.) Michael Kiss, Bacio; 5-4-4 = 13
4.) March Hollerbach, Fu; 3-9-2 = 14
5.) Eric Wynsma, Superfly; 2-5-7 = 14
6.) Chuck Holzman, Flyer; 6-6-5 = 17
7.) Joel Ronning, Catapult; 9-2-8 = 19
8.) Erwyn Naidoo, Bohica; 7-8-6 = 21
9.) Robert Wilber, Cinghaile; 10-7-10 = 27
10.) Chris Dold/Peter Kozicz, CAN-142; 8-10-11 = 29

Full ResultsView Photo GalleryOfficial Event Website

ACC boats don't sail, TP52's do

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:17:00 -0800

Peter Reggio, PRO of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, decided to cancel all racing on Friday due to the adverse weather forecast, south-westerly winds ranging from 20-30 knots. According to Reggio, it is "important in this regatta - where teams aren’t using their own boats and there are just three available – to protect the equipment and the crews from their competitive instincts ."

Nevertheless, the exact same conditions are an exceptional opportunity for Emirates Team New Zealand to test their modified TP52 in heavy breezes. Last year's TP52 Medcup champion will be shipped to Europe on Tuesday, although I'm not sure whether it will come to Valencia before going to Cascais for the curtain raiser of this year's circuit.

The Emirates Team NZ TP52 yacht getting ready for a day of training in heavier winds. Auckland, 12 March 2010. Photo copyright Emirates Team NZ

Here's also a short video of Grant Dalton, talking about Friday's weather and his team's performance so far.

TWO MONTHS TO GO: COMMENCING COUNTDOWN

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:05:00 -0800

© Chris Cameron 2009
It is two months before the start of the first regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit season, the Portugal Trophy which will take place on the testing Atlantic waters and winds off Cascais, raising the curtain on what promises to be a fascinating and exciting year for the world's leading regatta circuit.

Activity throughout the TP52 fleet has been building up progressively over recent months. Small changes to the TP52 Class Box Rule mean that all of the teams which plan to compete at this season’s five Audi MedCup Circuit regattas or the TP52 World Championships in October are required to have made the prescribed modifications to their existing boats: adding 150kgs of weight to the keel to compensate for the reduction in crew weight, moving to a ‘square-top’ mainsail with twin backstays and increasing spinnaker area and adopting bowsprits.

The Circuit organisers World Sailing Management, a division of Grupo Santa Monica Sports, are expecting to welcome the same number as 2009, or perhaps one more TP52 to the arena this season. Two new America’s Cup teams are well into their preparations.

“ We expect 10 to 13 boats in the TP52 class and five or six in the GP42 class, all in all a good line up considering the economic climate.” Comments World Sailing Management’s Nacho Postigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit's Technical Director.

“ The TP52 class has gone through the winter modifications without major problems.”

Great Britain’s TeamOrigin have their new Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG) designed boat nearing completion at Salthouse Boats in Auckland. Theirs is the only new build TP52 this winter and they are due to ship the boat directly to Portugal.

Mike Sanderson (NZL), CEO of TeamOrigin said: “The schedule was always going to be tight but we are on time. The boat is due to leave New Zealand in the middle of March.
We have it booked on a fruit ship which means it is pretty reliable because if it gets late then the fruit goes rotten. We will ship it directly to somewhere close to the venue and do its final measurement there and will sail it there for the first time. It is not optimum for how we would have loved to have done it, but we always knew that, we knew that that’s what the schedule was going to be before started building it, so we are just going to have to hope that we can get it on the pace as quickly as possible. We are really looking forward to it. It is going to be an amazing year. We really can wait.”

Current Audi MedCup champions Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) completed their modifications in-house and have been trial sailing the new configuration on the waters off Auckland in excellent conditions. Otherwise, explains CEO Grant Dalton, the only change to their winning set up is the new paint job. They will sail with exactly the same core sailing team, with the exception of the reduced crew number.

2008 Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) who finished overall runners-up are believed to have taken the opportunity to update their deck profile and have made a bigger winter refit. Torbjorn Tornqvist’s (SWE) 2007 champions Artemis (SWE), third overall in 2009 have a busy sailing season planned and will be back to challenge hard. Alberto Roemmers’ (ARG) team of Matador (ARG) start training on March 19th as a build up to the Palma Vela regatta, where up to five teams will race including Artemis, Cristabella (GBR) Matador and Synergy (RUS) are expected to take part.

Spain’s Palma based Bribón (ESP) has undergone some minor modifications along with the class rule modifications. They have changed to tiller steering, removing the twin wheels, changed the mainsheet system and extended the deckline to the vertical at the back of the boat, in line with all the other newer TP52’s. They will sail with an almost all Spanish crew with helm Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) taking on the role he completed so well at the TP52 World Championships in Palma last year. Great Britain’s double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker (GBR) will serve as tactician.

Ignasi Triay (ESP), project manager and trimmer Bribón (ESP) concludes: “It will be difficult for us I am sure with our boat in its fourth season. It will be really tough for us to get a top five finish with teams like Quantum Racing, TeamOrigin and Emirates Team New Zealand fighting it out for the top spots, and then the two Russian boats and Bigamist (POR) going so well now, but we will be really trying our hardest. The World Championships really proved to us that in flat water and lighter winds the boat can be competitive. Dean Barker said last year that if we sail a perfect race we can finish top three. They have a boat that they can get back into contention in a race even if they don’t make a great start, and that – for us – is the big difference.”

Also based out of Palma is John Cook’s British flagged Cristabella which has a new rig and will have some crew changes with round the world Racing winning bowman Justin Slattery (IRL) joining at the sharp end, and round the world and America’s Cup navigator Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher (GBR) joining the team again.

Brendan Darrer (IRL/GBR) project manager Cristabella (GBR) said: “It is going to be difficult for us this season for sure. Each year we say it will be harder and it does get harder. But it will be a cracking year and we are really looking forward to it. Most of all we want to see a realistic improvement in our own performance, and if we can see that we will be happy.”

Home hopes for the opening regatta will be with Pedro Mendonça’s Bigamist who have been winter training hard off their native Cascais. Their prolonged training together was the foundations for a very successful 2009, and so on their own local waters, the Portuguese team have a good chance of starting the 2010 Audi MedCup season on a high note.

The GP42 fleet is taking shape presently with at least one boat which is new to the Circuit, stepping up after enjoying their participation at the 2009 GP42 World Championships.

Thinking on the public
The new season starting in two months will not just add new teams, rules and venues, but a new effort in popularising both the Audi MedCup Circuit and the sport of sailing. Fernando Iñigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit and World Sailing Management Marketing Director, explains: "We are working on consolidating the TV successes we achieved in 2009, including important innovations that we will reveal soon which will revolutionise the way we communicate the sport of sailing. Apart from that, we are designing a new and more ambitious public area in order to keep on evolving our goal of making the Audi MedCup Circuit more popular.

In that sense, the two new venues, Barcelona and Cascais, are key". - http://www.medcup.org

Meanwhile in Valencia... Sad end to Team Shosholoza

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:44:00 -0800

For anyone involved in the America's Cup, the ups and downs constitute a fact of life. If you happen to be the winning team, then the moment your yacht crosses the finish line victorious, a brand new cycle starts. On the other hand, if you are any of the remaining teams, an uncertain future lies ahead of you. It has always been like that and this time it isn't any different.

Yet one thing is to wind down in an orderly fashion and a completely different story is what we saw on Thursday morning in Port America's Cup. To our great surprise, the main entrance of the South African base has been sealed by the Spanish Police and the team has been ordered to empty it and vacate it. This must have taken place on Wednesday or Tuesday. The boat shed is open and, most probably, the shore crew will have to start packing very soon and try to find a temporary storage somewhere else.

We have no information as to why the Police took such action. Whatever the reason might be, this is a truly sad end for the first ever America's Cup team from the African continent.

The Spanish police seals the Team Shosholoza base. Valencia, 11 March 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The Spanish police seals the Team Shosholoza base. Valencia, 11 March 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The Spanish police seals the Team Shosholoza base. Valencia, 11 March 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Two months until the start of the 2010 AUDI Medcup

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:23:00 -0800

[Source: AUDI Medcuo] It is two months before the start of the first regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit season, the Portugal Trophy which will take place on the testing Atlantic waters and winds off Cascais, raising the curtain on what promises to be a fascinating and exciting year for the world's leading regatta circuit.

Activity throughout the TP52 fleet has been building up progressively over recent months. Small changes to the TP52 Class Box Rule mean that all of the teams which plan to compete at this season’s five Audi MedCup Circuit regattas or the TP52 World Championships in October are required to have made the prescribed modifications to their existing boats: adding 150kgs of weight to the keel to compensate for the reduction in crew weight, moving to a ‘square-top’ mainsail with twin backstays and increasing spinnaker area and adopting bowsprits.

The Circuit organisers World Sailing Management, a division of Grupo Santa Monica Sports, are expecting to welcome the same number as 2009, or perhaps one more TP52 to the arena this season. Two new America’s Cup teams are well into their preparations.

“ We expect 10 to 13 boats in the TP52 class and five or six in the GP42 class, all in all a good line up considering the economic climate.” Comments World Sailing Management’s Nacho Postigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit's Technical Director.

“ The TP52 class has gone through the winter modifications without major problems.”

Great Britain’s TeamOrigin have their new Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG) designed boat nearing completion at Salthouse Boats in Auckland. Theirs is the only new build TP52 this winter and they are due to ship the boat directly to Portugal.

Mike Sanderson (NZL), CEO of TeamOrigin said: “The schedule was always going to be tight but we are on time. The boat is due to leave New Zealand in the middle of March.

We have it booked on a fruit ship which means it is pretty reliable because if it gets late then the fruit goes rotten. We will ship it directly to somewhere close to the venue and do its final measurement there and will sail it there for the first time. It is not optimum for how we would have loved to have done it, but we always knew that, we knew that that’s what the schedule was going to be before started building it, so we are just going to have to hope that we can get it on the pace as quickly as possible. We are really looking forward to it. It is going to be an amazing year. We really can wait.”

Current Audi MedCup champions Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) completed their modifications in-house and have been trial sailing the new configuration on the waters off Auckland in excellent conditions. Otherwise, explains CEO Grant Dalton, the only change to their winning set up is the new paint job. They will sail with exactly the same core sailing team, with the exception of the reduced crew number.

2008 Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) who finished overall runners-up are believed to have taken the opportunity to update their deck profile and have made a bigger winter refit. Torbjorn Tornqvist’s (SWE) 2007 champions Artemis (SWE), third overall in 2009 have a busy sailing season planned and will be back to challenge hard. Alberto Roemmers’ (ARG) team of Matador (ARG) start training on March 19th as a build up to the Palma Vela regatta, where up to five teams will race including Artemis, Cristabella (GBR) Matador and Synergy (RUS) are expected to take part.

Spain’s Palma based Bribón (ESP) has undergone some minor modifications along with the class rule modifications. They have changed to tiller steering, removing the twin wheels, changed the mainsheet system and extended the deckline to the vertical at the back of the boat, in line with all the other newer TP52’s. They will sail with an almost all Spanish crew with helm Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) taking on the role he completed so well at the TP52 World Championships in Palma last year. Great Britain’s double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker (GBR) will serve as tactician.

Ignasi Triay (ESP), project manager and trimmer Bribón (ESP) concludes: “It will be difficult for us I am sure with our boat in its fourth season. It will be really tough for us to get a top five finish with teams like Quantum Racing, TeamOrigin and Emirates Team New Zealand fighting it out for the top spots, and then the two Russian boats and Bigamist (POR) going so well now, but we will be really trying our hardest. The World Championships really proved to us that in flat water and lighter winds the boat can be competitive. Dean Barker said last year that if we sail a perfect race we can finish top three. They have a boat that they can get back into contention in a race even if they don’t make a great start, and that – for us – is the big difference.”

Also based out of Palma is John Cook’s British flagged Cristabella which has a new rig and will have some crew changes with round the world Racing winning bowman Justin Slattery (IRL) joining at the sharp end, and round the world and America’s Cup navigator Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher (GBR) joining the team again.

Brendan Darrer (IRL/GBR) project manager Cristabella (GBR) said: “It is going to be difficult for us this season for sure. Each year we say it will be harder and it does get harder. But it will be a cracking year and we are really looking forward to it. Most of all we want to see a realistic improvement in our own performance, and if we can see that we will be happy.”

Home hopes for the opening regatta will be with Pedro Mendonça’s Bigamist who have been winter training hard off their native Cascais. Their prolonged training together was the foundations for a very successful 2009, and so on their own local waters, the Portuguese team have a good chance of starting the 2010 Audi MedCup season on a high note.

The GP42 fleet is taking shape presently with at least one boat which is new to the Circuit, stepping up after enjoying their participation at the 2009 GP42 World Championships.

Thinking on the public

The new season starting in two months will not just add new teams, rules and venues, but a new effort in popularising both the Audi MedCup Circuit and the sport of sailing. Fernando Iñigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit and World Sailing Management Marketing Director, explains: "We are working on consolidating the TV successes we achieved in 2009, including important innovations that we will reveal soon which will revolutionise the way we communicate the sport of sailing. Apart from that, we are designing a new and more ambitious public area in order to keep on evolving our goal of making the Audi MedCup Circuit more popular. In that sense, the two new venues, Barcelona and Cascais, are key".

ISAF Confirms Receipt of 33rd America's Cup Report Forms

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:20:00 -0800

[Source: ISAF] The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) today confirmed the receipt of the Regatta Report Forms from the ISAF Race Officials appointed to the 33rd America's Cup Match.

The Regatta Report Forms were received from the ISAF appointed Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett and the Chairman of the International Jury David Tillett. They will be sent to the ISAF Race Officials Committee who will review the contents and make recommendations if deemed necessary.

The completion of Regatta Report Forms is a standard requirement of Principal Race Officers, International Jury Chairman and Chief Umpires at international or major events.

The purpose of the report system is to provide an assessment of the ISAF appointed officials and to learn from incidents or exceptional situations that happened during an event. Several changes to The Racing Rules of Sailing and changes in the ISAF Race Official Manuals have been made as a result of situations described in Regatta Report Forms.

The 33rd America’s Cup Match was sailed last month off the coast of Valencia and decided in two matches between Société Nautique de Genève defending the Cup with team Alinghi against Golden Gate Yacht Club, and their racing team BMW Oracle Racing. Team BMW Oracle Racing won the Match 2–0.

ISAF appointed the Race Officials team to the 33rd America’s Cup Match to ensure fair play on the water.

ISAF thanks Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett for carrying out his duties under very difficult conditions; ISAF supports all his decisions, likewise the Jury under the chairmanship of David Tillett and the Umpire team led by Bill Edgerton. All those involved should be congratulated for maintaining their independence and the high ISAF standard of race management and adjudication.

ISAF congratulates Larry Ellison, Russell Coutts and the entire BMW Oracle Racing team from the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco, USA on winning the 33rd America's Cup. ISAF looks forward to working with the Defender and the Challengers involved in the 34th America's Cup.

LV Trophy Auckland: No racing on Friday due to adverse forecast

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:57:00 -0800

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] The weather forecast for Friday is for very strong winds outside the safe range for racing in ACC boats. It's a definitive enough forecast for Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio to cancel racing for Friday...

Yachting News 12 March 2010

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:45:49 -0800

Greetings yachties, Lots of action around the world of yachting in my world, below a taste of what’s been happening. Les McDonald Senior – passed away Wellington Storm 12th March Tasman Trespasser 11 Hobby sail – paddle – motor Abby Sunderland Medevac for Clipper skipper Puma Moth Worlds Jessica Watson – Where is she now? AC34 – Where? Jules Verne Trophy – update – Where is [...]

ETNZ Only Team To Remain Undefeated At Louis Vuitton Trophy

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:43:00 -0800

Whitewater on the deck, whitecaps on the Waitemata and warning whistles on the onboard overload alarms characterised the high tempo sailing action today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta.

ISAF Confirms Receipt of 33rd America's Cup Report Forms

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:07:25 -0800

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) today confirmed the receipt of the Regatta Report Forms from the ISAF Race Officials appointed to the 33rd America's Cup Match.

BACARDI CUP STAR CLASS REACHES HALFWAY POINT...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:15:00 -0800

BACARDI CUP STAR CLASS REACHES HALFWAY POINT WITH HORTON-LYNE LEADING OVERALL STANDINGS, VIPER 640 PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP AT BACARDI MIAMI SAILING WEEK ALSO BEGINS

MIAMI, FL (March 10) – Skipper Andy Horton and Crew James Lyne edged up from their fifth place finish yesterday in the standings to secure the top spot Wednesday in the third day of Star Class sailing for the Trofeo BACARDI. Wind conditions increased slightly later in the afternoon to about a 10 knot high in a field that was spread out in comparison to the tight group yesterday. With three more days of Star Class sailing to go in the BACARDI Cup, Wednesday's midway point has U.S. Team Horton-Lyne in first place overall with Ireland's Skipper Peter O'Leary and Crew Stephen Milne taking second. Yesterday's leader, American Skipper Rick Merriman and Crew Phil Trinter faded slightly with a still solid third place finish today while Brazilian Skipper Lars Grael with Crew Ronald Seifort placed fourth and first day victors American Augie Diaz alongside sailing phenomenon Crew Bruno Prada came in fifth place overall to round out the top five in the BACARDI Cup standings.

"The breeze was light again today, but we're expecting the wind to become stronger later in the week with the weather. Today, the real challenge was getting over to the wind, which was tough today, but we managed to spring out of jail and really get out there," comments Skipper Andy Horton. "We're trying to approach this like any big regatta by really staying focused and not being too risky. This is a strong fleet of competitors and you have be careful out there. The breeze is supposed to pick up a bit later this week and we're going to continue to try to do our best and see where we are at Saturday."

Wednesday marked the third of six total days of Star Class sailing as competitors reach the halfway point in BACARDI Cup competition. The BACARDI Cup will run on Biscayne Bay through Saturday, March 13th as the flagship event for the inaugural BACARDI Miami Sailing Week.

The day's sailing also included the start of the Viper 640 class competition for the Pan-American Championships at BACARDI Miami Sailing Week. The Viper 640 victory today went to U.S. Team Skipper Barry Parkin, who came out on top in the 21 vessel field alongside Crew John Logue and Sue Parkin. Viper 640 competition will continue through Saturday, March 13th.

Look for more BACARDI Cup Star Class competition continuing tomorrow along with the Viper class through Saturday. BACARDI Miami Sailing Week will also host J24, Melges20, and Melges24 classes beginning tomorrow. - http://www.miamisailingweek.com/

Gear failure puts finish to a close Kiwi vs Italian encounter

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:46:00 -0800

Louisvuittontrophy.com

American-based Kiwi Gavin Brady and his largely international team of Latin Rascals took the fight to host Emirates Team New Zealand in their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today, only to lose after a gear failure.

Brady, with American tactician Morgan Larson calling the shots, pulled off a risky pre-start strategy against skipper Dean Barker on the New Zealand boat, pushing ETNZ deep into the start box after a dialup but breaking clear with immaculate timing to grab the start he wanted – a port tack cross at speed, right at the committee boat.

Minutes later as they came back together, Brady had a two boat-length advantage that he parlayed into a 22 second lead at the first weather mark. Down the run, the New Zealanders split away and Brady let them go, only to concede the right side of the course when they rounded opposite gates starting the second beat.

Brady’s lead had evaporated but the fight had just started. Half way up the weather leg Mascalzone barely had her nose in front as they sailed into a building breeze when the jib came crashing down. “That was our race to win,” said Brady. “And a tough way to lose!”

Out on the Waitemata Harbour today, the wait for a good breeze stretched out to three hours but the competitors were rewarded with superb sailing conditions under a bright sunny sky. The sea breeze filled in from the southwest, starting at five to seven knots and building during the afternoon to nearly 15 knots before softening a little in the late afternoon.

The boats raced on 1.2-mile legs on the black course, bounded by the Devonport shore and the natural grandstand of North Head on one side and Bastion Point on the other. Spectators high on North Head were rewarded with birds-eye views of the competition.

Read more

BACARDI CUP DAY 2

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:28:00 -0800

BACARDI CUP STAR CLASS COMPETITION CONTINUES SECOND DAY WITH MERRIMAN/TRINTER TAKING TOP SPOT IN STANDINGS AND GRAEL-SEIFERT TAKING TUESDAY'S WIN

MIAMI, FL (March 9) – Light wind and a late start marked the second day of BACARDI Cup Star Class competition on Biscayne Bay with Skipper Rick Merriman and Crewmate Phil Trinter taking the overall top spot in standings with Brazilian Skipper Lars Grael and Crew Ronald Seifert securing the day's victory. In a session marked by a lot of movement and weak variable winds, the Grael-Seifert win was followed by a solid second place finish by Merriman-Trinter with Bermudan Skipper Peter Bromby and Crew Magnus Liledahl taking the third spot. Two more United States teams followed behind with Skipper Peter Wright and Crew Nathan Quist finishing fourth and Skipper Andy Horton and Crew James Lyne finishing out Tuesday's top five in the quest for the BACARDI Cup.

With a second place finish today and a fourth place finish yesterday, Merriman-Trinter were able to look sharp in the overall standings leading with the most points as the BACARDI Cup continues tomorrow on through Saturday, March 13th as the class headlining BACARDI Miami Sailing Week.

"The last two days have been real light and the wind shifts really haven't been that large, but they've really mattered. We found the pressure we needed and felt we had a good start to the day, which really helped along with a big gain in the second run," comments Skipper Rick Merriman. "It's been difficult out there, but luckily we've been able to stay consistent. We've really seen a lot of interesting movement because the conditions have been so light and shifty."

After two days of competition, overall standings include Merriman-Trinter as the current points leader with Horton-Lyne in second place. Stout-Peters is currently in third overall with McChesney-Zwingelberg in fourth and fifth place going to Team Melleby-Mrrland.

As the BACARDI Cup Star Class continues, tomorrow will mark the beginning of the Viper 640 class North American Championship as part of the inaugural BACARDI Miami Sailing Week. - http://www.miamisailingweek.com/

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:26:00 -0800

This is Harken month at Mauri Pro Sailing! 10% off on all Harken Hardware. Redeem coupon: HAR0310 - http://www.mauriprosailing.com/

Louis Vuitton Trophy – Auckland – Round Robin

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:47:41 -0800

Greetings yachties, The round robin has started, below is a collection of all the best links, stories, lies and video of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland New Zealand 9 – 21 March 2010 EnjoyWaitemata Harbour to host America’s Cup boats Auckland, dubbed the City of Sails for its huge sailing fraternity, hosted two hugely popular America’s Cup Matches [...]

Port Commission to do 'everything possible' to secure America’s Cup

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:09:00 -0800

By: John Upton - http://www.sfexaminer.com/

Port of San Francisco commissioners plan to do “everything possible” to attempt to bring the 34th America’s Cup to San Francisco.

The United States is slated to host the next cup, after Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing’s trimaran won this year’s event.

The team was sponsored by the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Bay Area leaders have called on the team to select San Francisco Bay as the location for next race.

The Port Commission on Tuesday afternoon were scheduled to approve a resolution in support of efforts to bring the next race to the Bay.

“Holding the America’s Cup Race on the San Francisco Bay will bring significant major sporting event income into the local economy from teams’ operating expenditures, and increased private and corporate tourism to watch races on the same order of magnitude as the Olympic Games, Super Bowl or World Cup,” stated the resolution.

“Having the America’s Cup Race on the San Francisco Bay would continue and support San Francisco’s already high profile as one of the top destinations in the world and the Port’s mission of attracting more visitors to the waterfront and the Bay Area,” it stated.

The resolution resolves that the Port Commission, in partnership with Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office and the rest of the San Francisco family, “will do everything possible to secure a San Francisco venue suitable for the hosting of the 34th America's Cup on the San Francisco Bay."

Hundreds and thousands

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:48:00 -0800

Jules Verne Trophy
With a little over 5,000 miles left before reaching Ushant, the virtual separation between Groupama 3 and Orange 2 has been yo-yoing for the past three days. The giant trimaran has picked up her average speed since escaping the zone of high pressure, whilst five years ago the maxi-catamaran was just beginning to make laboured headway close to the Brazilian coast...

The crew had a hundred mile lead on rounding Cape Horn, a 190 mile deficit off Uruguay as Franck Cammas and his men began their beat in the high pressure, and finally were 360 miles off the pace at 0700 UTC this Tuesday... Yet since Groupama 3 has made it back into some powerful E'ly winds, the deficit has been decreasing slowly but surely with 30 miles made up in the space of seven hours.

"It was a rough night, with heavy seas, even though the wind was less violent than forecast. We had thirty knots of E to NE'ly with some good four metre waves... We're all anxious about the idea of breaking gear, so we're being very careful. We've got two reefs in the mainsail and I think they've just dumped the heavy airs jib on deck! Down below we're finding it hard to hang on. It's more testing for the men rather than the boat, as she's seen conditions such as these before!" indicated Fred Le Peutrec at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris.

Staying in the corridor of breeze...
These conditions have had an effect on the downtime for the crew, who haven't really been able to sleep over the past few hours, to the extent that Bruno Jeanjean has gone all night without sleep... Furthermore, the heat is becoming a little suffocating down below with 28° and a tepid shower up top.
However, the weather situation is in the process of changing with the wind set to switch back round to the N before nightfall. As such a series of tacks will be on the menu again...

"We're in a squall and it's very stormy! We're going to make it through to some N'ly winds again soon as we hit a Brazilian depression: the seas shouldn't be too heavy there as the air flow has only just kicked in, but we're going to have to keep an eye out for squalls... It's likely we'll be on a beat in this N'ly system so as we don't distance ourselves too much from the direct course and escape these headwinds as quickly as possible. There isn't too much breeze to our West and it's very unstable. As a result we're going to avoid getting tangled up in these erratic airs, but we will have to climb as far as 25°S to find the steadier wind."

...so as not to get stuck
Therefore the strategy will comprise remaining in a corridor of breeze about a hundred miles wide, to get as far as the latitude of Rio de Janeiro where the E'ly tradewinds will kick in again. If she were to get too close to the Brazilian coast, Groupama 3 would fall into a barometric swamp without a lot of breeze, whilst the offshore option would put Franck Cammas and his nine crew back into a rather unfavourable NE'ly air flow. The tropical stage of this trip is still a good day away then! Following on from that though, the giant trimaran will once again be able to lengthen her stride and will very likely make up part of her deficit on Orange 2, which wasn't very quick during her climb along the Brazilian coast.

"Physically we're really worn out: the environment is constantly drawing on our energies at the moment and I can barely talk due to the extent to which we've been bracing ourselves... We're less talkative and highly concentrated on ourselves and on the noises the boat makes, which are very familiar to us now. We'll only be able to relax once we've reached the SE'ly tradewinds! We're on the same latitude as the Canaries and though the temperatures are already milder, the colours are more reminiscent of Ushant with a grey sky and rain! We're going to wait a little longer before we have a wash but it's beginning to smell quite ripe around here..."

Find all the latest about the Groupama trimarans on: http://www.cammas-groupama.com

Bacardi Cup Day 1 - 2010 Miami Sailing Week

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:09:00 -0800

Report by Andrew Campbell

After a week of great north breeze, the Miami heat showed up again today killing the northerly and making conditions perfect for a light seabreeze. We waited on shore an extra hour and then ghosted out into a 4-6 knot easterly. The sailing was just beautiful all things considered, but a 20 degree lefty in the middle of the first two-mile beat spoiled our day. About ten boats were caught in the black flag starting penalty but even so we rounded well into the 50s after fighting our way back from the right side. We had intended to go right all along so I can’t beat myself up too much. And we had really nice pace around the course so we were able to make up nice gains and have a respectable finish in 20th place.

The real unfortunate part of the day was Brad’s back deteriorating as the day went on. He had spent yesterday rigging while I was racing the 32. But when we got to the boat today his back had tightened up so much that he could barely fit under the boom in tacks. Luckily it wasn’t too windy so he wasn’t over strained but by the end of the day Brad could barely walk without wincing in pain. So as I write we’re sitting at the doctor waiting for an MRI to hopefully confirm that it’s just a temporary problem demanding only rest and not actions more drastic. Meanwhile we’re scouring the boatpark for a replacement crew for the week. We’ll try to keep you updated at CampbellSailing.com.

DIAZ/PRADA WIN FIRST DAY OF BACARDI CUP STAR CLASS COMPETITION TO OPEN UP inaugural 2010 BACARDI MIAMI SAILING WEEK

MIAMI, FL (March 8) – Accomplished Floridian Skipper Augie Diaz teamed up with Brazilian Crewmate and 2007 Star World Champion Bruno Prada to open the first day of the BACARDI Cup Star Class competition with a win, taking the pair one step closer to the coveted Trofeo BACARDI. The day’s victory by Diaz-Prada, which took place among a field of eighty-four vessels in a light easterly wind up to 5 knots, was the first in five days of Star Class sailing. The Star Class started the weeklong BACARDI Cup competition, which also doubled as the opening event to the first ever BACARDI Miami Sailing Week, a new addition to the celebrated eighty-three year old sailing tradition.

“I’m not sure we can keep this pace up, but winning today is very exciting and a big step in the right direction. Today, it was all about the guy I was standing next in Bruno. He was a magician out there and I made sure to not do anything to hold him back,” comments Monday’s Star Class victor Augie Diaz. “The real key to the win was how we were able to approach the marks. We also were extremely lucky in the fact that we didn’t make the same mistakes that some of the other crews did out there. We’re pleased with today, but know we have a lot more to do before we go all the way.”

Skipper Jud Smith and Crewmate Brian Fatih were able to capture second place out on Biscayne Bay with Skipper Gustavo Lima and Rubrio Basilio following close behind in third. Rounding out the top five, Rick Merriman and Crew Phil Trinter and Peter McChesney with Crew Shane Zwingelberg were able to solidify their positions in fourth and fifth place respectively for the first day.

With the Star Class on point to headline the competition among several other classes competing in different events, 2010 BACARDI Miami Sailing Week will also include J24, Melges 20, Melges 24, and Viper Classes competing in various regattas. The Star Class competition will continue tomorrow and go through Friday, March 12th. The Viper Class begins Wednesday, March 10th with Melges 20, Melges 24 and J24 starting their run on Thursday, March 11th.

http://www.miamisailingweek.com/

Azzurra delivers stand-out performance on opening day

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:03:00 -0800

Azzurra, the Italian boat with the old name and the young crew, defeated Britain’s TEAMORIGIN in the closest of four hard-fought races on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland.
© Bob Grieser/outsideimages.co.nz Louis Vuitton Trophy

Italian skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni snatched a victory from Britain’s three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie at the first weather mark of their race as their boats rounded the mark overlapped. Sailing above the mark, Ainslie tried to luff his opponent only to see the Italian execute a swift spinnaker set, sail clear and go on to win.

“Azzurra sailed a good race today, they seem to have a knack of overtaking us which is getting very frustrating!” Ainslie said. “We were fully in contention at the top mark and tried to hold them up, we were unfortunately set up for a gybe set and they were set up for a straight hoist which allowed them to gain some distance.”

In their efforts to stay on schedule, the race committee spent a long first day on the water. In the morning, cloudy skies killed any chance of a sea breeze developing and delayed racing. The Rangitoto Channel entrance to Auckland Harbour was so glassy at late morning that Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio joked that it appeared to have been paved.

The long wait for wind ended at 2:45pm as the first pair started on the Blue Course at the mouth of the channel between Rangitoto Island and the Takapuna cliffs. The breeze was five to seven knots from the northwest. After a second race in similar conditions, the breeze switched to the south for the third race inside the harbour. The last race didn’t start until 7:10pm and finished after sunset just before 8:00pm

Race One: All4One def. Mascalzone Latino Audi Sailing Team, 00:44 – In the draw last night, the German/French boat All4One chose the starboard entry for the start and they protected the right side in the pre-start today. They split before the gun with All4One going out to the right on port tack, while Mascalzone Latino Audi enjoyed an early lead on starboard. All4One skipper and strategist Jochen Schümann said a man up the mast had spotted wind out to the right and they chose to concede an early lead to reach the stronger pressure. All4One eventually tacked to starboard to cover and Gavin Brady steering the Italian boat initiated a tacking duel. However Sébastien Col on the helm of All4One had already worked out to a controlling lead on the right that he never relinquished.

Race Two: Azzurra def. TEAMORIGIN, 00:53 – Great Britain’s TEAMORIGIN enjoyed the starboard entry in its match against Italy’s Azzurra and used it to advantage in a dialup that took both boats well above the line before they sailed back with Ben Ainslie on the British boat chasing Italian Francesco Bruni. Ainslie grabbed the right as they split away at the gun but Bruni kept it close and when they crossed for the first time Ainslie on starboard came down and hunted the Italian who tacked close to leeward and forced the British boat away. It happened again before they came into the weather mark overlapped, with Ainslie holding his opponent out from rounding. They tacked above the mark and the British boat luffed the Italian until Bruni capitalized on a miscommunication on Ainslie’s boat. Bruni was first to set a spinnaker and rolled over TEAMORIGIN forcing the British boat to gybe away. From there the Italians controlled the next three legs, finishing with a comfortable 53 second margin.

Race Three: Emirates Team New Zealand def. Artemis, 01:40 – Dean Barker overcame the handicap of a port entry in the pre-start to grab the right side of the course off the start line. Strong outgoing current and shifty breezes played a major role as Terry Hutchinson steering Artemis took the fight to Emirates Team New Zealand but trailed by 55 seconds at the weather mark. Artemis came charging back on the run to close within 12 seconds at the leeward gate but then lost ground in lighter air under North Head. The Kiwis extended to win comfortably.

Race Four: ALEPH Sailing Team def. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 03:26 – The Russian boat steered by Karol Jablonski dominated Bertrand Pacé’s French entry in the pre-start only to see ALEPH wriggle clear and lead by three boat lengths at the gun. Jablonski kept it very close, pressuring Pacé on the first beat and was only 11 seconds astern at the top mark. As the sun set over the Auckland City skyline it was also sunset for the Russians as they ran over their spinnaker at the leeward mark. The French sailed away to a comfortable victory.

LIVE Sport Sailing 103.0 FM is featuring all-day live coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. On television, during the seven days of the round robin, TVNZ is carrying nightly reports on its sports news. From March 16, during the elimination rounds, TVNZ will feature nightly half-hour reports. For the finals on 20th and 21st March there will be live coverage of the racing from noon to 4:00pm.

Live streaming web coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland is available on the event website, www.louisvuittontrophy.com. The official site (in English, French, Italian and Russian) is also rich in team content, as well as features, audio, video and images.

Sir Russell Coutts has hinted at retirement...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:19:00 -0800

By Dylan Cleaver - http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Sailing legend Sir Russell Coutts has hinted at retirement from America's Cup racing.

The four-time winner of yachting's top trophy yesterday said he was taking time in the next two months to decide his future.

Coutts, in New Zealand to talk to the teams in the Louis Vuitton Trophy that starts today on the Waitemata Harbour, was reluctant to commit to the 34th America's Cup.

"I'm still deciding what to do in the future. I don't want to rush things on that," Coutts said. "I've got a young family now and that's definitely a consideration."

When pressed as to whether that might mean leaving Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle Racing team before defending the trophy won in Valencia, Coutts said: "Honestly, I'm really not sure.

"Right now I'm just doing the best job I can for Oracle and trying to speak to some of the other teams to create some good processes [for the next America's Cup], but I haven't made a decision on my future yet."

The 33rd America's Cup was among the most bitter in history, and Oracle and Alinghi spent more time in court than on the water.

Coutts was the victim of personal attacks, and took offence at cartoons posted on the Alinghi website.

But his friendship with Alinghi skipper-tactician Brad Butterworth has survived.

"We had a beer after the racing. We've got a long friendship and I've got a pretty solid friendship with some of the other people on Alinghi, too," Coutts said. "Since the regatta I've spent a bit of time with some of them. At the end of the day we're all trying our best to win yacht races.

"It was unfortunate we kept battling it out in court, but as far as we were concerned there was no alternative. Frankly, I think everybody is ready to turn the page and move on."

Coutts was last night catching up with son Grayson, who was a star of the reality cooking show, New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker.

Cayard on Louis Vuitton Trophy

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:24:00 -0800

Bob Grieser/outsideimages.co.nz Louis Vuitton Trophy, Auckland - New Zealand.
Report by Paul Cayard:

The Louis Vuitton Trophy racing begins here in Auckland tomorrow. Eight teams have come to the previous home of the America's Cup to fight for the Louis Vuitton Trophy which will be awarded on March 21.

Emirates Team New Zealand heads the line up as the host team and winner of the 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

I will be racing with Artemis as tactician, with Terry Hutchinson on the helm. This is our second Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta as a team, the first being in Nice last November. We are looking to improve on our 6th place finish there.

As Dean Barker, skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand said at today's press conference, "There are no easy races out there." All eight teams are very qualified, so the racing will be hard fought.

Missing from Nice is BMW Oracle, but justifiably so after winning the America's Cup just one month ago, they are taking a break but will be back racing with us at the next event in La Maddalena, Italy in May.

With the 33rd America's Cup now over and the new winner a founding member of the World Sailing Teams Association, there is a very upbeat mood amongst the teams around this event as we expect a very collaborative Defender with which to shape the next America's Cup including the continued growth of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

The format here in Auckland for the racing is one round robin with each team meeting each team once, a one race knock out that will send two teams to the semi finals and two teams packing. Then a round robin with the four teams in the middle to determine the other two semi finalists, then a two out of three semi final followed by a three out of five final.

We are using two boats here so most likely each team will have one race per day. That would mean 7 days for the round robin. Artemis' first opponent is Emirates Team NZ in the third match tomorrow.

For complete results or for live streaming of the racing and other features go to http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com/. For more information about Artemis go to http://www.artemisracing.com/.

Cayard Sailing Website

Louis Vuitton Trophy – Auckland

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:17:25 -0800

Greetings yachties, Below is a collection of all the best links, stories, lies and video of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland New Zealand 9 – 21 March 2010 EnjoyWaitemata Harbour to host America’s Cup boats Auckland, dubbed the City of Sails for its huge sailing fraternity, hosted two hugely popular America’s Cup Matches in 2000 and 2003. Auckland [...]

Yachting News 8th March 2010

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:54:50 -0800

Greetings yachties, Welcome to yachtyakka, all the best yachting stories from the best yachting websites with a little humour to keep the deadshits, wallies and wankers out. New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship Taipan – Australian National Maritime Museum Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race Tasman Trespasser 11 – Where is Shaun now? Slam Dunk Wins Louis Vuitton Trophy Abby Sunderland Carnage at the [...]

Yachting News 4th March 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:23:07 -0800

Greetings yachties, Welcome to yachtyakka, all the best yachting stories from the best yachting websites with a little humour to keep the deadshits, wallies and wankers out. Des Top News Kiwi Kawau Challenge C -Class Cats – Team Invictus Where is Abby Sunderland now? Jules Verne Trophy – A day from the Horn – Where are they now? Clipper 09-10 Round the [...]

Yachting News 1st March 2010

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:38:31 -0800

Greetings yachties, Welcome to yachtyakka, all the best yachting stories from the best yachting websites with a little humour to keep the deadshits, wallies and wankers out. Enjoy Join Yachtyakka Yacht Club and build your own sailing blog with photos, video, events and handy hints. First a couple of classics from Dire Straits. Jessica Watson Ladies Racing on Outrageous Fortune Sailing speed [...]

Yachting News 28th February 2010

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:57:23 -0800

Greetings yachties, Join Yachtyakka Yacht Club and build your own sailing blog with photos, video, events and handy hints. Even Keel Tara Oceans Expeditions Revenge Supercar BMW Auckland Regatta RORC Caribbean 600 – Beau Geste Wins RC44 – Cayard Sailing Report America Cup : le mot de fin de Bertarelli Jules Verne Trophy – Peaceful and Pacific – where is Groupama3 now? Google Maps - [...]

Pure Joy: It's all coming together... @ Sail Blogs

Heading out to Port Townsend by land today...taking the main sail to Carol Hasse and company, maybe eating Port Townsend food...ha! Somebody should have told me about retirement years ago...I could have been practicing (well actually sSandy says I've been "practicing now for years"). I don't know what she means. Direct Link

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Living the Dream: Heading South again @ Sail Blogs

We are now staging here in Long Island on our way to the Crookeds and Aklin Islands; sometimes referred to as the "Fragrant Islands"( When Columbus arrived here he thought it was the Spice Islands of the East Indies). These are some of the most fertile areas of the Bahamas but there is very little farming and most of the people have left. we'll update in a future blog when we have some first hand experience. Sorry about the lack of pictures but we have a software problem downloading from the new camera. Direct Link

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SV Windspiel II: Day 1 @ Sail Blogs

Tied off at 15:00 h and sailed into the blue. After getting the spare the mood was better and in fact excited about the adventure to begin. A beautiful day, little wind though. We settled in used the gennacker and organized the night watch, 3 h each from 19:00 to 7:00 h. Andre cooked a gourmet Indian curry chicken dinner. The night was clear and quiet. Motored for an hour at 1:00 h I believe Andreas was up all night as he enjoyed the stars. Lost sight of the lights of Gran Canaria around 4:00 h. The morning was spent cleaning the boat, splicing and Andre went for a swim. Saw dolphins a dead sea turtle and plastic in the ocean. Wonderful day but no wind since 13:00.... Direct Link

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Little Boat, Big Dreams: Biting the Bullet @ Sail Blogs

Summertime is sailing time and for the past few summers we've always had Wings in shape to at least daysail, despite unfinished trim work. But this winter has not been cooperative and when we were supposed to be hauled last fall for more involved projects, an assortment of things from inhospitable weather to unfeasible yard scheduling seemed to present one insurmountable obstacle after another. So, it is finally warming enough that the ice has melted, but we have at least five or so months of work to do. We finally had to face the fact that to get Wings keel reglassed and the interior done was going to take more than our usual few hours a month. I used to keep an Irwin 42 down by the bay at Jennings boatyard, a boat-building as well as repair facility about an hour away and began to consider these great facilities. Direct Link

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SailBlog: Still in Margaritaville @ Sail Blogs

Well, we're still here. Not quite the productive week we'd hoped for and still a few things to do before we can pull anchor. Direct Link

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unabated: More on Virgin Gorda @ Sail Blogs

This morning I motored around the island and anchored in North Sound. I avoided all the charter boats by anchoring near Vixen Point. I took the dinghy over to the Bitter End Yacht Club to see what all the fuss is about there. They have a pretty nice water sports area where you can use (rent) any kind of water craft you can think of, except jet skies (thank G-d). Direct Link

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Troubadour: My Side of Life ... @ Sail Blogs

Laundry dancing with the wind ... a simple pleasure Direct Link

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Cruising from the Canaries: Rundreise Gomera @ Sail Blogs

In den letzten Wochen war viel Bewegung angesagt: Reparaturen, Wanderungen, Kurzaufenthalt in Deutschland, hatte Besuch von Dagmar, zusammen mit den dÃ¤nischen Stegnachbarn Birthe und Ole von der SY Valkyrien auf Exkursionen, kleine Segeltouren, usw. Und - weiterhin auf Gomera ! Direct Link

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Anastasia: What's The Plan, Stan? @ Sail Blogs

I am not sure if we have shared our long-term cruising plans. When I say long term, I am speaking of the next few years. Our Bahamas trip was planned as the "shake down" cruise. We spent nine months in 2009 preparing Anastasia and planning our cruising adventure. We were not naÃ¯ve enough to think that we thought of everything needed. That is why we plan to head back North to the states for the summer. We hope to spend a week or so in the Chesapeake Bay in May doing quick re-fits and then continue on North. We really want to make it as far as Maine before turning back South. That is our "Northern Goal." The trip South will bring us once more to the Chesapeake Bay, this time for a bit longer. Direct Link

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Finally :-): Going South @ Sail Blogs

It's Tuesday March 16th and we are in Carriacou on our 'race' down to Grenada to pick up Pam and crew. We spent the last few nights and days at The Tobago Cays.......snorkeling :-). I saw rays, a Spotted Eagle Ray, more Flying Gunaurds, Peacock Flounders, Turtles, A Devil Scorpion Fish!!! and so on :-) Direct Link

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Sunrise: a dream fullfilled: The wish list @ Sail Blogs

Isobel chills out in the cockpit. Direct Link

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SV ROCKSTAR: San Blas @ Sail Blogs

We had planned to leave PV last week but the weather didn't cooperate so we stayed in Paradise Village Marina and took advantage of the pool, beach and playground. We left Sunday and has a calm motor to Punta Mita where we met up with Luke and Meg for some beach time and to explore the tiny village, it took all of 3 minutes. On Tuesday the weather cleared and we had a 10 hour motor with a small head wind up to San Blas. On the way we saw a family of whales, had dolphins join us and caught 3 fish. Direct Link

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Sailing Scot: Zig, zag, zag, zig @ Sail Blogs

With our long sojourn crossing two oceans it has been most interesting to take note of the ocean patterns themselves. The South Atlantic was very predictable and robust in it's nature. A long steady primary swell always exists with a motion that is purposeful and robust in its constant driving forward. Ceaseless it is there even in the relative calmer Trade-Wind areas, on and on it goes ever surging ahead. By contrast the North Atlantic has been very changeable. It may be that we arrived at the indistinct period of change between seasons, but its ability to change the pattern of motion in the water in a short space of time has been extremely interesting as well as fascinating. During the gales and high winds the swells were menacing and needed watching to negotiate over without slamming the boat but with seeming ease the swell could dissipate and ease of in a remarkable short space of time leaving one with the feeling that there was no malice to start with. Direct Link

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Artemis racing: Cayard rates quality of Louis Vuitton Trophy on Day 8 @ Sail World New Zealand

Paul Cayard, skipper of Artemis Racing reviews the racing from Day 8, with the help of some graphics from Animation Rese Direct Link

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Louis Vuitton Trophy, ââ¦il match piÃ¹ bello degli ultimi ventâanniâ @ Zerogradinord.it

Il match che ha contrapposto Artemis a Team Origin Ã¨ stato definito da Paul Cayard "...uno dei piÃ¹ belli che io abbia mai disputato in oltre venti anni di regate sugli ACC". Direct Link

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Dai team: Volvo Cup Melges 24, a Sanremo Saetta si tinge dâargento @ Zerogradinord.it

Saetta chiude la prima tappa della Volvo Cup Melges 24 con un ottimo secondo posto, alle spalle dei regolarissimi ragazzi di Maidolls. Nel week-end appena trascorso a Sanremo si sono viste regate molto tirate, nelle quali la partenza ha spesso giocato un ruolo chiave, sia per le scelte tattiche abbastanza obbligate, ma anche per lâelevato numero di equipaggi: ben 56, di cui 25 stranieri. Direct Link

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LifeSail on Sport: Max Sirena e la Corsa dei Due Mari @ Zerogradinord.it

Il sodalizio tra vela e ciclismo Ã¨ andato oggi in scena allâarrivo della competizione ciclistica Tirreno â Adriatico, nota anche come la âcorsa dei due mariâ. Direct Link

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Trofeo Jules Verne, Groupama 3 torna al comando @ Zerogradinord.it

44 giorni in mare e Groupama 3 torna al comando del duello a distanza con Orange 2. Dopo essere stato dietro anche di 500 miglia rispetto al tempo fissato dall'avversario nel 2005, il trimarano di Franck Cammas, tornato da poco nell'emisfero nord, ha trovato il flusso d'aria giusto proprio lÃ¬ dove Bruno Peyron rimase fermo per un paio di giorni. Direct Link

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Louis Vuitton Trophy, Auckland: day 8 @ Zerogradinord.it

Buongiorno da Auckland, dove questa mattina Ã¨ tornato a splendere il sole e una leggera brezza ha giÃ preso a soffiare dalle ore precedenti l'alba. Direct Link

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Sailing Photo Of The Day - Bravura Flying Spinnaker and Blooper, 1984 SORC @ Messing about in boats

Bravura Flying Spinnaker and Blooper, 1984 SORC, originally uploaded by Larry Moran. Ballsy! Direct Link

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Sailing Photo Of The Day - Bravura Flying Spinnaker and Blooper, 1984 SORC @ Messing about in boats

Louis Vuitton Trophy, ââ¦il match piÃ¹ bello degli ultimi ventâanniâ @ Zerogradinord.it

Dai team: Volvo Cup Melges 24, a Sanremo Saetta si tinge dâargento @ Zerogradinord.it