AC 34 ~ What’s the Future?

I’ve had the very fortunate experience of watching the amazing multihull face-off in Valencia for AC33 and only a few weeks later being ringside for some of the Louis Vuitton Series racing in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland.  A half dozen experienced AC teams sharing two of the V5 AC boats, minus the AC mainsail logos for this event, interesting!  Great support obvious from Team New Zealand running that many races, sharing boats, replacing spinnaker poles, chutes, and patching the occasional bow and keeping it all running!

A tip from some locals on Sailing Anarchy led us to watch the LV racing from North Head in Auckland.  This is a great park setting, old cannons, grass, a few benches, and a super view of Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.  It was also an easy walk from our lodging in Devonport.

We had no idea what to expect when we first hiked up the hill.  But just as we crested the top of the point, we spotted two big square top mainsails heeled over and headed our way.  Wow!  The windward mark was about ½ mile offshore directly in front of us.  There were a scattering of folks already watching the race.  Several had transistor radios, remember those, and were happy to let another visitor listen in to the announcer calling out the race progress.  It was beautiful, warm, sunny, and best of all windy.  You could see the boats working in the puffs off the point and gauging the current coming out of the harbor.

Flashback to Valencia in February.  Two amazing boats, the Darsena and AC headquarters, the beach nearby, and all the charm of Valencia and Spain.  But of course it was frickin cold in February on the Med!  The racing took place well off shore and the courses did not lend themselves to easy spectating.  Certainly not the fault of the Spanish hosts or the boats, but difficult conditions to watch.

Whenever I get to talk to someone about the America’s Cup, the discussion always comes to where will the next race be, what kind of boats, when?  And the answer, no one knows yet.

Here’s my thoughts:

The boats almost don’t matter.  You could run it in TP52s and it would be a blast to watch.  Or ORMA 60 Tris would be pretty exciting too.  But the boats should reflect the latest state of the art technology.  They should be similar to floating Formula One cars pushing the limits of the box rule that defines them.  But not so far out that only two crazy guys can afford to build them.

The venue really needs one major element, wind!  Consistent, predictable wind.  Racing in 5 to 10 knots of breeze is not very fun to watch unless you have 100 foot long multis with 200 foot high wing masts.  And even then the pictures don’t show a lot happening.  And you spend a lot of time explaining why they can’t go racing in that vicious 15 knot wind.  Watching the AC monohulls dicing in 20 plus knots of wind in Auckland, heeled over, struggling to get kites up and down, is fun to watch even with 70 odd foot lead mines!  And if people can sit on a hillside, for free, and be up close and watching and hearing the boats, that is a huge plus.

San Francisco would be great.  It sure has wind, you can sit on the beach or the grass and almost touch the boats, it’s not what you call warm, but the sun comes out sometimes.  I love San Diego, but there’s rarely much wind in Summer, and the racing is far offshore.  Newport, RI suffers the same in both cases and throws fog in to boot.  After that it’s far off to New Zealand or Australia for breeze, sun, great sailing and spectating, and people who really want to go down and watch the action.  

Sounds like it has to be on the Bay up North if it’s going to be held in the USA and really provide the kind of spectacle that it should be.  I’ll be there for sure.  Cats, Tris, or fast light leadmines.  Oh, and I’d like it much better if they would leave the snowmobile/tractor engines off again.  Sailboats guys, please!  My 2 cents.

The suffering never ends

Just so you know how rough it was out there spectating on the yacht "Snapper".  See the Nowlan Report at US Sailing:  Nowlan Cup Report 

America's Cup to SFO Friday!

After this momentary lapse, BMWO Kicked Butt as everyone now knows!  The trophy will arrive in San Francisco and be at the Golden Gate YC this Friday!  We're on the handsome Blue and Yellow cat in the background.

Our nominee for PRO of the century:  Harold Bennett of NZ!

BMW/Oracle Wins The America's Cup!!!!!

 And so it ended.

As the sun was setting on our last afternoon in Valencia, BMW/Oracle won the second and deciding race to win the Ameraica's Cup.  The race did not start until 1625 today.  I was sure they were not going to get a race off as the Race Committee waited for steady winds across the triangle course.  Alinghi drew a penalty at the start again, but both boats headed off on the first upwind leg with Alinghi ahead at the first cross.  USA 17 tacked away, and was almost up to Alinghi near the top mark.  When they got to the windward mark BMW/Oracle was ahead and never looked back.  A nail biter first leg, but an amazing race!

We managed to sneak in to the hottest ticket in town at BMW/Oracle HQ after a very cool Prize Giving with patented Valencia fireworks at the Veles y Vents building.  Well after dark.

Up at 0400 to catch the plane home tomorrow.  Midnight now, better pack.

Large Cheers for Our Team! 

Day Last ~~ For Me

37f outside at 0700 today.  Forecast is for clear skies and 8 to 10 SE.  Will AC33 wrap up on the water today?  Or will it continue after we are gone?  Rght now I would guess Harold Bennett will run a race today.  I really, really hope so!  And then a party??????

Off to see, and frickin cold, on the Mediterrean Sea!

Gray and Rainy Morning in Valencia

Nothing scheduled this Saturday, but much anticipation after yesterday's exciting race.  Can the Race Committee again pull the rabbit froim the hat and run race 2?  Will the tri show her turn of speed again, driving the wing mast past Alinghi and her "soft sails"?

Kimball Livingston has again said it better than we could Kimball Livingston Blue Planet Times for a great explanation of the race and some super pictures.

It will be cold and gray again Sunday, tomorrow.  Maybe rain, maybe snow????  North winds around 10 kts????  A 36 mile triangle course.  Everyone still here in Valencia wants another race tomorrow.

Here's a pic of our cheering section yesterday.  Some of the BMWO contingent, cheering.  Courtesy of Kimball Livingston.  Dan Nowlan in gray in the middle, front row.  Me behind standing in his lee!

And of course, the impressive Rising Sun in the background.

I'm still trying to find the crew interviews after yesterday's race online.  They played them at BMWO team base but in the very happy throng it was very hard to hear anything.

A Great AC Day off Valencia!

Very tired here, and just starting to thaw out.  Here's some pics that tell the story.  Watching the start was a blast.  Did someone say they would not do a dial-up????

Charging at Alinghi on Starboard

Playing Catchup

Crossing the Finish Line

Cheers and Horns at the Finish!  USA 17 Wins her first race!

Open letter to Ellison & Bertarelli

Larry Ellison, Team BMW Oracle USA & Ernesto Bertarelli, Team Alinghi SNG,


33rd America's Cup competition

Thursday, 11 Feb 2010, Valencia, Spain

You have the attention of a much of the world watching you attempt to sail your two exciting boats for the America's Cup. Time is running out, it is time to act. There are 4 days from today left in the week you announced to sail this regatta.

It is clear that the existing race requirements will not be easily met. A second day is being wasted each time the race is postponed.

Tomorrow, Friday is the next opportunity to hold a race.

I suggest you schedule races for each of the next three days. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

That you race each day without intervening days off.

If the weather or sea state is not suitable for the scheduled race, 20 milw windward-leeward for instance, that you authorize the Race Committee to set and run a suitable course for the conditions, keeping usual safety concerns in mind.

If it becomes possible to run more than one race in a day, that the Race Committee be authorized to do so.

All the machinery and personnel you would need to do this are on site at the moment. If you will simply agree to use them you can complete this regatta this weekend.

I appeal to you to apply your the talents of your teams to do this.

Sincerely,

David Cort

Los Angeles Yacht Club & Transpacific Yacht Club Race Officer

Weather or Not

Two good interviews on Valencia Sailing:  Ed Baird of Alinghi, and Jim Spithill from BMW Oracle discuss today's weather and the racing situation.


Valencia Sailing

But, still, what would it take to get the teams to stop wasting two days for every attempted race day?

What if they called a sailboat race, and nobody raced?

That's what's happening in Valencia.  Monday, wind at top of the 20 mile course, none at the bottom.  Wednesday, wind all over the course, consistent westerly as far as we could see, but a biggish northerly swell.  Not breaking, not chop, not anything that would worry any of us, but no racing.  Both boats sit ready in their corners, crews all dressed up, spectators stuffed with croissants and champagne, wired with espressos, but no racing.

Sorry to sound a bit frustrated, but a second day of everyone getting up before dawn planning on seeing the two big guys get the toys out, not to mention any names, but nobody showed their face on the race course.

Will they race Friday?  The weather is predicted to act up again.  Will they race Sunday?  Will they ever race?  Somebody will need a pretty damn big museum to display these to virgin dinosaurs!

Working on their tans.

These guys liked the sailing.  Rising Sun in background.

These guys were parked.

Wednesday Late (Early) Flash

0630 just about to walk out the door, and a friend in California lets us know the racing is delayed to at least Noon here today.  Great stuff the internet, now for a small nap!  Below from the BMWO Racing Blog:

Racing on Wednesday delayed


The Race Committee has informed the teams that the starting signal for the race on Wednesday will not be given before 12:00 CET (06:00 EST, 03:00 PST).

0600 VLC Update - Wednesday

36f outside. Supposed to be 57f, winds NW 13mph today. Sunny.
 Yee haa, maybe racing today???? We're wait listed we think for the spectator yacht.

Quiet Day in Valencia ~ Tuesday

Beauty sunny day in Valencia today.  Sun was out, but a cold wind was blowing.  Maybe too much to sail anyway???  Ciudad des Artes & Sciences is amazing!  people wearing team gear and AC33 gear all over town.

BMW HQ quiet, Alinghi putting new boards in the boat.

Will we see actual racing tomorrow?

Hopefully we'll be out there again, but maybe watching the feed on TV at the base.  Won't know until morning.

Gray Monday ~ No Racing Today

Up at 0530, both race boats already off the dock in the dark before 0700.  RC ready, boats ready, spectators ready, teams ready, helicopters, press, everything and everybody ready to go today.  We were very fortunate and scored an excellent ride out to the windward mark on the very pretty and hospitable 130' motor yacht Ineke IV.  Excellent food and beverages all day long.  A very large number of boats parked out a few miles off the Spanish Coast 15 or so miles South of Valencia.  A little disappointed we weren't on our way to the Start area, but we were out there on the water, and it wasn't even raining!
 
The breeze wandered thru and started out around 4 to 5 knots from a pretty southerly direction.  The 1006 start time came and went.  Very little info from the Race Committee to the crowd lurking 20 miles to windward.  Our TV on the boat came and went.  Finally EuroSport TV gave up and switched to ski jumping.  Brief excitement as a tracking program in the cabin started showing the two boats racing upwind...  excitement, but false alarm, it was only a simulation!!!!  Drat, but at least we had not dozed thru the start without noticing.  More "no info" from the RC.  Much speculation, interesting theories and discussion.  The wind at our end of the course got up toward 8 to 10 and shifted West a bit.

Finally around 1400 the word spread thru the boat, racing cancelled for the day.  What a disappointment for everyone.  We all charge back to BMWO HQ in the Darsena for more drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  The rain starts.  We talk to some of the folks who were near the start, apparently they never had any of the wind that we had 20 miles to the Southwest.

So, what now?  Well, the "rules" say that racing proceeds on alternate days.  So no racing tomorrow, even if it is 15 knots from the South and sunny-beautiful.  Next shot on Wednesday for race 1, the replay as far as we know.  Then 2 on Friday, and 3 (if needed we must say) on Sunday.  Hmmm, when was that flight home again?????

Dan studies the news while we wait

Ran into Kimball today and Jeff Brown from San Diego.  Cory Friedman with us on Ineke, also Peter Harken, several other interesting folks.
 

Nice Spectator Boat!

Sunday, Day 1 Valencia

Great first day today.  Introduced ourselves at BMW Oracle HQ, have excellent VIP passes to HQ and the races.  We are going on a fast yacht out to watch race 1 presumably tomorrow.  Very, very light wind today, glassy water everywhere we could see.  Watched Alinghi head out for some practice around Noon.  Did not see USA 17 at all.  Not sure if they went out early, or not at all.  Might rain tomorrow, Wunderground says 10 kts of wind??????  Kind of cool and overcast today.  Haze on the water, in SoCal I would expect some weather coming in, but on the Med in Winter, who nose???

Huge daylight fireworks show at the Veles e Vents building this afternoon.  Watched Alinghi sail back in toward the beach in 2 kts (?) of breeeze and stop and take sails down.  Picked up some excellent and pricey BMW swag to bring home.

Have to be at BMWO at 0700 tomorrow.  Should be fabulous.  Oh, did I mention excellent Paella Mariscos with a couple of tasty beers for lunch at Malvarosa Beach!  Life is very good in Espana!

Valencia! At Last!

~0~

Just based on the cab ride from the Airport, what a spectacular city!

There were some BMW Oracle guys holding signs at the airport but we didn't figure that was for us.  Took a cab instead.  Got a great tour of the city center and some of the fabulous archtecture!  Wow!

Oh yeah, there were fireworks too, probably not for us either!

More Manana!  (After some sleep!)

And more when I start getting catched up:  From Valencia Yacht Management:

Official opening ceremony


Sunday 7th February sees the official opening ceremony of the 33rd America’s Cup, starting at 1300hrs in the heart of Port America’s Cup, by the Veles et Vents building.

The opening ceremony will include the draw for which side the competing yachts have to enter the start area for Race 1, with the time gun scheduled for 1000hrs Monday.

A huge crescendo is promised with a mascletá, a local celebration of firecrackers with the largest reckoned to be 750kilos of gunpowder.

And from 1400hrs the America’s Cup will have the UN GRAIN for Haiti – the cooking of a giant paella with the proceeds all going to relieve suffering in Haiti.


Publicado por valencia yacht management en 10:46

It's Time!

~1~

It'sTime!  Only packing left and then LAX.  Flying out tonight, raining here, windy and chilly there, might as well go to Valencia!  This should be a blast!  Meanwhile more great news about internet broadcasting from BMW Oracle's Racing Blog below.

Friday press conference

There will be a press conference on Friday evening beginning at 19:30 local time in Valencia (13:30 EST, 10:30 PST) from the team base featuring team founder Larry Ellison (USA), team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL) and the skipper and helmsman of USA, James Spithill.

And best of all, you can watch it live. This will be our first live streaming event (see previous story below). Just tune in to the player on the main team website.

Posted by Peter Rusch at 12:02

 

Watch the Racing in the USA!

~2~

From BMW Oracle's Blog this morning:

BMW Oracle Racing Blog

Follow the races - in the US

If you live in the United States, you can follow the America's Cup Match on ESPN - online that is.

And we'll have more information on how to follow BMW ORACLE Racing in its challenge for the 33rd America's Cup shortly.

Below is more info about ESPN360.

For the first time in its programming history, ESPN360.com -- ESPN's 24/7 broadband sports network -- will carry the oldest sporting trophy event and sailing's most prestigious regatta and match race, the 33rd America's Cup. The best of three races duel will take place live from Valencia, Spain beginning Monday, Feb. 8th at 3:45 a.m. ET. Race 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10th and -- if necessary -- Race 3 on Friday, Feb. 12th, both at 3:45 a.m. ET.

Calling the event for ESPN360.com will be ESPN sailing commentator and president of US SAILING Gary Jobson along with renowned sailing expert Randy Smyth, both former winners of the America's Cup. After breaking into programming to carry Race 7 of the 25th America's Cup in 1983 -- won by Australia off the coast of Newport, R.I., to break the longest winning streak in sports -- ESPN networks televised every America's Cup competition through 2003.

The 33rd America's Cup is the highly anticipated sequel to the drama-filled result of the 32nd America's Cup in 2007 that sparked a two-year courtroom battle between defending champions Alinghi -- racing team for Société Nautique de Genève -- against Golden Gate Yacht Club's racing team BMW ORACLE Racing. This year's duel under the one-on-one Deed of Gift will settle the dispute between defender and challenger.

Posted by Peter Rusch at 08:27

Practice, practice!

~3~

The Race Committee ran a practice race today.  Alinghi sailed the 20 mile windward-leeward race all by themselves...  And they Won!  Sounds like 2 to 4 TWS, took 2.5 hours.

Now let's see should we take the Blazer or not???  Advice welcome.  What would proper attire be for cocktails on Rising Sun, just in case?

Race time is 0100 PST Sunday night!  Race #1, 1000 in Valencia.

Narrow Escapes

~4~

I just avoided getting put on a jury myself today for a forecast 5 day trial here in San Pedro.  That would be very bad with racing now very likely to start next Monday!  Only 3 days until it's time to head for LAX!

Meanwhile the boys in Spain have been talking to the International Jury for AC33 and getting things sorta worked out for the first race next Monday!  Kimball Livingston has some good words about all that on his blog http://kimballlivingston.com/   More great pictures too, and there's some more great pics on the BMW Oracle blog site at http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com/

The official website is up also at 33rd.americascup.com  That is probably going to be the place to go to find internet TV coverage if you're not in Spain, or maybe Europe????

One interesting quote I heard today was that neither boat had succeeded in sailing upwind for 20 miles yet without breaking something!  Not positive that's true, but it does raise another obvious issue with these giant multis.  There's probably more R&D than usual out there on the water.  Nobody has ever sailed two boats like these two before.

And we should mention that our pal Stan Honey is currently doing 27 knots southbound in the North Atlantic on Franck Cammas' Groupama 3 aimed at the Trophee Jules Verne again!  They were doing 30 a little while ago, but things look much lighter before they get to the Equator.  OK, one more linky http://www.cammas-groupama.com/fr/index.jsp 

Bon voyage to us all!

NY Judge says "Go Race Feb 8th"

~5~

Valencia, Spain - (2010-01-29)
Justice Kornreich of the New York Supreme Court informed the America's Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève, and the challenging Golden Gate Yacht Club today via telephone conference that she will not hear the American challenger's complaint regarding the ‘constructed in country' requirement of the Deed of Gift before the 33rd America's Cup Match which is scheduled to begin on 8 February.

More Thoughts From Kimball Livingston

and the famous "Hundred Guinea Cup" itself has arrived in Valencia welcomed today by Mayor Rita Barbera

Spectating?

~6~

Spectating at the 33rd America's Cup Races may be a challenge.  The Race Officials have issued some information about watching the boats offshore the below quoted from Scuttlebutt:

"NOTICE TO MARINERS - SPAIN
Harold Bennett and Niccolo Porzio are the people responsible for the regatta course for the 33rd America's Cup and have two main important concerns:
1) Whether the races will be able to be staged on February 8, 10 and 12 due to the weather conditions, and
2) The security of the craft that go to sea to witness the duel between the two huge trimarans.

They have issued a very stern warning: "This edition of the America's Cup bears no relationship whatsoever with the previous edition that was far more accessible and took place in the summer, and the nearest buoy to be rounded will be at least five nautical miles from the coast." Mr Porzio added, "We must warn the spectators that those who set out to sea to witness the races must be prepared for the conditions that they will meet. The buoys will be at least thirty nautical miles from the coast and this is a considerable distance and if people do not have the necessary equipment or experience to cope with these conditions, it is better and far safer that they remain at home and watch in on television. Those who do take to the seas must be prepared to sail at least one hundred nautical miles: thirty to get to the course and thirty to return and will have to navigate a lot in order to follow the two trimarans, and we expect that the final distance to be covered by these private craft is about one hundred nautical miles, or the equivalent of the distance between Valencia and Ibiza, and conditions at sea will not be the same as they are during the summer."

The organization also revealed that the umpire boats for these races will number eleven, as opposed to 63 for the previous edition, and people are welcome to put to sea and observe close to the various buoys, but this is undertaken at their own risk. The Guardia Civil will be responsible for overall security on the water, and the Corps has refused to give any details
of how the security operation will be mounted. Mr Bennett also revealed that the race area will be revealed at 6:30 in the morning of the competitions, and the Notice of Race filed at 10 am as the two craft will have to sail thirty nautical miles to get to the course, and that the course will remain
the same throughout the three days, but racing will be suspended if the wind (variation) exceeds 25 degrees. -- Valencia Life Network, mailto:publisher@valencialife.net"

It sounds as though watching either the big or the small screen may be the only answer??? 

Sailing and Litigating Resume

~7~

The weather has improved in Valencia.  Both boats sailed today under sunny skies, but chilly, in light winds.  Larry Ellison's boat "Rising Sun" arrived in Valencia.  The lawyers are staying busy arguing the "Constructed in Country" issues.  Golden Gate YC issued their latest statement concluding with this sentence: "GGYC hopes the Court will resolve this issue next week, before racing for the 33rd Match starts in Valencia on 8 February."  Full statement at Tom Ehman CiC Statement 27 Jan 2010

Shortly after SNG responds with their own statement concluding with: "SNG remains determined that the winner of the America’s Cup will be decided on the race course and not ashore. We will see you on the start line on the 8 February.”  Complete text at: SNG/Alinghi CiC 28 Jan 2010

Apparently there is one thing they both claim to agree on, racing starts 8 Feb 2010!

A little more than a week before we head to Valencia.  Hopefully a good spectator boat ride will appear.  The course promises to be more than 20 miles offshore and starting at 10 in the morning!  The weather is forecast clear and cool for the next 4 or 5 days.  Good weather for practicing!

It's the Weather!

~8~

From AFP in Madrid:

Tue Jan 26, 12:31 PM

MADRID (AFP) - The two yachts that are do battle for the America's Cup remained stranded in port for a third day Tuesday due to bad weather, less than two weeks before the controversial event is due to start in eastern Spain.

...

Winds of more than 30 knots and waves of more than three metres were forecast off Valencia for Tuesday.

"We are trying to get out as soon as possible, maybe Thursday..," said a spokeswoman for US challenger Oracle.

The bad weather is "unfortunate but expected at this time of the year..," Alinghi's weather specialist, John Bilger, said on its website. "It's an interesting place to have an America's Cup in February!"

Local newspaper Las Provincias said the start of the event could be delayed until February 12 if the region is hit by further storms this week.

Full story

Live TV on Internet to be Offered

~9~

Announced today by Consorcio Valencia:

25.01.2010
Consorcio Valencia 2007 will organise the America’s Cup on shore

International marketing and event team already in place to support.
For the first time, Racing will be broadcast Live on the internet

The Société Nautique du Genève (SNG), trustee of the America’s Cup, has delegated the responsibility for organising the media and event activities for the 33rd America’s Cup to Consorcio Valencia 2007. The 33rd America’s Cup promises to be a regatta unlike everything which has been seen so far.
...

What will it be like as an experience, on the ground in Valencia?

We will welcome fans with an inauguration event on February 7th. And from the first race, scheduled for the 8th, they will be able to watch the races live on a giant screen, get official merchandising and enjoy a range of activities for kids, youngsters and families. Also, there will be food and beverage points with Swiss, American and, of course, Spanish food. We want to create a special atmosphere a great fan experience.

More info at 33rd America's Cup

Getting Ready - The Countdown

~10~

 
 








Both AC Teams are actually in Valencia. Sailing has begun, and weather and whether are both in the picture. The court battles continue and February 8 looms as the date set for the first race. Will it really happen? I think it will, so I plan to be there on scene to see what transpires. I hope it is sailboat racing of the highest and most amazing order we have ever seen. Or maybe not....