Day One

Day One of the inaugural America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) in San Diego, CA began with a flutter (light to little wind), and ended with a flurry (not snow, but a lot of rain) with Sweden’s Artemis Racing capturing the first race and Team China winning the second in very inclement weather.
A handful of hardy spectators braved the elements to catch a glimpse of the first America’s Cup action to be had in Southern California since the Kiwi’s lifted the “Auld Mug” in 1995 and brought the regatta down to Auckland, New Zealand.
Even with the rain, the overall mood couldn’t be brighter, there is plenty of racing left and the rains should be moving out to sea today for the advent of the second day of racing. Race 3 was called off, when heavy rains materialized (it is November in California, you know).
It was certainly Team China’s best day out on the water since 2007 when the first Chinese America’s Cup team beat BMW Oracle in the 3rd round of the elimination trials off Valencia, Spain, which sent the American team down a path of destruction that it never fully recovered from.
“That’s our first win,” confirmed China Team skipper Charlie Ogletree. “It’s a great feeling. We’ve been working hard and I think the whole team deserves it, from shore team to management, to everyone. It’s huge. Everyone has been doing double duty, working really hard, so it’s a very positive thing for us.”
South Korea and Oracle 4 jumped the gun in Race 2 as rains swept across the shortened course and Ogletree called the right shots to stay in front of the fleet in the deteriorating conditions.
Race 1 was rather uneventful with the light and shifty winds, with Artimus coming up from the back of the pack with Emirates Team New Zealand nipping at their heels all the way to finish second.
Artemis represents the Challenger of Record (COR) the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet) for the 34th America’s Cup. The team is led by Skipper Terry Hutchinson, who was the tactician for the Kiwi’s in 2007.
“It was about being in the right place at the right time today,” said Hutchinson. “It was a bit cold and wet. They say it is never like this here so it is good to get this out of the way this weekend!”
The Swedish yacht club is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world. It was formed in 1830 and hosts for its annual regatta the Gotland Runt in the northern archipelago off the Baltic Sea. Despite the country’s propensity for cold weather, most of it lies south of the Artic Circle.
Artemis, for those in the know, is the twin sister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus in Greek mythology. She is renowned for being the Goddess of the wild kingdom, depicted quite often sporting a majestic bow and arrow.
The Swedish team inherited the COR maniquer when Vincenzo Onorato’s Team Mascalzone representing Club Nautico di Roma dropped out earlier this year citing “funding limitations”.
Mascalzone was BMW Oracle’s foil after the American team won the America’s Cup match in 2010 off Valencia, ironically playing a role similar in scope to the denigrated Spanish COR, the Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV), only with a telephone and a website.
The COR is responsible for representing the challengers interests and organizing the elements of competition of what is the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC). The winner of the LVC challenges the yacht club and team that is defending the America’s Cup in a best of nine series of races scheduled to take place in San Francisco, CA in September 2013.
Currently the Golden Gate Yacht Club holds title to the ‘Cup and Oracle is its champion.
Racing resume today in San Diego and the forecast calls for bluer skies and light to moderate winds from 6-9 knots.