THE DAY OR TWO AFTER.

James Spithill Russell Coutts Larry Ellison John Kos-tecki. BMW Oracle Racing.


It’s America’s Cup again! In winning the ‘Auld Mug off Valencia, Spain; USA BMW Oracle, representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) in San Francisco, now embarks on a journey to reclaim the high ground. Their mission, is to repair all that was lost over the last two years of endless litigation.
In a match that was settled on the water and produced an awe inspiring image of the two most technologically advanced racing boats ever built to compete for yachting’s most prestigious trophy. The America’s Cup seems back on track again.
“It is a fabulous experience I am very proud to be part of this team and I am exceptionally proud to bring the America’s Cup back to the United States of America for the first time in a very long time,” said Larry Ellison, USA team founder and afterguard member.
As the battle for the type of boat, venue and the date begins, its time to look back on yachting’s Saint Valentine’s Day massacre and look forward to what should be an exciting and harmonious 34th America’s Cup.
“What a fantastic race,” said USA Skipper James Spithill. “I would really like to congratulate Alinghi for bouncing back today; they were coming out there swinging.
“We knew they were a champion team and they showed that again today,” said Spithill. “Full credit to them it was one hell of a boat race. I tell you, I enjoyed every minute of it.”
For Spithill, it was clearly the game changing event in his career. One of the most aggressive starters in match racing, he lived up to his reputation and reminded a lot of people of a young Dennis Conner, who made his reputation as a terror in the start box.
“I think this was a very challenging event,” said Coutts. “Even two or three months ago I was not sure that we could have our team working effectively enough to beat these guys. I know, because I was in team Alinghi and I know how good they are.”
“It was a fantastic effort on our behalf to have beaten them and certainly I hope to see them back and competing in the America’s Cup,” said Coutts.
As for Alinghi and the Societe Nautique de Geneva, let the second guessing begin. This race was fought on two fronts, in the courtroom, where USA’s legal team waged a brilliant defense of the Deed of Gift (DoG) and on the water, where America’s technology superiority was showcased in this event for the first time since Bill Koch upped the ante in 1992 with America “3”.
“They had a strategy and they got a little help from the legal system in New York, that always makes things difficult for us Europeans to get the same sort advantages,” lamented a dejected, but upbeat, if not cynical Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi’s Owner and helmsman. “They were able to change their boat when they saw ours, they were able to bring a wing and they were faster.”
“I think both days were real races and unfortunately it is just two races, but I’d like to congratulate Oracle on the job that they have done, designing, building and sailing that boat,” said Alinghi tactician and clearly one of the best sailors in the world, Brad Butterworth. “It is not an easy thing to do, to change their boat, to re-mode it and to push it when they saw what we were coming out with.”
In the design race that became this America’s Cup, BMW Oracle christened their new boat 13 months after their challenge was submitted in July, 2007. Alinghi had another 10 months before they launched their new boat. Both teams modified their boats extensively and copped many “secrets” from each other. The boats are kindred spirits, but clearly the wing sail tipped the scale.
Even if the boats had raced in RAK in the United Arab Emirates, on the Persian Gulf, the results would have most likely remained unchanged. The wind conditions were in Alinghi 5's "range". USA was generally able to power up at will, as seen in Race One, after stalling out at the start and then literally, able to reel Alinghi in with the throttle down, over a matter of moments.
“So, good on them and maybe I wouldn’t have done the same thing, but that is the America’s Cup, it is not the European Cup, it is the America’s Cup,” said Bertarelli. “The Americans have a bit of an advantage but they take the Cup back home. Let’s see what happens now.”
It is a billionaires game and as J P Morgan once remarked over a century ago; “if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.” The same holds true today, though clearly there will be an impetus towards cost cutting.
As far as venues go the early front runners are; Valencia, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; San Francisco and San Diego, California; Auckland, New Zealand and last, but not least, Newport, Rhode Island. For any port, infrastructure and weather will be the key ingredients for success, but clearly some if not all will play a part or have an “Act” in the next America’s Cup.
Coutts related the experience of the spectacular TV images of the America's Cup races off Fremantle, Western Australia in 1987. The 12-Meter yachts at that time ripped through gargantuan boat busting sea swells and routinely sailed in winds over 25 knots on the Indian Ocean.
“I think we are open to considering a lot of options. We will talk to San Francisco and to Valencia,” said Ellison. “Valencia have been fantastic hosts to the last two America’s Cups and as you know we pushed very hard to hold this Cup in Valencia. It was not the Defender’s first choice, and overall we enjoyed sailing the 32nd and the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia.”
The yacht of choice will be a consensus choice amongst the participants. Alinghi submitted two choices during the courtroom wars. One was the AC 90, then a downsized AC 33, both had merits and a desire towards a fast downwind flying monohull, with loads of sail area.
Once a committed monohull enthusiast, Russell Coutts, BMW Oracle’s CEO has hedged his bets of late after the dramatic speed and success of their hard winged trimaran, USA. Coutts is the charge behind the successful RC 44 and of late the Transpac 52 has ignited energy on the European front.
“I think that the Cup boats we should reach consensus with the rest of the America’s Cup world,” said Coutts. “I think it would be irresponsible for one party to make try and make a decision on behalf of the everyone else.”
If the ultimate choice is a monohull look for the Version 5 ACC to carry the load for the next couple of years in warm up regattas as the Louis Vuitton World Series and the America’s Cup find their way back home again in a reunited series.
On the multi-hull front, speed is king and after the incredible images of USA ripping around the race course, it will be harder to go back to 80’ ft. anything and as conflicted as the 33rd edition was, it was the first time in all of our lives where we witnessed a true version of a real America’s Cup.
Not since the J-Boats of the 1930’s has the yachting world been treated to a spectacular spectacle such as this! It would be akin to the Indianapolis 500 going back to front engine roadsters or baseball without performance enhancing drugs.
But, there seems to be little support for a 60'ft. Pro-Sail series in multi-hulls, though the I-Shares Cup is exciting, it’s not the America’s Cup.
“This one has been an amazing experience, pretty much for all the teams, but especially for the sailors,” said US Skipper James Spithill. “Pretty much everyone on the boat had very little multihull experience beforehand. In some ways this one almost feels harder. For me personally it was a really steep hill to climb.”
“This particular America’s Cup has got a lot of interest because for the first time in a long time it featured the two fastest sailboats in the world and the limits of what is possible marrying high speed sailing and material science, carbon fiber, Kevlar, computational fluid dynamics, computer simulation of not only our hulls, but also our wing,” said Ellison.
“It was really a high tech race and a bunch of people who really aren’t that interested in sailing followed it pretty closely,” continued Ellison. “We think that is important for our sport. We think that is important to get the television coverage, to involve non sailors as well as sailors. We are going to try and make decision along with the rest of the America’s Cup community so we can do just that.”
For Alinghi, all is not lost, their design and race team are still the best in the world in ACC Version 5’s and their failures have more to do with Yacht Club and ownership politics, than on the water issues.
“It is not for me decide the future of the America’s Cup any more so I will wait and see what the future is going to bring us and where it going to take us,” said Bertarelli. “Then I will decide.”
“Of course we would like to see Alinghi back as a challenger,” said Coutts. “They are one of the best teams in this business, and they have proven that.”
The Challenger of Record (COR) will be the Club Nautico di Roma (CNR). The yacht club is associated with the Mascalzone Latino Racing Team, which is owned by two time America’s Cup participant Vincenzo Onorato.
Onorato was a very vocal and eloquent supporter of BMW Oracle’s legal challenges. He also shares a vision of the America’s Cup similar to Larry Ellison. The choice was an obvious one and will be well served for the future.
Club Nautico di Roma (Rome, Italy) was formed in 2006 and they do have a website and a phone number. GGYC and CNR have pledged to start a dialogue and wide-ranging discussions with the America’s Cup community, including existing and prospective teams.
The objective is to ensure that the 34th America’s Cup is built on the foundations of the competition’s unique past as well as on a shared vision for its future.
“One thing I would like to assure people about the 34th America’s Cup, is there will be a completely independent jury, there will be a completely independent umpires,” said Ellison. “It will be an independent group which manages the next America’s Cup and there will be a level playing field for all competitors.”
The next event on the horizon is LVWS in Auckland, New Zealand and other than a snippet or two of new information, don’t expect any ground breaking announcements for a while. The yacht of choice will probably be announced before the venue. But look for all announcements to well thought out in advance, but their will be tremendous pressure on the part of the GGYC to host the 34th America’s Cup in recession ravaged California.
Sayanara

USA WINS THE AMERICA'S CUP !! Photos courtesy of BMW Oracle Racing.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better! It did as USA won the second race and captured the America’s Cup Trophy by beating Alinghi by 5 minutes and 26 seconds!
In a match that brought the “match” back into racing, USA powered up its massive wing-sail; which is bigger than the appendage on a 747 and can leap tall buildings, and after a fantastic first leg, ripped away on the reach, to cover the unwieldy new catamaran from the former America’s Cup Defender on its way home to the finish line.
After a delay of more than 6 hours and a potential postponement to another day just moments away, Principle Race Officer (PRO) Harold Bennett displayed some Kiwi swagger to hold off a mutiny aboard the committee boat to start the race, as officials from Societe Nautique de Geneva (SNG) attempted to stop it.
With all the confusion on board the committee boat apparently spreading into the mindset of the Alinghi after guard, it apparently lost track of its position on the race course in regards to its proper entry point into the starting box prior to the five minute warning gun.
Inextricably, Alinghi, representing SNG, was given its second successive penalty in as many races even before crossing the starting line. America’s Cup umpires and officials had gone 156 years without issuing a penalty, now have done so in the last three races held for the ‘Cup over the last two series championships.
Mistakes and penalties aside Alinghi was still able to gain the favored right hand side of the course at the start as the boats split off into different directions, with USA heading to the left.
The American maxi-multihull won the start by 24 seconds in a race that was guided by breezes that varied from 6 to 9 knots, with waves that measured slightly more than a meter, but the sea state was still relatively docile, nary some rolling swells that surged across the course on occasion.
“We wanted to get the right hand side of the start line,” said Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth, who has sailed in every America’s Cup since 1987. “We were a little bit bunched by the start being called so late in the day.”
“We really weren’t close enough for the time that we had and we struggled to ping the ends and then gybe round and get to our end so we got a nice penalty for free and that was two for two, so we like be even numbers, that is good,” commented a stoic, yet sarcastic Butterworth. Clearly he is the human voice of that team. “We thought we’ve got the penalty we will gybe round and we could not get to the starboard layline to the committee boat which is what wanted, because of the spectator boats.”
“We’ve got a real boat race here,” exclaimed an exuberant USA Skipper James Spithill.
For all the politics over wind and wave conditions the races were run in excellent weather for this time of year. Bennett should be commended for his impartiality, and even with all the angst over the delays, set up a damn good race course.
The action on the committee boat was directly related to Alinghi’s insistence on not racing in specific conditions on the water, which was specifically ruled on by the America’s Cup Jury prior to the start of the regatta and is referred to in the Deed of Gift (DoG) only that race’s must be completed in seven hours.
Apparently, after six hours of delay, waiting for the light and shifty winds to stabilize over the triangular course and with only minutes before the 4:30 PM deadline SNG officials on the boat staged a strike. They refuse Bennett’s order to lower the postponement flag, which would begin the 10 minute sequence to start the race.
After the three SNG club members refused to comply with Bennett’s directive; as the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) PRO he has complete authority, he “deputized” GGYC observer Tom Ehman and the committee boat’s Spanish driver, who also happens to be an international umpire, to help run flags for the race.
Also, on board was SNG’s Chief Council Lucien Masmejan, and the Commodore himself; Fred Meyer. Clearly, when all this is over the ISAF will undertake an investigation and will likely take punitive action. The ISAF is the governing body for the sport of sailing. Though, in an interview Bennett did say; that Meyer took no part and just watched the whole affair.
Alinghi and SNG’s intransigent position and subsequent actions on this issue constitute an unsportsmanlike behavior that has not been seen since Lord Dunraven over a century ago. Had the GGYC continued its litigation on Societe Nautique’s de Geneva breach of its fiduciary duty as Trustee, this incident would certainly rank as proof positive, that the actions of SNG’s officials have no place in a world of fair sportsmanship.
Given the mutual distrust that existed between the two yacht club’s over the past few years, it is fortunate that Ehman, (whose no fly on the wall), was onboard to help bring order to chaos.
Even as Alinghi appeared slow to the line, USA was flying two hulls and ripped off on port tack. Meanwhile, Alinghi’s hesitancy was rewarded with a 20 degree wind shift to the right and after a separation of over 3,000 meters between the two boats, had worked the catamaran up to a 600 meter lead.
Loick Peyron took over the helm from Ernesto Bertarelli and had Alinghi in control of the race at this point as they pointed into a nice header. Alinghi 5 looked much stronger today and despite their mistake at the start had motored off with a nice lead, as USA tried to take advantage of every little puff on their side of the course.
With a nice looking mainsail holding its shape as close to a wing as a wing could be, Alinghi appeared ready to rally and for the first time it looked like there was an actual match race on for the America’s Cup, where tactics, not just speed, would play a defining role.
“We managed to get what we wanted,” said Butterworth. “I think we had better pressure on that side on that long starboard tack and we pushed the boat harder than we have ever pushed it on both tacks.”
As the boats converged towards the layline on the approach to the first mark Alinghi sent up a red flag, and it wasn’t a valentine or love letter. The protest flag became fortune’s fool, as the race changed character immediately. Whether it served as an impetus for USA or further distracted the Alinghi afterguard, who had run a great race at that point, the momentum was about to change for the Americans.
USA tactician John Kostecki plotted a course to lay a “fat layline” (as described by commentator Andy Green) over Alinghi as the lead narrowed to just under 100 meters. USA overstood the lay line by a few boat lengths as Alinghi failed to dial them up and US 17 sailed over the top of them to round the first mark 28 seconds ahead on a leg that had been thoroughly dominated by the Swiss.
In relaying what was the pivotal moment in this race Spithill just exclaimed; “I just nailed it!”
As the early evening sky began to drape shades of fluorescent pink on the horizon Alinghi was now on death’s door on a reaching leg, with few or zero passing lanes. The 13.3 mile reach was all USA needed to extend its lead quickly to more than a 1000 meters, as it was sailing at over 30 knots in only 8 knots of breeze!
At this point it was obvious that most of Alinghi’s efforts would be an exercise in futility, as the catamaran water ballasted to the maximum, was doing all it could do to try to keep up and routinely was left with both hulls in the water.
In the meantime, Jimmy Spithill steering USA into the sunset was having the time of his life. At forty meters or more over the water and above the fray, on the helm, as the luminesce turquoise seas of the ‘Med went ripping by below the under carriage of the carbon fiber hulls.
The netting in between the three pontoons of the monster trimaran had been cut down to a minimum as a result of a multitude of modifications that had taken place as the BMW Oracle Team adapted to the many court rulings and potential location changes. The boat had taken on huge “batwings” behind the beam for aerodynamic assistance.
The technology in both boats was inspiring with an incorporation of A-Cat’s wave piercing reverse bows or the massive asymmetrical curved foils, not to mention the radical, yet “conservative” hard wing sail, which had to be baby sat 24 hours a day. It must have been like keeping an elephant leashed in your living room, with mice running around.
As USA rounded the second mark with a 2 minute and 44 second lead for a downwind heading for the finish line the race was all but over. USA rolled up its jib and gingerly swung the wing sail around as it jibed home with the margin now at 2,200 meters.
In a furious attempt to catch up Alinghi started dumping water from its ballast tanks in an effort to gain speed. The only drama left was USA’s last jibe to lay the finish line and as darkness approached whether any breakdowns would occur.
The winds lightened up as the sun was setting and barring a bizarre shift in the breeze like Race 7 when the finish did a complete round about Alinghi’s swan song was singing.
USA slowed up for the finish and the lead dropped to less than 1,000 meters, but it was to little, too late as Alinghi still had a take a penalty turn. USA representing the BMW Oracle Racing Team crossed the finish line 5 minutes and 26 seconds ahead as it was America’s Cup again!
Oracle chieftain Larry Ellison took the wheel of his $150 million dollar creation and steered towards Port America’s Cup with the mountains behind Valencia now painted in magenta and purple.
In crossing the line Ellison declared that: “this is an absolutely awesome feeling and I am really proud to be part of this team!”
Horns blared, sirens blasted, as a flotilla of all shapes & sizes of marine craft who had anxiously awaited the behemoth multihulled giants all day and into the night swarmed around it like bee’s to honey.
Congratulations abound as America is home to the America’s Cup once again and for the first time in 15 years it will reside up the California coast from San Diego to its new home in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Yacht Club. I’m sure that Tom Blackaller and Gary Mull are smiling and sailing somewhere in this glorious moment!

USA Takes Race One!

Photo by BMW Oracle Racing © Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

HOLY BATWINGS, HERE THEY COME!
USA overcame a stall at the start and quickly moved into the lead past Alinghi, to win the first race of the 33rd America’s Cup in convincing fashion, by 15 minutes and 28 seconds to lead 1-0, in a best of three series.
The incredible racing action took place this time off the mountainous coastline Valencia, Spain in futuristic looking, space age multiple hulled rocket ships. The competition for the ‘Auld Mug will never look; or be the same.
Amidst all the tension and attention usually reserved for a space shot at Cape Canaveral, the America’s Cup finally got under way after two days of postponements. Race Committee Officials led by Harold Bennett, gave the go ahead and the drama was dramatic from the get go, as USA Skipper James Spithill went directly for the jugular and forced a penalty on Alinghi, leaving the defender with a noose around its neck that hung like an albatross, as the American high tech trimaran went on to a convincing win.
Alinghi shook off the shock of the penalty to stall out USA. The American trimaran, with its massive 235’ ft. hard wing sail was completely stopped ahead of the line as Alinghi circled around to re-enter the start box and crossed the starting line 1 minute and 27 seconds ahead.
It didn’t take long for these giant 100 foot long yachts to fly a hull out of the water as USA took off in hot pursuit like a “bat out of hell” and passed Alinghi fifteen minutes into the race. Spithill had the throttle down and was pushing USA for all that it was worth.
“It was certainly good to see the guys under pressure like that because it did not really phase them one bit,” said Spithill. “They all just got straight back into what they were supposed to do and that is sailing the boat fast.”
"They certainly showed how fast they can get their boat going. They could not have come off the line in a worse position and they ended up in a very strong position”, said Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth. “When you are sitting in front of them and they sail up and around you, that is speed!”
USA consistently showed the ability to point higher and faster into the wind as Alinghi was forced into an early sail change with a slight build in the breeze. The American boat is from the BMW Oracle Racing Team, represents the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) from San Francisco, California.
USA was very comfortable in the lighter elements, building on its lead and was able to fly its hulls more often than not, with Alinghi less comfortable trying to take off to “foil up” to speed.
Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman and team president for Alinghi, which represents the Societe Nautique de Geneva (SNG) in Switzerland commented; "Actually we had too much sail area for the most part of the race. We did not have the set up we would have liked to have had. There was a bit more wind than we expected.”
With bated breath and the specter of yet another day of delay racing commenced in optimal conditions for this time of year with light, chilly breezes from the south at around 6 to 7 knots, under bright blue skies. After a delay of more than four hours waiting for an offshore breeze to stabilize after the previous days high winds the action was intense from the start as an aggressive Spithill lived up to his reputation.
As in 2007, the location of the America’s Cup took place on the beautiful Mediterranean coast of Spain, be it the middle of winter, in February rather than a warm balmy summer afternoon in July. This unique 33rd version of the ‘Cup was the subject of much litigation and interpretation as ultimately the New York Supreme Court ordered the teams to race under the terms of the Deed of Gift (DoG).
The course for the first race was a simple windward/leeward trajectory of 40 miles with one mark rounding.
USA, carrying sail number US 17, dropped its jib halfway up the windward leg and relied upon its hard wing sail to engine up an amazing amount of power leaving Alinghi, with owner Ernesto Bertarelli at the helm, with Frenchman Loick Peyron and Butterworth, by his side in its dust. USA led at the first and only mark rounding ahead by 3 minutes 21 seconds.
“Obviously it was quite exciting at the start,” said Spithill. “We were able to get a piece of them in the entry and that is something we had been thinking about for quite some time, and it started to set up to look like we might be able to get a penalty on them, so I pushed it pretty hard in there.”
Then as announcer P J Montgomery called it that left USA “stuck in the putty” and stalled out for several exciting moments as the hard wing sail powered up again.
“That left us pretty close to them and we then we had a hard time slowing the boat down,” continued Spithill. “We were in a pretty controlling position then, as time went on through we got ourselves stuck in irons, but also I want to say well done to Alinghi, they did a good job getting out from there.”
“We still have a lot to learn, it kind of showed today that we aren’t at race level preparation that we are kind of used to in these campaigns,” related Spithill, who lives in Australia and in his fourth America’s Cup campaign. “But, it was an exciting start, with plenty of action.”
“We tried to keep the boats apart with having the bottom pin offset but it was not actually set up that well, and we thought we had just done enough but obviously not,” said Butterworth. “But, that really did not have any reflection on who won the race. It made some interesting stop and start, in irons and going backwards, something we’d never done on multihulls.”
Many thought the Alinghi catamaran would have a downwind advantage in the lighter breezes, but as they raced back up the Spanish shoreline USA comfortably increased its lead to more than 3,000 meters sailing at more than 25 knots or more than twice as fast as the speed of the wind. The umpire boat and spectator flotilla struggled to keep up as the multi-hulls raced towards the finish line.
"For sure at the start after the penalty it felt good they were stopped we could gybe and start,” said Bertarelli.
“The wind changed quite rapidly. We had six or seven knots during the pre start and right off the start we were surprised with the wind coming in so strong, so quickly, 12 knots, but we thought we were doing good,” commented Bertarelli after the race. “But, they caught up and we had to make a sail change which slowed us, but they were fast today and the wing seems to be quite a weapon."
In what was a race primarily geared towards straight line speed, the boats still remained quick and agile enough to match tacks in classic match racing fashion. The wind remained fairly consistent over the course, with puffs of breeze here and there which would send the flying hull airborne to the point of an anxiety attack, but Spithill armed like an astronaut with a dizzying array of sensors in his computer backpack would calmly drive his boat back from the brink to finish around ten minutes ahead.
The actual margin at the end was increased by Alinghi’s penalty turn which was done after the finish line, so the cat was forced to bear up and re-enter the course to do its penalty turn again.
After the race there was cautious optimism on the part of USA’s after-guard, knowing full well that Alinghi is armed and dangerous. The second race is a completely different with two marks on a 40 mile triangular course, with two reaching legs.
“To be honest I think we carried a bit of pressure down, I think we carried it down the lane. It was one of those things, I think, where the boat in the lead was always gaining,” said Spithill after the race. “I think that JK (tactician John Kostecki) did a really nice job, he absolutely nailed it on the downwind leg, full credit to him and the weather team.”
“It was very very shifty, very very puffy,” said Spithill, who is in his fourth America’s Cup regatta, but first final. He began is ‘Cup career aboard Syd Fischer’s radical Young Australia in 2000 as a teenager. Fischer has a way of recognizing talent having pegged a young Ian Murray to skipper Advance in 1983.
Russell Coutts , USA’s CEO and three time America’s Cup winning skipper said; “I think it is early days and I said before the series that you wont be able to draw conclusions from the first few minutes of these races….but how about that wing?
"It looked pretty good from where I was sitting today. I think the team did a good job. The guys on board sailed a really nice race, pretty much faultless, said Coutts. “They had a few problems at the start and that can happen in these boats, but we are very, very happy with where we are, but we are only a tiny way into this series now.”
The race turned out to be quite a spectacular affair, with all the underpinnings of what is yachting’s premier event. Unlike 1988’s, one-sided DoG America’s Cup race in San Diego, California this is an actual battle with evenly matched yachts, where match racing skill and tactics will determine the winner.
“ I tell you, when you are in my position with the ten years that are behind and the team I have and the opportunity to race one more, or maybe two more races in the America’s Cup, you can’t call any day a hard day in the America’s Cup,” said Bertarelli. “They are all good days, today it just happened they were faster, they sailed a good race, we lost and I learned over the years that losing is part of enjoying sailing and going racing.”
Bertarelli’s counterpart and nemesis USA Owner Larry Ellison was thrilled in the win, but very much focused on the task at hand, which is taking one day, one race at a time.
“I think my emotions started when it looked like we were going to race in three and a half knots of breeze,” said Ellison. “Russell and I were on the boat and we had to get as many people off the boat and as much stuff as possible to sail as light as possible.”
“I had to get off the boat and so did Russell,” relayed Ellison, which shows the faith and trust they have in Spithill, who has the brass tacks to kick off his bosses off the boat, twenty minutes before the start of the race.
“I think it is more stressful to watch than to sail,” said Ellison. Better up one than down.
Clearly, the wing is the thing. The hard wing sail, which was tested for the first time late last fall after USA dismasted a brand new rig, is the most advanced piece of sailing technology to appear in the America’s Cup and work; since Australia 2’s winged keel.
“The piece of kit we are most proud is the wing,” said Ellison, taking a break from his day job running the global software giant Oracle. “Today, I would say that sailing is a lot harder than running a software company!”
Bertarelli concurred on the hard wing, “It does, I think, show that the wing is quite versatile in many different conditions, but I am not sure sail area would have made much of a difference.”
“I think it is just way too early to draw too many conclusions,” said Coutts, displaying the game face of a true champion. “We are only one race into the series and we will see at the end of the series in terms of the relative values of the wing.”
"I have absolutely no regrets and no frustration,” stated Bertarelli. “Actually I quite enjoyed myself on the water today. It’s racing, you win, you lose that is part of the game. We gave everything we have got over the last two and a half years.
“So there there is nothing to be frustrated about or ashamed about,” said Bertarelli. “Again, the Cup is not over.”
It’s not over, but USA showed dramatic speed and seemly led at will, once in front. Alinghi with both hulls in the water more often than not, will have to do a rethink before Race Two, but they have been the best sailing team in the world the last seven years and nothing, not even today’s result has changed that.
actors
Special thanks to the corporate sponsors; Hublot,El Corte Ingles, Estrella, and Iber Drola who hopped on board at the 11th hour to help support the efforts of the organizing committee. Kudos also to the City of Valencia and Mayor Rita Barberá, who knows how to get things done, in a hurry.
For the rest of us, its too early for breakfast in Valencia, but certainly the coffee is brewing!

From the America's Cup Media Center in Valencia.

Race 1 scheduled again for Friday
Friday should see a third attempt to get Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup away. The prospect of a window of suitable weather to allow the windward-leeward course comprising two 20-miles legs is anticipated tomorrow although Valencia has been subjected to some brisk, chilly northerly winds through today Thursday.

A postponement was signalled in the early evening which means no start sequence will be before 1154hrs (LOCAL)

Even around the Marina Juan Carlos 1 the flags were stiffened by the wind through most of the day. The cool February breezes reached more than 30 knots at times.

Hopes are high that Race 1 will start tomorrow, but for all of the waiting that has already been part of what promises to be an historic 33rd America’s Cup match, neither the premium placed on patience nor the bracing temperatures have cooled the sense of anticipation, nor made any clearer what might happen when the two giant multihulls finally meet up.

Debate ebbs and flows about every aspect of the Race 1, from the simple binary answer – who will win, right through to the detail of changes to the match racing rules to accommodate these giant speedsters.

The hiatus has allowed crew members from both the defender Alinghi (SUI) and the challenger BMW ORACLE Racing Team to drip feed technological information as well as their perception of how Race 1 might develop.

In an instructive media seminar Ed Baird (USA), helmsman when Alinghi won the America’s Cup in 2007 for the second time, said today that a close race in these multihulls might be one with somewhere between three or four minutes at the first mark, and such a margin could be easily won or lost on the downwind leg.

Factor in the fact that so much ground is lost in manoeuvres, that conventional covering (blanketing your opponent with the wind shadow from your sails) is not really possible, all-in-all a ‘whole new mentality’ he warned.
Baird in effect said that, downwind is the new upwind.

Downwind these giant multihulls are sailing so quick that the apparent wind they generate is only 5-6 degrees different to that when they are racing upwind.

Dirk De Ridder (NED) who is in charge of the trim of BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s huge 223 ft (68m) wing which took 150,00 man hours to build, explained some of the differences between his job with the solid foil and the equivalent soft sail. He controls the wing with a conventional traveller system which is lead to a winch, and a hydraulic systems powered by a small engine which controls the shape of the wing. The two element wing is comparatively straightforward, he explained, with nine hinges between the main wing element and the aft flap.

The construction of the wing itself is especially high tech, but De Ridder revealed that his controlling key pad system is nothing more or less than an ‘idiot proof’ off-the-shelf garage door remote operating system.

Sir Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur who last year made an attempt at the Transatlantic Record was a visitor to the America’s Cup site, touring the Alinghi base, meeting up with Mike Sanderson CEO of Britain’s TeamOrigin America’s Cup syndicate.

Quotes of the day:

Harold Bennett (NZL) Race Director and Principal Race Officer:
“There is a strong wind overnight which the models are saying will probably drop during the early morning. There may be a window for us in the afternoon. We may see the seas flatten out a lot earlier, but we will be out early to have a look and we will give it a fair chance tomorrow.”

Ed Baird (USA) sailing team member Alinghi:
“ We have met with the umpires. They are amazingly impressed with the equipment and they recognise the limitations on being able to manoeuvre the boats in close quarters situations. They don’t want to see close situations, like we saw before, where the boats were two metres apart. They don’t want to see that.”

“Honestly we expect that the boats will not be together very much. The important part is the start, that the umpires can see what is going on but on the open course it would be a real surprise to see engagement. It is a different mentality of sailing because the boats slow down so much when they tack. Your covering option is not effective like it is in monohulls.”

“The teams have agreed that it a team member accidentally falls off the boat they can be picked up, the umpires are there, the security boats are there, our own chase boats are there. And any of them can pick him up. The sailboat communicates with the chase boat and the committee boat and decides if they want that person put back on to the sail boat. He is put back on by the team’s chase boat and there is no penalty.”

Matthew Mason (NZL) mast BMW ORACLE Racing:
“There are probably going to be two different philosophies about it pre start. I know that Jimmy (Spithill) is pretty fired up about it. The five minutes is going to go very fast. They have the offset entry for the port entry boat. But there is a chance that starboard entry boat could catch the port entry even though they have that offset. And using a downwind sail on the entry is an option. And I know that if we have the chance we will be entering with a downwind sail and trying to get a piece of them and engaging pre-start. That’s our plan.”

Dirk De Ridder (NED) wing trimmer BMW ORACLE Racing:
“I have four functions on hydraulics to operate the wing and the traveller which is on a winch. We started off high tech with a high tech with a remote wireless fittings, but there is so much carbon between me and the receiver that it did not quite work. So we ended up Mark Sheffield (GBR) went in and bought a stock standard garage door opener which is now hard wired to the computer and is now pretty idiot proof. It has eight buttons, four on and four off and so far so good. It was an example of something where we could spend an enormous amount of time and money, say, flicking on a fancy screen but this is idiot proof and it works really well.”

“ I think if you ask every designer of ours that has worked on the wing they will tell you the same thing, in theory. The wing we have built is basically a very simple two element wing, although the way they have built it and the materials are very high tech. The actual concept is relatively simple.”

“ It has a front element which also holds the structural mast and we have the flap element and by offsetting those two you get an angle of attack on the front element and camber over the whole wing which gives you the driving force and lift coefficient that you need to go forwards.”

“I think, is it more high tech than Alinghi? I don’t think it is more high tech than Alinghi. It is a different way of achieving the same goal. We took a gamble going with the wing and it has come out extremely well. We put it up and two hours later we were flying a hull in San Diego.”

Richard Branson (GBR), British entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin brand:
“I love all kinds of sport and the America’s Cup is one of the greatest sporting spectacles. There are two giants going to be battling it out over the next few days and obviously it is great to see the boats, incredible boats. And it is great the courts are behind them and we will finally have a battle at sea.”

Asked if the thought there would be racing tomorrow he said:
“ If not tomorrow definitely Sunday. With these kind of boats, very fragile high speed boats then the weather is very important because they could break up.”

Asked if he would be seeing both, he smiled:
“Ernesto for lunch and Larry for dinner…it is great to see them both.”
“I love sailing, sailing small boats. We did try to break the transantlantic sailing record last year with my children and on that occasion we hit big bad winds and the mainsail broke and we had to limp home.”
“ I have just had lunch with Mike Sanderson who is team captain for the British team and he is a great friend. And fortunately they seem to have funding for a British attempt. And so hopefully after this we will see eight nine ten teams particiapating and we will get the America’s Cup team back to how it should be with lots of different nations participating.
“We are not at this moment planning to be involved in the America’s Cup. We are here as interested bystanders. It would be good, of course it would. But the British team have got funding drops out who’s to know?”

From the America's Cup Media Center in Valencia.

RACE ONE DAY TWO
sign off Race 1 until Friday
It was the lumpy, contrary swell left over from last night’s strong northerly winds which led to the postponement of Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup today, the second time that racing has been adversely affected by an unsettled weather or sea situation off Valencia.

The first match of the regatta is now scheduled for Friday 12th February with a start sequence pencilled for 1000hrs.
An initial postponement period, signalled last night (Tuesday), extended through this morning with the giant catamaran Alinghi 5 of the Swiss team Alinghi, the holders of the America’s Cup, and the trimaran USA, of the challenger, the American BMW ORACLE Racing Team, both remaining in their respective dock areas.

But at midday the signal flags were were raised over Port America’s Cup’s Varadero building to signal that racing is now held over until Friday.

The swell was estimated at an average of 1.3 metres by one of the competitors’ weather teams. Race officer Harold Bennett (NZL) described the sea state as ‘pretty rugged’.

Both teams, Alinghi and BMW ORACLE Racing, respected the decision taken although BMW ORACLE Racing’s skipper-helm James Spithill (AUS) later reported to a media conference that their crew were keen to go have gone racing in the morning conditions.

French solo round the world racer and multihull specialist Loick Peyron agreed with the decision not to race, saying that the huge multihulls are designed as the Formula 1 racers and should ‘not be rallying the Paris-Dakar’.

Bennett, who is officiating at his third America’s Cup, met the media during the afternoon and gave further information about the difficulty of the task that he and the Race Committee crew face. In previous America's Cup races he was responsible for setting a course of a 3 miles upwind-downwind legs. Here he has over 400 square miles of sea area to cover.

He cautioned, again, that patience will be required before acceptable conditions emerge to allow the first windward-leeward course of two 20 miles legs to be run.

Quotes:

Harold Bennett (NZL), Regatta Director and Principal Race Officer:
“ These are different boats from what we have been used to. And the understanding of them is still a learning curve. Conditions like today? That is interesting. I am not sure they would have done too well with it.”

“The last thing you want to do is see one of these boats break, that is going to hurt someone or even maybe not finish.”
“ There was a lot of seaway and so the prudent thing to do was not too go out too early. Having got to that, around 0830, I thought it was more prudent to go and have a look for ourselves. We went approximately 23.5 to 24 miles off the coast here and that would have given us a windward mark somewhere not too far off the port here. As we got 10 miles off the coast it was getting rather lumpy. We were surfing down some of the waves with the power cat. Once we turned around in the area, starting to have a look at it, there were some pretty big seas. We had the swell from the NE and the wind blowing off the west and that was throwing up some pretty big waves."

"I would have not had a problem with the wind conditions. We were looking at 17-18 knots, I wouldn’t have had a problem with that.”

“This is not the best time of year to be doing this. When it was announced that we were coming to here I said that everyone, the sailors, the public, the press everyone was going to have to be patient, because we had little information about the conditions outside of five or six miles and on Monday we found out about that breeze off the land which will go half way out but not right our. That was a point I made when I was asked. It will be a matter of being patient until we get it right.”

James Spithill (AUS), skipper-helm BMW ORACLE Racing:
“ We were keen to go. We think probably at 10 o’clock there was a window, but having that said that it is very easy to look from the outside. I think Harold Bennett is the right man for the job. I have full trust in Harold. He has a good track record and I would much rather be sailing that running racing.”

“We would be more than happy with conditions this morning, with those waves. We sailed in San Diego with two, two and a half metres. But obviously there are some variables with waves, the period, the direction etc but I think we would have been more than happy this morning. As I said it is not an easy job and I have full faith in Harold and I respect his decisions.”

Loïck Peyron (France), floater Alinghi 5:
“The best conditions are those in which you don’t risk the boat. We are both (teams) agreed on that. There are big waves coming all the way down from France. The conditions were possibly boat breaking. These boats are for Formula 1 racing and you do not take them off to do the Paris-Dakar.”

“ We did a few training races a week ago 20 miles to windward and back and it was perfect. But everyone knew before that this is not exactly the best place to do this.”

“ We did a very nice 20 mile course up and down and also a triangle but that was one time in a month, and it was in S’ly or SE’ly wind, maybe a lot before a low is coming. We had a little right shifts but it was within the official range plus or minus 30 degrees, definitely in the range for both teams.”

“ I have the chance to learn something every day. I love to jump from one boat to another. A year ago I was sailing around the world on my own and here I am sharing with tremendous guys with a lot of different sailing areas, from the Volvo race, from the Cup. For me it is the first time that I have felt the acceleration of a small multihull, like I love to do on the Swiss lakes, like the D35 or the small really light ones, but Alinghi 5 has the power of a big offshore multi and the acceleration of a small multihull. It is the first time I have felt both these two feelings.”

“ It is quite interesting to be at the helm of a boat like this having behind me Mr Butterworth, and in front of me Mr Warwick (Fleury) and Simon (Daubney), stars I have seen in the papers for so many years, and I have to say: “OK guys and now we have to do that….” And so for me that is quite interesting.”

"EVERYONE'S GONE GREEN."

Postponement led to disappointment as the after effects of storm system left Valencia, Spain with mixed up seas on the Mediterranean and much colder temperatures, hovering just over freezing across the race course.
There was a measure of optimism after an initial delay that the windward/leeward course would get set for what is still Race One, of the 33rd America’s Cup.
"In the last 3 weeks, racing would have been possible 5-6 days, everybody has to be patient,” said Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett. "We were approximately 1 hour on the start area, and it turns out everybody got green on the boat.”
The Alinghi headlines read; “waves in excess of one meter on the race course force organizers to issue a second postponement.” That would seem to contravene the America’s Cup Jury’s ruling; “that to impose wind and wave height limits, which are not provided for in the Deed, without the consent of the Challenger is an improper action that may result in a boat’s score being made significantly worse through no fault of her own.”
“The waves were the biggest problem. I think they were about 1.3m average size in the start area,” said Alinghi strategist Murray Jones. “That means we could’ve had a peak of 1.8m and that’s the biggest issue.
“There was a swell coming from one direction and waves from an offset of 90 degrees to that. We’ve been out in conditions not quite that bad, but it’s heinous. I think they’ve done the right thing by not sending us out there,” Jones said.
Jones explained that strong winds in the north of Spain near France were churning up the sea, which was confirmed over the phone by Will McCarthy, an Alinghi sailing team member, out spotting at noon: “It’s very bumpy out here, confused, cold and we have seen 20 knots this morning.”
Both of the giant multihull boats stayed in port as the Race Committee postponed the first race for the America’s Cup a second time.
USA Skipper James Spithill spoke with the media saying that, “the whole team was disappointed not to race.”
"We were keen to go," Spithill said. "We think that 10:00 (the scheduled time for the warning signal in the Sailing Instructions) was the window and we probably could have got one away.
“Having said that, I think Harold Bennett is the right man for the job, said Spithill. “I’ve got full trust in Harold.”
Notes….
Meanwhile, back in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates the weather is a balmy 75 degrees with wind out of the NNW at 8 knots under sunny skies.
Is he or isn’t he? Curious that the America’s Cup website refers to Ed Baird as the”former Alinghi helmsman”, while he trots around Valencia, Spain in their apparel.

RACE ONE, DAY 2 UNDER DELAY

From the America's Cup Media Center.
09.02.2010
Postponed ashore: No Race 1 start before midday Wednesday
On the strength of the weather forecasts for overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday the decision has been taken that there will be no warning signal for Race 1 prior to 1154hrs on Wednesday. This applies only to Wednesday.

Harold Bennett (NZL) Principal Race Officer explained:

“We have issued an amendment that there will be no signal before midday tomorrow (Wednesday).”
“We will make a further assessment at 0830hrs in the morning. So we will have a look at what it is like early in the morning. We will take a check then.”
“ There are a lot of strong winds forecast overnight and offshore and that is going to throw up a swell. So it is more the sea-state that is going to be of concern. Until we see what the sea state is we are not going to guess.”
“ I don’t want to put the boats out there if they are not going to sail. I do not want to put them all the way out there and bring them back without a race.
Talking with the weather guys from both teams they agree that this is what we are going to get, so it is a fairly easy decision to make.”

RACE ONE POSTPONED.

Race One, Abandoned for Lack of Wind.

For the first time in a long time all the participants were in the same place, at the same time and on the same page, but with light, shifty winds, that failed to stabilize, Race One was abandoned by Harold Bennett (NZL) the Principal Race Officer.
As both USA and Alinghi hovered around each other, waiting for the breeze to settle, the tension was as thick as the air. Under grey, leaden skies and occasional drizzle the teams waited patiently for more than four hours for the postponement flag on the committee boat to be lowered and the start signal to be given.
The behemoth multi-hulls floated around as the inevitability sunk in that this historic encounter was now on hiatus for two more days as tomorrow is a scheduled rest day, not a reserve day. The action was more than thirty miles offshore and the wind would occasionally build up to 12 to 14 knots at the first mark, but would fail to stabilize and puff out at around 2 or 3 knots.
In a race that would have played out as a strategist dream in light and shifty conditions we would have seen much more of a tactical chess match than two rocket ships ripping into the wind at 45 + miles per hour on the forty mile windward/leeward race course.
“We had a southerly breeze well offshore that was occasionally filtering into the start area,” said USA’s Chief Meteorologist (CM) Chris Bedford. “But, closer to shore we had a westerly breeze for most of the afternoon and at times it was showing up to 14 knots at the top mark.”
Bedford, a weather guru and veteran of many America’s Cup campaigns will also be the CM for the Chicago to Mackinac Race this summer.
“There was pressure (wind) trying to make it onto the course,” said Bedford. But, because of these two winds converging, we never had enough breeze over a 20-mile leg to get going. I think the Race Committee did a good job today.”
Race One will hopefully get the start at 10:00 AM Central European Time (CET), which is 4:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the United States. Heavier winds and waves are forecast, we’ll see. Until then, it’s not breakfast in Valencia, it’s moonlight in America.
Story by Mark Wharton Reid. Chris Bedford’s comments to the media courtesy of BMW Oracle.



RACE 1 POSTPONED. WAIT 'TIL WEDNESDAY
FROM THE AMERICA'S CUP MEDIA CENTER
Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup remains on hold after the breezes off Valencia refused to cooperate to allow the scheduled first showdown between the two giant multihulls Alinghi 5 and USA to take place Monday.

Race officer Harold Bennett (NZL) and the race committee team made considerable efforts to locate a wind which was settled enough and of sufficiently even strength across the proposed 20 miles first leg, but they proved fruitless.

An offshore breeze at times looked promising but it never quite mustered enough strength to spread out to sea to reach the start area. But the difference in the direction of that breeze and the direction of the very gentle air in which the Race Committee sat was considered too great for a fair race.

It proved a frustrating day for all on the waters off Valencia, despite tantalising glimpses of the fantastic technology which promises so much. Everything was in place and operating well for the planned 1000hrs countdown to the historic match up. Live TV streaming from the race course on the internet, for the first time in the America’s Cup, complemented by Virtual Eye 3-D imaging worked well. But the postponement was signalled at 0955hrs this morning.

The different winds ranged between 2 knots and 13 knots, and at times there was 100 degrees of variance between the mean wind direction at the committee boat and the wind direction at the proposed turning buoy. At best there was around 40 degrees of difference.

For the prescribed 20 miles upwind leg the Race Committee need a strong measure of confidence that there will not be a significant wind shift after the start to ensure a fair race.

The adversaries had left their respective bases to huge acclaim in the early morning, between 6.30am and 07.00 am. A Hollywood style production for the BMW ORACLE Racing team sent pulses racing as the Challenger team set off into the very early darkness, while soundtrack to the Defender, Alinghi 5’s departure was fervent alpine cowbells and loud airhorns.

Returning after the postponement both multihulls were making around 15knots in just 5 knots in wind.

Race 1 is now rescheduled for Wednesday 10th with the time gun due at 1000hrs.


Quotes:

Harold Bennett (NZL) Principal Race Officer:
“It is disappointing of course to get started though the conditions that we expected when we went out this morning just did not eventualise. We sat with next to no wind were we were. It is a real shame.”
“We had no problems from the teams with the decision. I speak to the weather teams from both teams throughout, and with the sailors before we made the decision. They were happy that the decision was the right one.”
“And since we took it there have been no changes that suggest to me that there was any other option.”
“I always knew it was going to be like this.”
“But that’s the game we are in. We have to wait for the next one.”

Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI), president and helmsman Alinghi (SUI):
“It was the first time we set out at night to go to the race zone. That lasted two hours it was very special. I was confident we would go racing but from 10am that meteorologists started to say that the chances were reducing. The wind was expected to drop certainly because of the rain which prevented any thermal wind activity. But it was good to have the two boats alongside each other.”

Matteo Plazzi (ITA) navigator BMW ORACLE Racing (USA):
“We thought that in the morning it would be light and it would be difficult to race, but we thought there would be a good chance to race in the afternoon.”
“I don’t think anybody thought we should have raced.”
“The weather was complicated for a system of winds that was going through. There were several cells of low pressure developing over the race course area, and so over the 20 miles there was a 100 degree difference from side to side.”
“It would have been impossible to have an upwind leg.”
“It was a good call. Racing today would have been a gamble, and you don’t want to gamble when there are only two points to win or lose.”

Jack Katzfey (AUS/USA), meteo specialist, Alinghi (SUI):
“Our forecasts gave from six to nine knotsof wind today but finally the wind was too weak to race. The race committee was right not to start the race. There were two knots on the start line. That is really too little for that the wind to be stable. With five knots you have definitely more chances to have a more regular flow. ”

Chris Bedford (USA) meteo specialist, BMW ORACLE Racing (USA):
“We had a southerly breeze well offshore that was occasionally filtering into the start area,”
“But closer to shore we had a westerly breeze for most of the afternoon. At times it was showing up to 14 knots at the top mark.
“So there was pressure (wind) trying to make it onto the course, but because of these two winds converging, we never had enough breeze over a 20-mile leg to get going… I think the Race Committee did a good job today.”

TONITE, TONITE, TONITE!

Top 10 Things to Remember about Race One.

1] Don’t foul at the start. A collision would end the race and the regatta. Each team will do whatever it takes to win. Both Alinghi and USA has shown that resolve in the New York Court System. USA Skipper has a propensity to be aggressive in the pre-start,tomorrow is not the time. Look for the favored side and stay away from Alinghi.

2] The weather will determine the winner. If the winds build as expected, look out!

3] Regardless of the outcome the “constructed in country” issue needs resolution. A February 25 court date has been set. The rights of both the challenger and defender
have been addressed by the New York Courts, with the recent rulings and with the
Mercury Bay decision twenty years ago, most of the subjective interpretations of the Deed of Gift have been clarified.

4] Outside of an unlimited Deed of Gift America’s Cup like this one, the type of yacht for the 34th edition needs to have the majestic splendor worthy of yachting’s premier event. Not updated versions of an RC 44 or an I-Shares multihull.

5] After the race, Brad Butterworth, Loick Peyron and Ernesto Bertarelli need to represent Alinghi in the press conference and Russell Coutts, James Spithill and Larry Ellison need to represent USA. Show some class, at least for all of the kids that are watching, including mine.

6] Cory Friedman needs to drop his “deer in the headlights” demeanor and ask a real question.

7] Remember when ESPN was a real sports network and not a behemoth mega-corporation? No American broadcast of the biggest yachting event in history, save 1983, are you kidding me?

8] Whoever wins, its time for mutual consent!

9] No matter what happens, this race is not worth the loss of one life. Be aggressive, be fast, be smart.

10] Valencia has earned the 34th edition. Opening Acts in America, London, RAK and New Zealand.

NEWS RELEASE FROM AMERICA'S CUP.COM MEDIA

READY FOR ACTION!
The match for the 33rd America’s Cup is scheduled to get under way tomorrow (Monday).
The stage is set. The preparations are complete. The two protagonists, the 33rd America’s Cup Defender Alinghi (SUI) and the Challenger, BMW ORACLE Racing (USA), completed their final testing and tuning off Valencia this afternoon in relatively benign winds, in final preparation for the Race 1 of the best-of –three series.

The two giant multihulls, with their towering rigs, seemed to defy the laws of physics as they moved swiftly across the seas off Valencia in, at times, next-to-no breeze.
If ever there was a stark reminder of how great the jump in technology and potential boat speeds ushered by this 33rd edition for the world’s oldest sporting trophy, then it was evident this afternoon while tens of thousands visitors enjoyed the inauguration festivities ashore.

The clash of these giant multihulls promises to be one of the most memorable in the history of the America’s Cup.

The time signal for the first race, which will comprise one 20 mile beat to windward and a 20 mile run to the finish, is scheduled for 1000hrs (local time), six minutes before the start gun.
The wind forecasts are promising: light to moderate breezes which would be enough to get Race 1 under way

BMW ORACLE Racing gain starboard tack entry. America’s Cup Park full of life.
The America’s Cup Park was thronged full of life this afternoon, as tens of thousands of local Valencians and many visitors turned out for the inauguration festivities.

On the toss of a coin between the commodores of the Defender yacht club, Switzerland’s Société Nautique de Genève, and the Challenger, the USA’s Golden Gate Yacht Club BMW ORACLE Racing, the priority to enter the start area for Race 1 with right of way, on Starboard tack, went to BMW ORACLE Racing.

The Challenger American trimaran, USA, the first to be seen racing in the history of the America’s Cup, will be steered by James Spithill (AUS) and will be using a rigid wing sail of around 70 metres high.

The Swiss Defender’s catamaran, Alinghi 5, will be steered by team president Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) and Loïck Peyron (FRA), as the team bid to win the America’s Cup for the third consecutive time.

This multihull match is all new territory for the America’s Cup. The craft can sail at two and a half to three times the wind speed. No one can predict exactly what will happen when the two giant protagonists square up in the start area. In conventional match racing the immediate goal is to inflict a penalty on the opposition.
Such penalty turns, if the opposition is sailing away at 20 knots, could be doubly expensive.

Security measures are in place to maximize the safety on the race course. The start line is expected to be somewhere around 800 metres long, depending on the wind strength.

Visitors to the inauguration festivities this afternoon enjoyed a display of local mascletá firecrackers.

Funds were raised for Haiti with proceeds from the sale of a huge Spanish paella for 5000 people, Swiss raclette and American hamburgers all combining to help.

Quotes:

Harold Bennett (NZL) Principal Race Officer:
His thoughts on the weather for Race 1 day:
“At the moment it looks like a very light offshore breeze early, which will fade away and begins to look like coming from the south. That was an earlier forecast and so we don’t have a straight answer on that just now.
Does he have clear ideas in his mind about what the wind limits might be?
“We will take the day as it comes and work it our from there.”
Is there any step change in technology they are using for race management since 32nd Americas’ Cup:
“I think probably there is no much of an advance in terms of technology in what we are using, we use the same methods as before.”
What does he think we will see at the start?
“At the start? I hope we see two boats get in, entered and get away from the start cleanly and have a race. That is what I am hoping to see. Whether they mix it up or not I don’t know.”

Alain Gautier (FRA), Alinghi, on the start:
“The priority boat will try to put a penalty on the other. And on these boats that can be very expensive.”
“It is less important to break the start line on the gun than to start well launched with speed and without a penalty.”

James Spithill, (AUS), BMW ORACLE Racing:
“It is all new to us. The boats have completely different characteristics and obviously we only have the one boat each and so we have not really been able to go out there and try as hard as we usually do. I think it will be interesting. I think they have tried to set up the start line so there will be no ‘dial-up’. I think we will see the boats turn back quite early and really try to fight for the side. The first cross is so important in match racing, however I think this time you really want o be going the right way. To do any manoeuvre in a multihull is quite expensive. I am quite excited myself, because I just can’t wait to see what happens. "

TWO DAYS TO GO!

Photo of Alinghi, Courtesy of Alinghi
Photo of USA, Courtesy of BMW Oracle



Two days to go, I think we're there! Mutual consent withstanding, counterpart
Commodore's Fred Murray from the Societe Nautique de Geneva (SNG)and Marcus Young of the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) continue to trade letters espousing their desires for an amicable America’s Cup, but contentions aside on who built what, where; the first race is still scheduled/ordered to start on February 8th in Valencia, Spain

With the utmost sincerity feeling that they are both somehow on the side of might and right the yachts in question this time around are not narrow, 80 ft. monohulls (1 hull) grasping to reach 20 knots, but behemoth multi-hulls 90 ft. by 90 ft on the load waterline, with carbon fiber masts that tower 200 feet into the sky. With more than 7,000 square ft. of sail area these boats can be expected to sail at more than 40 knots!

Pulling the purse strings are billionaires Larry Ellison, representing the GGYC in combination with his team BMW Oracle and Ernesto Bertarelli with Alinghi, holding sway over SNG. The sailors on board for the most part pay penance to their bosses and the legal teams involved are presumably the best and certainly the most expensive in the world.

BMW Oracle launched their trimaran (3 hulls)a 1 1/2 years ago in Anacortes, Washington and last July, Alinghi put a gargantuan catamaran (2 hulls) into the emerald waters of Lake Geneva, Switzerland and then into the mine laden Persian Gulf, for several additional months of training, before being ordered by the New York Supreme Court to pack up and relocate in Valencia.

These high tech wonders will ensure that the next America’s Cup will be the most spectacular design fest in history......if the warring factions can ever escape their escapades in the courtroom.

With all the ruminations over the choice of the venue,and now; sparring on issues over the "constructed in country" (CIC) provisions in the Deed of Gift, which will probably leave the NY Court little alternative but to say; "come back and see us when the racing is done."

The issue itself is relatively mute with an interesting array of factions lined up on both sides of the fence. With former Stars & Stripes teammates; and executives with North Sails John Marshall(BMW Oracle)and Tom Whidden (Alinghi) submitting affidavits of opposite opinions, the 33rd version of the America's Cup has become a terrible Civil War which will undoubtedly land back in court after the races are over.

For the last 2 1/2 years BMW Oracle has championed the Challenger's cause in more ways than even they would have dreamed possible. After Alinghi's poorly thought out Defender's power grab in 2007, the holder of the America's Cup has been left on the ropes with little or nothing left but to win on the water at all costs. The loser next week will be left with a bitter legacy and a trip back to court.

What we are left with is the possibility of the greatest spectacle in "yacht" racing! Again, who doesn't wants to see these foiled multihulls rip it out over the Mediterranean!

By Mark Wharton Reid

THE TEAMS

DEFENDER
ALINGHI 5

Yacht Club Societe Nautique de Geneva
Location Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Boat Name Alinghi 5
Launch July, 2009
Dimensions 90 X 90’ ft. length/width
Mast 180’ height
Builder Decsion Corsier
Location Villeneuve, Switzerland.
Designer Rolf Vrolijk
President Ernesto Bertarelli
Team Manager Grant Simmer
Helmsman Brad Butterworth
Skipper Ed Baird
Trimmer Warwick Fleury
Tactician Murray Jones
Free Agent Loïck Peyron
Training Genoa, Italy; RAK, UAE

CHALLENGER
USA

Yacht Club Golden Gate Yacht Club
Location San Francisco, California
Boat Name USA
Boat Type Trimaran of carbon composite construction
Built Core Builders, Anacortes, WA, USA
Overall Length 100-feet / 30 meters
Waterline Length 90-feet / 27 meters
Beam 90-feet / 27 meters
Mast Height Up to 185-feet/55 meters
Built Hall Spars, Bristol, RI, USA; Core Builders, Anacortes, WA, USA
Wing Sail
Height: 223 ft / 68 m (compared to 102 ft / 31 m length of a Boeing 747 wing and 143 ft / 43.5 m length of an Airbus 380 wing)
Chord: 10 to 45 ft / 3 to 14 m
Width: 2 to 6 ft / 0.5 to 2.0 m
Surface area: 7,000 sq. ft / 650 sq. m (profile)
Weight: 7,700 lbs / 3,500 kg (approx)
Sails
Mainsail: 6,800 square feet; (630m2)
Genoa: 6,700 square feet; (620m2)
Gennaker: 8,400 square feet; (780m2)

Notes on the wing
The wing sail consists of two main components: the main element and the flap element. The main element is one single piece that rotates around the mast step. Nine flaps rotate around the trailing edge of the main element. Both elements are separated by a small gap and linked together by hinges.
The wing sail is primarily constructed from carbon fibre and kevlar with a light, shrinkable aeronautical film material used as an overall skin over the frame.
From BMW Oracle

President Larry Ellison
Design Team Director Mike Drummond
Principal Naval Architects VPLP (Van Peteghem and Lauriot Prévost)
CEO Russell Coutts
Skipper James Spithill
Tactician John Kostecki
Navigator Matteo Plazzi
Bowman Simeon Tienpont
Training San Diego, California

OWNERS PRESS CONFERENCE. FROM AC MEDIA CENTER

33rd America’s Cup Owners Press Conference
Today’s owners press conference in Valencia’s Port America’s Cup heard Alinghi founder Ernesto Bertarelli highlight that safety and reliability need to be key issues to be borne in mind during what promises to be an enthralling 33rd America’s Cup, scheduled to start on Monday.

The two times America’s Cup winning team owner, who will helm the giant catamaran Alinghi 5 along with Frenchman Loick Peyron, re-stated the need for a measure of prudence after the start gun goes for Race 1 of the best of three series.

The winter conditions need to be taken account of. As well as getting the balance right, trying to ensure the maximum reliability of Alinghi 5, Bertarelli also warned that spectators on the water need to remember that this is winter and the conditions off Valencia can change quickly.

Bertarelli said that pre-regatta nerves are an essential part of his psychological drive to be successful, and that many of the feelings of excitement are the same as July 2007 when Alinghi triumphed.

The level of media interest, he underlined, is comparable to the 32nd America’s Cup Match, with some 600 media accredited already.

Over 100 media attended the press conference in the Port America’s signature Veles e Vents building.

Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) owner and helmsman Alinghi:
“The weather is quite different from when we left in July 2007, but I think the excitement is the same. I think there is about 600 accreditations which is just as much as last time and so there is a certain interest in this historic race.”
“ We are all at the Alinghi team looking forward to the regatta putting forward our best.”

On the need for nerves: “Every time you go to battle you have to feel nervous. Anytime I have gone casual to anything I was not my best,. I think adrenaline and a bit of excitement is good, for anything you do and especially for a competition like this.”

On BMW ORACLE Racing: “BMW ORACLE Racing is a formidable team. They have brought an impressive yacht with impressive technology. It is going to be very interesting to see two very different yachts trying to achieve the same thing.”

On the need for reliability and safety: “ In order to win you have to finish. Both teams over the last few weeks have been able to gauge our reliability. We have had problems. It is a bit like the beginning of the season in the Formula 1 grand prix. All is very good when the teams are here testing in Valencia. You go round the track once or twice and you put a good time. But on the Sunday of the first race you have to go around the track 72 times. It is a bit the same thing. We have completed the course a few times. It is a long course, 40 miles, we have done it in between two and half to three hours which is a lot of ground to cover. If the wind comes from the shore, which is what it is looking like, then the start is going to be almost half way between here and Ibiza. I think everyone should be careful, especially spectators who are on the water. Remember we are not in the summer, but in the winter.”

On why he is helming Alinghi: “Some other reasons are those that brought me to sailing, multihull sailing, speed and perfecting these boats on the lakes. My contribution this time has been very different. Possibly I have had more involvement with this campaign than ever before. My steering I think is a good thing.”
“ It happens that I can steer a multihull, and I have brought on board since we have clear indication that we were going to sail multihulls those which we have competed against on the lake, those who I felt were the strongest competitors Alain Gautier and Loïck Peyron.”

On this America’s Cup: “ I think this America’s Cup will be remembered for whatever reason. I hope for the good reasons and it is going to be a formidable America’s Cup because of the boats and the technology and possibly because it is a DoG match and once in a while you have one. The other thing is that we should be careful in not discouraging other people who want to participate.”

Official opening ceremony tomorrow
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.

USA Press Conference

BMW Oracle Racing gave their first live webcast press conference today from Port America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. With Tom Ehman, emceeing the event BMWO CEO Russell Coutts, Owner Larry Ellison and Skipper James Spithill were in attendance, along with the usual worldwide yachting press participants.
With the first race less than three days away, all concerned seemed to be remarkably relaxed considering what is involved. The entire future of the America's Cup is at stake.
"This will be the greatest spectacle in sailing history," said Ellison. "Think of it as the X-Games version of the America's Cup. These are extreme machines."
For the first time in many years this America's Cup will be a showcase for technology. The last time America specifically has been able to have an upper hand in a technological aspect in this regatta was in the last court driven America's Cup in 1988 when Dennis Conner and Team Stars and Stripes raced a fixed wing catamaran against New Zealand.
Today Coutts called their trimaran USA, "an evolution of Stars and Stripes 88."
When asked about whether the two multihulls were going to mix it up, Coutts was quite animated in characterizing this match as compared to a Formula One race, when if you asked the competitors whether they were going to be concerned about hitting each other or racing too close, "they would look at you like you were crazy."
That said, like auto racing, a collision between these two yachts would be catastrophic, with a likely loss of life.
Though given the press conference's few moments of shrill, one has to ask themselves whether either side completely trusts the other when it comes to sanity.
When asked to comment whether he would be attending the owner's press conference tomorrow, Ellison was quite candid; "they have explicitly excluded Russell Coutts by name and because of this I won't be able to find the time myself to attend."
Ellison added when asked, if anyone from BMWO would attend, he categorically replied,"no one for our team;" as spoken by the man where clearly the buck stops at his boat.
Weather is going to play a huge role in this regatta and with the possibility of the spectacular, comes the risk of spectacle. A breakdown or collision would likely mean the end of the America's Cup for either team.
Harold Bennett will again reprise his role as the race official in charge of running the regatta and most assuredly the New Zealander has the respect of both sides.
Again, Monday February 8 will be potentially the most spectacular day in sailing history or not and the beauty of it all is that the world will be able to enjoy back to back Super Bowls!

The Wing. Photo of BMW Oracle by Gilles Martin-Raget.

LVC WORLD SERIES AUCKLAND

Eight teams to compete at Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland in March
Story by LVC Media.
In just six weeks time, during the Southern hemisphere Summer, eight of the best sailing teams in the world will race a Louis Vuitton Trophy match race regatta in Auckland New Zealand.

© Sally Collison | Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d'AzurJust over a year ago the inaugural regatta was sailed in Auckland, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Ten of the best sailing teams in the world, including the current Challenger and Defender of the America’s Cup, competed over two weeks in a match race regatta in two pairs of supplied boats. The boats used were ACC yachts from the 2007 America’s Cup and all teams rotated through the four boats.

The formula was renewed at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice regatta in November last year, a regatta whose provisional media return resulted in a value of over nine million Euros gathered from over 1200 articles, 354 hours of TV on 400 channels in 163 countries. The next regatta will be the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland from 9 – 21 March 2010.

Following the success of last year’s antipodean regatta the event organisers, the World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA), along with the city of Auckland decided to adjust the dates to enhance the public spectacle. The regatta, which runs from 9-21 March, will be staged from the same venue and at the same time as the Auckland International Boatshow (10-14 March) in Auckland’s Downtown Viaduct Basin, the venue for the America’s Cup in 2000 and 2003.

The WSTA member teams entered for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta are from seven countries. Unlike last year, the host Emirates Team New Zealand, skippered by Dean Barker, will not get an automatic pass to the regatta finals, but will have to earn the right to be there by passing through the round robin and semi final stages with a winning record. The seven other teams hoping to also make it to the finals and ultimately prevail are:

Aleph (France, skipper Bertrand Pacé)
All4One (France/Germany, skipper Jochen Schumann)
Artemis (Sweden, skipper Paul Cayard)
Azzurra (Italy, skipper Francesco Bruni)
Mascalzone Latino Audi (Italy)
Synergy (Russia, skipper Karol Jablonski)
TEAMORIGIN (Great Britain, skipper Ben Ainslie)

Following the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta the WSTA’s member teams will race in La Maddalena, Sardinia (22 May – 6 June), then in Dubai, UAE (13 – 27 November) before Hong Kong in early 2011 (9 – 24 January).

At a press conference last week in Dubai, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Emirates Airline Group, explained that the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai would be held at Mina Seyahi, the home of the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), located next to the world famous Palm Jumeirah.

“This is a real coup for Dubai. We are honoured to be part of this fantastic event which has rapidly emerged as a renowned spectacle of sport followed by millions around the world.”

Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton replied by saying: "Louis Vuitton has been present in Dubai for more than 10 years. We are thrilled that in 2010 we can further build on this relationship through a great sailing event, while reinforcing the age-old Dubai tradition for sailing regattas.”



About Louis Vuitton
The world leader in luxury, Louis Vuitton has been synonymous with the art of stylish travel since 1854. Since 1987, it has been part of LVMH/Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world's most prestigious luxury goods group headed by Bernard Arnault. Since 1997, with the arrival of the designer Marc Jacobs, it has extended its expertise to women's and men's ready-to-wear, shoes, watches and jewellery, glasses, combining traditional craftsmanship with flair and innovation to create a complete lifestyle experience. Today, Louis Vuitton has an exclusive network of stores all across the world.

About WSTA
World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA) was founded in 2009 by a group of professional yacht racing teams to develop a regular series of high-level competitive racing events. The WSTA is jointly owned by its preferred shareholders and represents the interests of the teams for fair and highly-competitive racing. The WSTA, in conjunction with title partner Louis Vuitton, co-organizes the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Jury Transcript 2/2/10

33rd America’s Cup February 2010, Valencia Spain
International Jury Case AC33/01

Decision 2nd February 2010 at 23:54

On 19th January 2010, the Jury Chairman received a Request for Redress from USA (sail number USA 17, representing Golden Gate Yacht Club), listing five instances in which USA alleged the Organising Authority (OA) (Société Nautique de Genève) and/or the Race Committee (RC) had made an improper action which USA claimed may lead to the possibility that her score be made significantly worse, through no fault of her own.

Richard Slater and Russell Coutts represented USA;
Hamish Ross represented the OA, the RC and Alinghi, and Brad Butterworth represented
Alinghi.

SUBMISSION ON VALIDITY

Hamish Ross argued that the Requests were not valid, as all the requirements of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) 62.1(a) had not been met.
RRS 62.1(a) did not permit a Request to be made before a boat’s score had been affected.
RRS 62.1(a) states: ‘A request for redress … shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score in a race or series has, through no fault of her
own, been made significantly worse by an improper action or omission of the race committee … or organizing authority…’

REASONS FOR DECISION

RRS 60.1(b) states: ‘A boat may … request redress. RRS 62.2 states: ‘The request shall be in writing and be delivered to the race office no later than the protest time limit or two hours after the incident, whichever is later. The protest committee shall extend the time if there is good reason to do so…’
The Requests were in writing and delivered in time and hence comply with RRS 62.2.

DECISION
The Requests are valid.

DECISION REGARDING ADDRESSING A REQUEST FOR REDRESS BEFORE THE RACE

The Jury determines that the words ‘possibility that a boat’s score’ used in RRS 62.1 permit the Jury to consider a Request for Redress before the race.

REQUEST 01-1: INCORRECT RULES PRECEDENCE
USA submitted that ‘In both NoR 1.2 and SI 1.2 SNG has improperly set the order of precedence so that the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions prevail over the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing. This improper action leads to the possibility of USA’s score being made significantly worse in that USA is required to comply with the rules taking into account an incorrect order of precedence. What is worse is that the order of precedence that USA must follow is in conflict in NoR 1.2 in that the Jury deals with conflict over the rules in a different manner.’

Richard Slater submitted that setting the order of precedence as the Organising Authority (OA)/Race Committee (RC) have done in the NoR and SI, would allow the Sailing Instructions to change any rule in the RRS, even rules that the RRS themselves do not allow to be changed. There would be uncertainty regarding rules governing the event.

Hamish Ross submitted that USA had failed to show how through no fault of her own USA had been prejudiced. Giving redress is a post-race remedy, not a pre-race remedy. It is for the OA to set the rules and this Request is premature.
He further submitted that the correct order had been applied, as the NoR and SI amend the RRS and therefore should be placed prior to the RRS in order of precedence.

REASONS FOR DECISION
NoR 1.1 and SI 1.1 list the rules applicable to the match in the following order: (a) Deed of Gift; (b) Notice of Race; (c) Sailing Instructions; (d) RRS.
NoR 1.2 states: ‘Subject to RRS 63.7 any conflict in the rules shall be resolved by applying the rule in the first listed document above which shall prevail over a conflicting rule in a subsequently listed document.’
Sailing Instruction (SI) 1.2 states: ‘Any conflict in the rules shall be resolved by applying the rule in the first listed document above which shall prevail over a conflicting rule in a subsequently listed document.’

RRS 63.7 states: ‘If there is a conflict between a rule in the notice of race and one in the sailing instructions that must be resolved before the protest committee can decide a protest or request for redress, the committee shall apply the rule that it believes will provide the fairest result for all boats affected.’

The RRS is the document that empowers the publication of the NoR and SI. The RRS are clear that some of its rules may not be changed by the SI. To give precedence to the NoR and SI over the RRS may result in conflict between the rules of the event. Such a conflict may give rise to the possibility that a boat’s score could be made significantly worse through no fault of her own.

DECISION
The Request is upheld. The OA/RC are directed to issue an amendment deleting NoR 1.2 and SI 1.2, and replacing them with ‘The Deed of Gift shall prevail over any other conflicting rule’.

REQUEST 01-2: CHANGING THE RULES TO OUTLAW WIND DETECTION EQUIPMENT.
USA submitted that ‘In amending NoR 1.5(b) SNG has not provided adequate notice to now attempt to outlaw the use of wind detection equipment. Such equipment was clearly allowed in the original Notice of Race and USA has spent time and money in obtaining and developing such detection equipment. Being unable to use such equipment leads to the possibility of USA’s score being made significantly worse in that its ability to detect the wind is removed and that it had committed time and resources to this project that may have been used in other areas of the yacht preparation.’

Through NoR 1.5(b) the OA deleted RRS 41(c) and (d) and replaced them with a new (c):
‘The RRS are changed (or applied) as follows: … RRS 41 (c) and (d) are deleted and replaced with: “(c) communications to and from the Umpires and Race Committee to the competing boats via equipment to be provided by the Race Committee, the use of GPS devices, low power onboard communication systems, use of onboard laser, radar and other detection equipment operated solely from onboard as permitted by NOR (b).(iv), and the operation of onboard event broadcast equipment, and to permit any actions authorised by the NOR and the SI”’

Hamish Ross submitted that it was not the intention of the OA to prohibit wind detection equipment and offered to meet with Richard Slater to try to come to an agreement on an amendment to clarify the matter.

At the request of the parties, the Jury adjourned the hearing in relation to this issue, pending the outcome of their meeting. Subsequent to the meeting, on 2nd February, the parties advised the Jury they had mutually agreed in satisfaction of this request that NoR 14.2(d) will be deleted and replaced with: ‘(d) onboard lasers, radar or other detection equipment operated solely from onboard; and’.

Consequently, the Jury has allowed the request to be withdrawn (RRS 4 63.1).

REQUEST 01-3: FAILURE TO MUTUALLY AGREE ON THE START TIME FOR RACES.

USA submitted that: ‘When NoR 6.6, NoR 1.5(I)(ii) and SI 5.6 are read in conjunction, it is clear that the scheduled start time has been set by SNG unilaterally as 1006 hrs. This is in direct contravention of the clear and unambiguous language of the Deed of Gift that states: “The challenged Club shall not be required to name its representative vessel until at a time agreed upon for the start,..." In improperly setting this start time SNG has created the possibility that USA’s finishing position has been made significantly worse in that the start time SNG unilaterally set may provide for conditions that suit the defending yacht over USA.’

Richard Slater submitted that the Deed of Gift required the Challenger and Defender to come to an agreement as to the start time, and that to set a start time of 10:06 could prejudice USA’s finishing position.

He submitted that a later start time would be more appropriate and there was nothing in the Deed to prevent races finishing after dark, and that some past America’s Cup Matches had done so.
He suggested that a representative of each party should meet with the chairman of the Jury and that if the parties fail to agree, the Jury should, after receiving submissions, set a start time.

Hamish Ross submitted that in the absence of agreement, the OA/RC have the responsibility to set a start time.
Harold Bennett, the Principal Race Officer, stated that to be sailing after dark would give rise to safety concerns in relation to the racing boats, in addition to race committee and spectator boats. The conditions for sailing would not be ideal but are ‘doable’. To have the whole day available gives a greater opportunity to conduct a fair race.

REASONS FOR DECISION
There is a clause in the Deed: ‘The challenged Club shall not be required to name its representative vessel until at a time agreed upon for the start, but the vessel when named must compete in all the races, and each of such races must be completed within seven hours.’
In a decision of the New York Supreme Court dated 29th July 2009, Justice Shirley Kornreich stated (on page 10) ‘It is only after the parties have failed to agree that the Deed defaults to the defender’s rules’. A footnote was added to that statement which said ‘Golden Gate argued at the hearing on July 21st that the mutual consent language should also be read to control the clause requiring that the default races be sailed subject to the defender’s rules. The court finds that the clauses are separate and that a consent requirement would be entirely inconsistent with the default provisions intent to create a situation where the race can still be held regardless that the parties have failed to agree.’

The clause in the Deed does not require the parties to agree a time for the start; rather it allows the Defender to delay naming its vessel until an agreed start time for the first race. If no start time is agreed then the OA has no alternative but to set a start time to facilitate a Match. The OA had engaged with the Challenger and attempted to agree a start time. USA had wanted an afternoon start time. No agreement was reached.

The New York Courts have the authority to interpret the Deed. Following the Court’s decision, the Jury is of the opinion that in the absence of agreement as to a first race start time, the OA has the responsibility to set appropriate start times.

The "Organizing Authority" has set a scheduled start time of 10:06. The Jury is of the opinion that a scheduled start time of 10:06 is reasonable and is therefore not an improper action.

DECISION The Request is denied.


REQUEST 01-4: IMPOSING WIND AND WAVE LIMITS THAT DIRECTLY FAVOUR SNG’S OWN YACHT.

USA submitted that ‘SNG has imposed limits on the wind strength and the sea state for the Match. This limitation is neither supported by the clear and unambiguous language of the Deed nor the findings of the New York Court of Appeals in Mercury Bay Boating Club v San Diego Yacht Club 76 NY2d 256 (1990). Imposing wind and wave limits creates a design restriction that is not found in the Deed of Gift. This leads to the possibility that the finish position of USA is made significantly worse in that conditions that may benefit the defender over USA are the only conditions that are raced in.’
NoR 6.7 states: ‘To ensure the safety of competitors, officials and spectators, and taking into account the length of the courses to be sailed and the nature of the boats, RRS 27 and RRS 32 shall apply. It is anticipated that races shall be sailed in winds having a windspeed of not more than 15 knots measured at 60 metres, and in waves of not more than 1 metre in height.’

Richard Slater submitted that the Deed prescribes a time limit but not a wind or wave limit. To do so directly impacts on design and therefore such limits conflict with the Deed. Richard Slater submitted that 15 knots measured at 60 metres would often equate to less than 12 knots at sea level and that such a limit would be inappropriate if set only for safety reasons. Measurement at 60 metres could only be obtained from the Defender’s yacht and it was inappropriate for the Race Committee to rely on wind readings obtained in this manner.

Hamish Ross submitted that the upper wind limits were based on safety concerns and that there were significant legal and insurance issues to be considered.

Hamish Ross submitted that as the OA had not broken a rule it could not have made an improper action.
Hamish Ross further submitted that the OA was required by the Spanish Royal Decree of 7th February 2008 to provide ‘meteorological limits set for the organization of the race’ to the Port Authority. The OA had advised the Port Authority of the wind limits as stated in NoR 6.7.
Tom Schnackenberg was called by the OA to give evidence. He is a physicist with 30 years experience in sail making and America’s Cup boat development. He stated that a wind speed of 15 knots at 60 metres height in relation to the boats in this Match was equivalent to 23 knots at 10 metres height for the preceding generation of America’s Cup boats in terms of the loads imposed.

Russell Coutts submitted that there were other significant factors determining the loads on the boats and that it was the responsibility of the crew (who are amongst the best sailors in the world) to exercise good seamanship by using the options available to them to reduce the loads to safe levels.

REASONS FOR DECISION
In a decision of the New York Supreme Court dated November 17th July 2009, Justice Shirley Kornreich, in respect of an issue concerning the safety of holding races off the coast of Valencia in February 2010, endorsed (on page 4) an extract from the Opinion of the Court’s Expert Panel: ‘At the hearing, both parties agreed that with the proper application of the RRS, races held in Valencia can be safely managed.’
The RRS contain adequate provisions for a RC to delay starting a race because boats are unlikely to complete the course within the time limit, or because of safety concerns. After the start the RC may ‘abandon the race because of foul weather’ or ‘because of insufficient wind making it unlikely that any boat will finish within the time limit’ or ‘for any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the competition.’ (RRS 32.1)

The Jury concurs with the view of USA that to impose wind and wave height limits, which are not provided for in the Deed, without the consent of the Challenger is an improper action that may result in a boat’s score being made significantly worse through no fault of her own.

It is not necessary for an OA to have broken a rule for it to have made an improper action.
DECISION
Redress is granted. The OA is directed to issue an amendment deleting NoR 6.7.

The Jury recognizes that the RC has the obligation to comply with appropriate safety and legal obligations when making a decision to start or continue a race.

REQUEST 01-5: IMPOSING RULES REGARDING SKIN FRICTION

REDUCTION.

USA submitted that ‘The court has ruled that in the absence of mutual consent, RRS 53 does not apply. Furthermore, NoR 1.5(d) states: “RRS 49 to RRS 54 (inclusive) are deleted. For the avoidance of doubt anything that may have been prohibited by such rules is permitted.” SI 24 has been included into the rules with the clear intention of now stopping USA from using a process to reduce skin friction. This limitation is neither supported by the clear an unambiguous language of the Deed nor the findings of the New York Court of Appeals in Mercury Bay Boating Club v San Diego Yacht Club 76 NY2d 256(1990) and it is a change to the rules of the regatta where adequate notice has NOT been given. The improper inclusion of this Sailing Instruction leads to the possibility that the finish position of USA may be made significantly worse in that USA is unable to use a skin friction reduction process that it has developed and installed on the yacht.’

Richard Slater submitted that the inclusion of SI 24 is contrary to the New York Supreme Court orders and the Deed. SI 24 states: ‘Boats shall not put trash in the water, or fail to fully recover anything (other than discharged water ballast) intentionally left by the boat in the water. A boat’s Chase Boats shall use reasonable efforts to recover any trash or other item left in the water from the boat.’
Richard Slater stated that USA intends to use skin friction reduction technologies and that these technologies comply with all appropriate laws applicable in the USA and Spain.
No evidence was submitted that any substances that may be ejected by USA will in any way be harmful to the environment.
Hamish Ross submitted that SI 24 was not intended to prevent skin friction reduction technologies; rather to prevent pollution. He further submitted that if the Jury were to be satisfied that the technology and products used by USA complied with all laws and the SI, the OA’s concerns would be met.
Richard Slater offered to provide the Jury, in camera, evidence to show that the technologies and products fully complied with all appropriate laws, and gave an assurance to that effect.

DECISION
For the purpose of SI 24, ‘trash’ does not include substances released into
the water from a boat that are not in breach of any laws or regulations. 62. SI 24 has not reinstated RRS 53 and therefore there is no improper action by the OA and the Request is therefore denied.

David Tillett, chairman. International Jury: David Tillett (AUS), John Doerr (GBR), Josje Hofland NED), Graham McKenzie (NZL), Bryan Willis (GBR)