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Racing begins
Saturday May 12 with the City of Venice Trophy. The Classic
Yacht Race is Monday, May 14, and the ACWS Fleet Races and Match
Races begin Thursday, May 17.
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More America's Cup 2013 Stories:
America's Cup 2013:
Next Defense: The Basics |
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America's Cup World Series
Venice:
Watching the ACWS:
Animated Live Racing and Replays:
Tonight Thursday May 17
at 6 pm at the Herreshoff Marine Museum: More America's Cup News: May 15:
Red Bull to Sponsor Oracle plus Youth AC45 Series?: May 9:
J-Class Regatta in England this summer, with five or more J-Class
boats expected, plus a race over the original 1851 course around
the island: Apr 30: America's Cup wins Emmy Award for Stan Honey's LiveLine system: Press Release Apr 25:
The hunt for real estate with prime views of the 2013 America's
Cup/Louis Vuitton Cup race courses on San Francisco Bay is
heating up: Apr 18:
Oracle Racing will test their new AC72 in New Zealand: April
13: Moët & Chandon becomes Official Champagne of the America's
Cup: Apr 11:
America' Cup Hall of Fame to induct Gerald Lambert,
Patrizio Bertelli, and Jonathan Wright in Newport this June: Apr 9:
Pixel-Pushing: "AC 500 Speed Trials - The Game" is released.
Free for your iPhone, coming soon for Android: Apr 8:
Local video of the AC45s warming up for Naples: Apr 5:
China Team hosts Russell Coutts in Sanya: Apr 4:
Artemis Racing names crew for ACWS Naples: Apr 3: Aleph is out of the 34th America's Cup, GreenComm will be sidelined in Naples: Press Release Mar 27: America's Cup organizers confirm ACWS Regattas in San Francisco, August and October 2012, not New York City which had been under negotiation for August. Mar 27: City of San Francisco unanimously approves America's Cup 2013! Press Release Mar 23:
On the heels of management changes, America's Cup Event Authority
downsizes staff in SF and around the world; 28 people laid off: Mar 22: Boat-on-boat, Oracle Racing AC45s collide in SF training: Oracle Racing Page Mar 22:
The LiveLine Augmented Reality system for America's Cup
broadcasts has been nominated for an Emmy Award: Mar 16:
FishView: Bob Fisher's latest look behind the scenes of the
America's Cup: Mar 16:
Cup on TV: Swedish Challenger Artemis Racing is featured
on CNN's Mainsail (web only in the US), training and working with
their new AC72 wing: Mar 14: Short-term fixes may
make Piers 30-32 available again for America's Cup team
bases in 2013: Mar 7: China Team opens
America's Cup training base in Sanya: Mar 4: America's Cup World Series schedule revised for August/October 2012. NYC? SF? TBD. America's Cup in San Francisco 2013:
Watching the ACWS:
Animated Live Racing and Replays: More
Television Info: Also: Watch "America's Cup
Uncovered" Weekly Video Magazine: |
May 17:
America's Cup World Series Racing in Venice
Starts Today |
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ACWS Venice Thursday Thursday Outlook May 17: Conditions: Preview: Also on the marquee is the chance to see how each team had advanced in creating a sailing crew and shore team that executes well on these high-tech wingsail cats. The cumulative practice time is equalizing between the established teams, leveling the field to some degree. Venice will also let the competition get a better handle on the newcomers. China Team has added a young skipper in Phil Robertson. Nathan Outteridge is back on Korea's White Tiger Challenge fresh off winning the 49er World Championship last week for the fourth time. Luna Rossa's two-boat debut last month brought impressive results in Naples with their Piranha entry at or near the top in fleet racing and match racing, and Swordfish not far behind, but can they prove to be that good again? The home crowd would love to see it. Artemis will be looking to continue in Venice the consistency they exhibited sailing from 8th seed all the way through to win the Naples Match Race Final, their first ACWS event win. And ETNZ, despite taking first place in 4 of the 7 fleet races in Naples, found only frustration in the heavily weighted final race and slipped one point behind Oracle Spithill in the season standings. The final fleet race this time counts for 30 points to the winner, and not 50, which should better reward the sort of overall performance the Kiwis have been delivering to date. Oracle 5 with Darren Bundock
skippering is still looking for a first or second place in event
results. Russell Coutts will come back onboard Oracle 5 in
Venice to serve as Bundock's tactician, substituting for Tom
Slingsby. Spithill on Oracle 4 has been hot for most of the
season, stumbling only with an early exit from Naples in the
Match Race Quarter-Finals. And Loïck Peyron was seen
practicing onboard Energy Team. J-Class Hanuman for Sale (May 16) The J-Class yacht Hanuman is for sale, the modern replica of famed 1937 America's Cup challenger Endeavour II. Owner Jim Clark's asking price is $18 million USD, along with his 295-foot Athena which is also on the market for $95 million. Read more at
Forbes.com and
J-Class Association World Series Regatta in Venice Heats Up Thursday (May 15) The America's Cup World Series stop in Venice, Italy, gets serious on Thursday with the seeding fleet races and the start of the match race eliminations. Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA Spithill are locked in a tight race at the top of the standings, just one point apart with two regattas left in the 2011-2012 season. Venice will also feature the debut of 25-year-old Phil Robertson as skipper of China Team. Robertson is playing catch-up in terms of AC45 experience, but is working hard on improving his team: “We're the youngest team. Our average age is about 26 on board, so for us it's all about focusing on boat handling and trying to take the small steps to get to the level of these guys.” For more quotes from Tuesday's
Skipper's Press Conference:
Read ACEA Press Release €50,000 in Prizes for Venice
(Apr 30) The opening weekend in Venice will feature fleet races as part of the "City of Venice" Regatta. The official ACWS races that will count toward season championships don't begin until later in the week, but interest in the City of Venice races will be heightened by the lure of €50,000 in prize money, including €30,000 alone to the winner of the point-to-point race from the outer race area to a finish in front of Piazza San Marco. GreenComm Withdraws (Apr 17) GreenComm Challenge, the Spanish entry representing El Real Club Náutico de Valencia, has withdrawn their challenge for the 2013 America's Cup cycle, according to reports in the Spanish press and communications via the Official ACEA Twitter account. Read report at Nauta360 (in Spanish) The news is not entirely unexpected after GreenComm sat out last week's America's Cup World Series Regatta in Naples, Italy, and ACEA plans released for Venice in May did not mention the team. With a deal announced recently
for technical support for France's Energy Team, along with
Artemis Racing, ETNZ, and Luna Rossa there are four likely
challengers for 2013, plus Team Korea and China Team who are
still seeking the funding needed to commit to building their new
AC72 yachts. June 1, 2012, is the deadline for the $200,000
entry fee to be paid, a milestone which will also help clarify
the status of the remaining teams. Additionally, the new
Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) will join the World Series circuit after
the London Olympics this summer, with aims of becoming a
challenger candidate for the following defense of the America's
Cup. AC45 Lines
(Apr 13) Through careful study and talented draftsmanship, historian Francois Chevalier has produced a detailed lines plan and sail plan for the wingsail AC45 multihull. Not that you are likely to build your own cat, but the comparison between the high-performance boat, with both regular and extended-height wing, is instructive.
See AC45 Drawings at Chevalier-Taglang blog Coming to Terms with Sportsmanship and TV in Sailing (Apr 7) The New York Times examines the consequences for Ben Ainslie in the aftermath of his Rule 69 incident at the Finn Worlds, and the larger context of regulating sportsmanship in competitive sailing. “Ultimately, it’s about someone in my position should be setting an example for young people and what’s acceptable for the sport at the highest level,” Ainslie said. Energy and Oracle to Cooperate on AC72 Design (Apr 5) Energy Team will license a "base-line" AC72 design package from Oracle Racing, allowing the French entry to launch a wingsail cat by March of 2013 and compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup selecting the challenger for the 2013 America's Cup. The deal firms up Energy's ability to be the fifth team making it to the starting line with an AC72. Importantly, securing the French team as a fourth challenger will permit two LVC races to run at the same time, greatly increasing valuable race experience and preparation for all challenger candidates. Oracle and Energy join ETNZ and Luna Rossa in pursuing a technology-sharing agreement as permitted by the rules. From Energy Press Release: Bruno Peyron: “Our strategy is realistic. With the best design at our disposal, we really think we can surprise everyone in the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup with a budget of around 15-16 million Euros for the 2012-2013.”
Read
Energy Team press release Luna Rossa Introduces Team
(Apr 4) At a press event in Palermo the Italian challenger introduced a sailing team that includes Max Sirena (skipper), Paul Campbell-James and Chris Draper (helmsmen), and crew Francesco Bruni and Manuel Modena. Other personnel from the design team and shore crew include Roberto Biscontini, Andrea Casimirri, Steve Erickson, Antonio Marrai, Umberto Panerai, Matteo Plazzi and Luis Saenz. Patrizio Bertelli, Team Principal of Luna Rossa Challenge 2013, stated: “This team brings together some of the “historical” Luna Rossa team members, and a strong new group of young sailors. The Circolo della Vela Sicilia has a very long and strong history in the world of sailing and we are proud to be representing it.” Max Sirena, Skipper of Luna Rossa Challenge 2013, stated: “We have been working very hard in the last few months and the whole team has proved to be ready to meet the challenges of the upcoming AC45 competitions. We are pleased with the status of our work on the construction of the new wing-sail catamaran AC72 that we plan to launch in autumn.” 34 and 35: Aleph is Out, GreenComm is Sidelined (Apr 3) With the America's Cup World Series in Naples beginning April 11, confirmation has come from the Event Authority that two teams will not be competing. One of the French teams, Aleph Équipe de France, has withdrawn from the entire 2013 America's Cup and the ACWS. GreenComm's prospects as a continued presence in this Cup cycle appear uncertain, though team representatives in recent months had reaffirmed the team's intentions to complete their AC72 yacht. Philippe Ligot, CEO of Aleph-Equipe
de France: “We fought hard, with all our drive and
enthusiasm, to find a budget allowing us to participate in the
final phase of the 34th America’s Cup. We did not want to compete
with resources that would not allow us to credibly challenge the
best teams. France has, without a doubt, all the sporting,
technical and managerial talent to win the Cup but the current
economic environment makes funding a commercial team extremely
difficult." From ACEA Press Release:
"While two crews from Luna Rossa Challenge join the field, two of
last year’s teams will not be competing in Naples. France’s Aleph
has withdrawn from the AC World Series and the 34th America’s
Cup, and Spain’s GreenComm Racing has informed Regatta Director
Iain Murray that it will not be participating in Naples." Aleph's withdrawal comes just as
Luna Rossa is about to announce the crews for their two AC45
yachts, along with other details of their America's Cup
challenge. America's Cup Cuts Costs in Half
Coutts on Nationality in the America's Cup
(Mar 31) One of the most polarizing issues in the America's Cup in recent years has been the increasing disparity between the nationalities of the sailors racing for the trophy versus the nationalities that they are said to represent. While some people in and out of the sport feel that such connection is not that important, others feel that the essence of the America's Cup as an event is at stake, and that the future vitality of the Cup may hinge on the matter as well. Among the changes Russell Coutts, CEO, Oracle Racing, considered for the 2013 America's Cup was the adoption of rules that would return a more meaningful sense of nationality to the regatta, ensuring that it continues to be a "...friendly competition between foreign countries," as the Deed of Gift intends. Such an effort by Coutts is notable considering he was in fact the first skipper to win the America's Cup for two different countries, winning it away as a challenger in 2003 from the very team for whom he defended the Cup in 2000. Coutts spoke to Daniel Richardson about the issue. From the NZ Herald: "Don't forget we've got to build the boats. That's always a fundamental rule in America's Cup, and if you go back to the history of it, the early days, the sailors on board actually weren't from the nation. It was the boat that was from the nation. "Personally, I think it'd be a better event if you had a nationality component in the crews. But all of the teams, I think except Team New Zealand, voted against it. I think it'd be better because it'd give fans more to engage with, which I think would be good, and I also think it'd be better for the development of sailing. If we were forced to use Americans, we would be forced to develop those sailors."
Read story at New Zealand Herald
Artemis AC72 Wing
(Mar 20) Noted authors François Chevalier and Jacques Taglang take a look at the new Artemis AC72 wingsail design, the first wing for the new cats to see daylight. Artemis is currently undergoing sea trials with the wing using a modified ORMA trimaran as a test platform.
See Chevalier Taglang blog for more Management Changes at Event Authority (Mar 20) Richard Worth, currently Chairman of the America's Cup Event Authority, will change roles to lead development of the America's Cup World Series regattas. This change, along with new assignments for the television executives, follows the departure of Craig Thompson from ACEA in late 2011 and assignment of other ACEA functions to the Race Management organization. Stuart Alexander, a long-time
America's Cup observer, sees more changes on the horizon: Korea's Nathan Outteridge (Mar 14) Joining Team Korea while also packing a 49er Olympic campaign into his schedule will keep Aussie Nathan Outteridge busy this year. One of his first tasks in the America's Cup World Series is getting up to speed helming the AC45. Michelle Slade at SailBlast talked with Outteridge: Outteridge on helming the physically demanding AC45: "From watching the footage it seems like the helmsman is in the best seat -- looks like the four guys up the front have so much on that they couldn’t be fit enough to do their job. I’m pretty excited to be sitting at the back to be honest and let all them to do the hard work!" Outteridge on the America's Cup becoming a more made-for-TV event: "I don’t think it changes the way we race the event. Sailing should become more media friendly -- we’ve tried to adopt that more in the Moth and 49er but this is taking it to a whole new level. Every little thing you do will be picked up by TV both on and off the boat. I think it’s great and what sailing should be about. It’s an exciting time to be involved in the sport. I think Oracle is doing a great job of pushing it in that direction. Half the attraction for me is getting involved in something so exciting. Hopefully the constraints of trying to make it media friendly don’t destroy the best parts of our sport." Read
Part 1 (America's Cup) and
Part 2 (Olympics) at SailBlast blog. And It Tells Time
(Mar 10) Louis Vuitton has a certain standard to meet as sponsor and official timekeeper of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the French luxury goods maker is keeping pace by introducing three new bits of chronometric jewelry. For your next race, the Tambour Spin Time Regatta, above, flips five squares from blue to red, one per minute, to count down the start sequence. Cost? Well, if you have to ask...... Summer/Fall America's Cup World Series Schedule Revised (Mar 4) The dust hasn't settled yet, but in connection with the US TV contract announced last week with NBC, the schedule for the first few regattas of the America's Cup World Series 2012-2013 season is being modified. Originally two events were set for San Francisco this coming August and September, followed by yet-to-be-announced locations penciled in for October and December. Now America's Cup organizers have confirmed that instead one regatta in August will take place in either New York City or San Francisco depending on the outcome of ongoing negotiations, with another event definitely set for San Francisco in October. The 2012-2013 ACWS season will round out as previously planned in Venice and Naples in 2013, plus any other regattas that are added to the schedule before then. NBC Onboard for America's Cup US Broadcasts
(Mar 1) Broadcaster NBC will be showing the America's Cup World Series this summer three times on NBC's main over-the-air outlets, with additional coverage on the network's other channels. NBC Sports will also be the broadcast partner for the Louis Vuitton Cup regatta and the 34th Defense of the America's cup itself in 2013, with the first two races of the America's Cup Match shown live. Read America's Cup Press Release More details from the Associated
Press: |
America's Cup World Series Venice
(May 15) Oracle 4, James Spithill's AC45 boat, was damaged during training on Tuesday in a collision with teammate Darren Bundock's Oracle 5. Spithill's boat is expected to be back on the water Wednesday to continue preparation for the start of ACWS racing on Thursday.
Oracle Team USA's Spithill looks
on as Kyle Langford conducts a digital simulation of the
incident. America's Cup World Series Naples
In their first ACWS regatta, a big win in Race 7 helped Luna Rossa Piranha climb to the top of the Fleet Race standings and take home the Naples Fleet Race Championship. Despite rain a huge crowd roared their approval after the Italian boat crossed the finish line in Naples. Artemis Racing redeemed a frustrating start to the week with wins over two Luna Rossa teams to clinch the Match Race Championship. Race Reports, more photos, and
daily previews:
USA-17 vs. AC72
(Mar 30) François Chevalier and Jacques Taglang have posted a comparison between Oracle Racing's America's Cup-winning monster trimaran USA-17 from 2010 and the new AC72 wing for the 2013 America's Cup. It takes a 223-foot (68m) wing on a 90-foot LWL platform to make an AC72 rig look normal. USA-17 was more than 90 ft. (28m) taller than an AC72, higher than an AC45 and an AC72 wing stacked on top of each other.
Read more at Chevalier-Taglang Blog J-Class Foursome
Two of the original J-Class
yachts, Endeavour and Velsheda, racing modern J's
Hanuman and Ranger in the Bucket Regatta in St.
Barths.
Read More Oracle Pier 80 Open House
Oracle Racing hosted local media
with Russell Coutts, James Spithill, John Kostecki, and Dirk
Kramers sharing their views about racing in local waters, the
risks and rewards of the new AC72's, and how America's Cup
challengers will adapt to the San Francisco race venue. ACWS San Diego
Race Reports, Stories, Results,
and links to more: See Full San Diego Results and Standings
Ed Wright, crew on
GreenComm: "On these boats, it’s pure multitasking. You have to
be able to pick up one second and put it down the next second, do
it very quickly, and have your head both inside and outside the
boat. So it’s very physical and you have to be very aware." More ACWS Stories: Sailor and Broadcaster Peter Isler: "...For me it’s great to have been a part of it and to continue being part of telling the Cup story but I’m in awe of the America’s Cup and it keeps changing and it continues to evolve. It’s unlike any other event anywhere and that’s the thing about the Cup." Read more at SailBlast Guests Onboard the AC45s:
"Some of (the guests) probably wanted to scream, but they are not
allowed to," said Vasilij Žbogar, skipper of the Spanish team
GreenComm. "There was one guy who was with us, he was doing
this ..." Žbogar bowed his head and muttered furiously, then
looked up smiling. "When we looked at him, we thought he was
praying." Tricks of the Bay - Local
Knowledge Helps Kiwis: Rod Davis: “All the little
tweaks of San Diego Bay started coming back to me last spring
when we raced the RC-44 sloops over the same course,” said Davis.
“Those races refreshed my memory.”
Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles
Martin-Raget
San Diego Schedule Saturday/Sunday: Port Cities
Challenge (Fleet Racing)
SEA San Diego's John Laun
John Laun watched the America’s Cup making its “victory tour” around San Diego in 2010 and knew the city still had the interest and the ability to run a Cup regatta. With Chuck Nichols he formed Sailing Events Association San Diego to make that a reality. On the eve of the America’s Cup World Series in San Diego, Laun talked to Diane Swintal about the steps they took to secure the regatta, lessons learned, and what it will take for the event to be a success in his view: “We always knew it would be hard, because we had a very compressed time frame. And there was a lot to learn -- the RC44 regatta and the America’s Cup World Series are very different in terms of our role, and certainly the America’s Cup World Series is a much more complex event."
Read interview with John Laun at CupInfo Interview with Iain Murray
Iain Murray, Regatta Director and CEO of the America's Cup Race Management (ACRM) organization, is in charge of independent conduct of the regattas, and at the lead in pushing forward all the changes necessary for the America's Cup World Series and the actual America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup in 2013. CupInfo checked in with him last Sunday on the final day of racing in Plymouth. Iain talked about ACRM's focus going forward, plans for changes at the next ACWS stop in San Diego and for 2013, and the possibility of new teams joining up: Question: How close are we to seeing an Italian team join in Venice or Naples? Iain Murray: I’m very positive that we will see an Italian team in the not too distant future.
Read interview with Iain Murray at CupInfo ETNZ Wins ACWS Plymouth
(Sep 16) Even when trailing, Russell Coutts dipped into his match racing tool box and went to work on Dean Barker, but it wasn't enough to keep the Kiwis down. ETNZ won Semi-Final #1 2 race to 1, advancing to the Final on Saturday against either Artemis or Team Korea. The action between Barker and Coutts was some of te best of the America's Cup World Series to date, with multiple penalties and a collision before the first gun had even sounded. Well, the first electronic signal, but you get the idea. Oracle5 sail from behind to in front anyway to win Race 1. Just when they looked to have Race 2 in hand, though, Barker got ahead, kept finding better wind at the right times, and carved out two wins. ACWS Plymouth Race Reports: ACWS Plymouth Day 2
(Sept 11) Spectacular racing Sunday, at least for the half of the fleet that stayed upright. The America's Cup World Series in Plymouth saw some incredible action, maybe even too much of it for some teams with three of the nine entries not even finishing the race. Aleph, Korea, and GreenComm capsized, while Artemis withdrew after damaging their wing. Conditions were challenging for multihulls Sunday, with several boats getting overwhelmed when hit by strong gusts or tripped up by maneuvers that would have been fine in more stable weather. Adding to the complexity, even though these are talented sailors, many come from the monohull world and are still learning the dynamics involved in heavy weather multihull sailing. Loïck Peyron of Energy Team, one of the most accomplished multihull skippers in the world, had the benefit of being a veteran at this sort of thing. "It was difficult going around the corners today," said Peyron. "The experienced multihull sailor in me was telling me to back off a bit, to avoid breakage and sail in 'offshore' mode. I don't regret it because our boat is intact whereas others are having to make repairs. I have experienced too many disasters in multihulls not to be affected." Read more quotes at Americascup.com The finish order showed Oracle and ETNZ sharing the top three spots again, followed by Energy, China, and Korea (after righting their boat). Match Race Championship Qualifying begins when racing resumes Wednesday.
ACWS Cascais
(Sunday Aug 15) The final day of the America's Cup World Series in Cascais capped off the regatta with one long-format fleet race. James Spithill led early, coming off two unbeaten days in a row, and looked headed for a third with team owner Larry Ellison along for the ride. But Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand showed their mettle and again fought from behind to win, followed by an Artemis team that seems to have finally clicked, placing second just :21 behind. Race Reports: Team Statements: More:
See
Results/Scoring and
Circle the Dates (Jul 4) America's Cup organizers have released the schedule, format, and scoring for the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup. The event will start several days earlier than first planned, with opening ceremonies in San Francisco on Thursday, July 4, 2013, and a fleet racing round kicking off July 5. This is the first time in history that fleet racing has ever counted as part of the Louis Vuitton Cup itself. There will be two match racing Rounds Robin to rank the challenger candidates, and the top four RR finishers will compete in Semi-Finals and a Final match to determine the winner of the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup, who becomes the 34th Challenger for the America's Cup. The actual America's Cup Match is set to begin September 7, as per previous announcements.
See 2013 LVC and America's Cup Race Schedule and
Read Press Release J-Class Regatta in Newport
Race Results:
(Jun 15) Ranger, a replica of the 1937 America's Cup winner, and Velsheda, one of three original survivors, are racing head-to-head this week in Newport, RI, historic yachts in a setting to match. Ranger took Race 1 by
just one second on corrected time, won Race 2 by 27 seconds
corrected, won Race 3, and won Race 4 by 3:19 corrected.
Velsheda won Race 5 by 2:00 corrected. Racing finished
Sunday June 19. Each race starting at 1 pm, conditions
permitting, and sailed in sight of spectators on shore.
Crash Time
(June 13) Oracle Racing AC45
Spectacular Pitchpole in San Francisco Bay during exhibition race
pre-start: Crew
Shannon Falcone was injured, walking away but taken to the
hospital by ambulance for X-rays of his ribs and further
evaluation. Russell Coutts, skippering #5, was thrown
through a portion of the wing. Thankfully, injuries to the
crew were not more extensive. Examination showed that
Falcone dislocated rib cartilage, but did not break any bones. Update: Follow-up stories
Tuesday: What Happened? This capsize seems to continue a pattern from testing in Auckland, where the AC45 is remarkably stable in many conditions that would cause problems for lesser cats, and the long wave-piercing bows can be very effective at maintaining buoyancy and avoiding this sort of incident, especially upwind. But if the wingsail gets into an undesired orientation relative to the wind, forces can overwhelm the boat much more quickly than with a soft mainsail. Somewhat inherent in a hard surface airfoil, it appears to be much harder to depower the wing on short notice when in trouble, as attempts to ease the wing above illustrate. On the other hand, both
increased experience and improved control techniques could lessen
the risks, too. There is still a lot to learn about these boats,
even for expert crews, justifying the plan to climb the learning
curve early with the AC45's and build skills and understanding in
preparation for the AC72's which launch less than 13 months from
now. San Diego: RC44 Cup
Onboard:
Rehearsal for Something
Bigger? John Laun, Sailing Events
Association: "We see this as proof that we can put on a
world-class international sailing event in San Diego that
requires infrastructure, organization, and venue. So we’ve
made proposals for the fall of this year or spring of next year,
which would be an AC45 regatta." Paul Cayard: "I don’t know about sailing the AC72 in here, but San Diego is a great bay, it’s kind of like San Francisco, but smaller. It’s a great opportunity for the public to watch the racing without having to get out on a boat. That, conceptually, is what we need to do -- I think this is the direction we need to go in to grow the sport.” Read "Paul Cayard: Spanning the Globe" RC44 Photo Galleries:
Wingsails and the AC72 Rule:
(Feb 3, 2011) Pete Melvin helps explain how the AC72 Class Rule he helped write was shaped to allow more design freedom in the interest of creating faster boats less expensively. He also shares his expectations for technology development in the 2013 America's Cup, and discusses the challenges of managing design development when much is still left to learn about the big Cup cats and the regatta they will compete in. Pete Melvin: "We looked at a rule that’s more restrictive, such as the wings that are being used in the C-Class, but it was very difficult to write a rule around a 3D object with moving parts. Whenever we wrote a rule to limit something, we would find five ways around it. By writing very restrictive rules, you actually increase complexity and cost, so by leaving things open, things turn out to be much simpler, elegantly efficient."
Read more
with Pete Melvin about Wingsails and the AC72 Class Rule Choosing Multihulls for the America's Cup: Behind the Decision
(Jan 17, 2011) Pete Melvin, of Morelli and Melvin Design and Engineering, helped guide the process that led to the selection of wingsail catamarans for the 2013 America's Cup, the first time in the history of the famous regatta that multiple teams will be racing in these kinds of boats as a class, and he was an author of the new AC72 Design Rule. Melvin, an expert sailor of advanced multihulls as well as a top designer, knew well the skepticism that the move faced from supporters of more traditional boats. Pete Melvin: "It was extremely clear along party lines with most everyone wanting monohulls and us multihull guys saying ‘We’re open minded, but we see more benefits in the multihull than you guys are seeing.’ But it comes down to match racing. The biggest criticism from the monohull guys was ‘You can’t match race these boats.’ There are very few people who have really match raced a multihull. I was fortunate enough to have been involved with the Oracle guys in their match racing development and knew how exciting it could be, but it’s hard to tell the monohull people ‘Wait and see, it really will be great!’”
Read Visit with Pete Melvin at CupInfo Optimizing America's Cup Yacht Designs (Jan 11, 2011) What impact can Genetic Analysis and automated optimization play in designing the new 72-foot catamarans and wingsails for the 2013 America’s Cup? Does Oracle Racing now have an insurmountable advantage on wingsails? Is this advanced study within reach of anyone other than the teams with the most money? For Alinghi in the 2007 America’s Cup, Andrew Mason created a DNA structure for the ACC yacht class, and then used it to race virtual fleets against each other, automated by computer, culling out the top performers and cross-breeding them until the best of the breed was found. "With the adoption of winged catamarans for AC34, the benefits of using optimization methods to explore the design space are overwhelming," Andrew says. "In 2007 we were trying to eke out small gains to highly refined designs which had resulted from more than 15 years of development in the class. This time around the design space is largely unexplored for hulls, wings, and foils, and I have no doubt that some major breakthroughs await those teams that embrace the use of advanced optimization methods."
Read Interview with Andrew Mason at CupInfo San Francisco Is Chosen to Host the 2013 America's Cup! Dec 31, 2010 (5:50 pm PT): Golden Gate YC and race organizers reached a deal with city officials late Friday to hold yachting's most famous and historic regatta in San Francisco in 2013. A formal press conference is expected next week. Communications between GGYC and the City tentatively establish July 13 to September 1 for the Challenger and Defender selection races, and September 7 to 22 for the America's Cup Defense. Firm dates and formats will be determined by the end of January. Read America's Cup Press Release Also: See Computer Generated Promo at YouTube As for Newport's prospects:
"Rhode Island has made a super-human effort with very little time
and late in the game here," said Thomas Ehman, head of Oracle
Racing external affairs and a member of the Golden Gate Yacht
Club America’s Cup committee. "It's not only very much
appreciated, but was an extraordinary effort. … Unfortunately for
Rhode Island, we've run out of time and San Francisco's bid has
been accepted tonight." Despite not being selected, Newport may
head the list to host preliminary regattas. And if difficulties interfere
with San Francisco's progress, Newport could get the America's
Cup after all: "Should there be any problem with San Francisco
fulfilling their end of the deal, we'll be looking to Newport to
jump in," America's Cup representatives told the Associated
Press. Shaping the New Cup Dec 12, 2010: Before an attentive audience at Cal YC in Marina del Ray, Tom Ehman, of BMW Oracle, and multihull designer Pete Melvin, of Morelli & Melvin Design & Engineering, recently explained the thoughts behind some of the radical changes they helped conceive for the 2013 America's Cup. Diane Swintal was there and brings us her report: Pete Melvin: "The wing is a huge performance element and that’s where I think a lot of the gains will be made. Hulls are fairly well understood -- with a monohull, where the hull is very, very critical and a very key part of your design, you’ll spend a lot of your resources developing the hull shape. Multihulls are all long and skinny things and whether you make one with a little more 'vee' or a little less rocker, it’s not going to change the drag characteristic of the hull that much. So a lot of those resources that you might have put into design engineering will go into the wing or the foils, and less on the hulls." Read more about Pete Melvin's talk at Cal YC Tom Ehman: "...We’re not taking the Cup to some media-centric era, we’re taking the Cup back to the way the Cup was from 1851 until they moved to Newport."
Read more about Tom Ehman's talk at Cal YC Things to Come?
America's Cup Village on the Piers?
Sep 3, 2010: The city of San Francisco shared proposed design concepts for America's Cup shore facilities, which could be built if race organizers agree to hold the next defense of sailing's most famous trophy on the Bay. These renderings were reportedly presented to GGYC and BMW Oracle representatives at a meeting this week with city development officials. Click image above to see more images or go to San Francisco Examiner and SF Gate. |
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Who's in, who's out for the 2013
America's Cup? Previous America's Cup Events: 2010 America's Cup: 2007 America's Cup: CupInfo's Main 2007 Coverage: 2007 America's Cup: The 32nd Defense 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup -- Challenger Selection Louis Vuitton Acts 2004 to 2007 Other Previous Events: |
Home Again in Newport
July 1, 2010: The America's Cup returned today to Newport, Rhode Island, the scene of America's Cup history for much of the famous regatta's life, including the 12 Defenses held there from 1930 to 1983, along with the construction and trials of Cup defending yachts stretching back to the 19th century. A day filled with public display of the trophy, a harbor cruise, and a Victory Luncheon culminated in a team presentation for over 400 young sailors from the Narragansett Bay community. The celebration wrapped up the East Coast Victory Tour for the America's Cup-winners that also included a visit with President Obama.
See Photo Gallery and Also: Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai: Final Match, best-of-three
series: Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
Results: Comparing the Best Boats ETNZ's Kevin Hall: Dinghies and
Cup Yachts Talking with Peter Isler Teams, Photo Gallery, Stories,
RR1 and 2, More: From Mothballs to Match Racing
Providing two race-ready Cup yachts on short notice on the far side of the world wasn’t smooth sailing, so to speak. "It was a bit of an epic," admits Grant Davidson, of BMW Oracle. Mothballed yachts had to be shipped round the globe, set up to be nearly identical, and now need to be maintained that way day after day of close quarters match racing under ten different teams. Captain Sarno Returns
The leader of South Africa's America's Cup challenger brings his team back home to his own birthplace, a small Italian town in the hills above Pompeii. NYYC Annual Regatta The New York Yacht Club's annual regatta will sail with a sprinkling of history in the fleet, including 12-meter America's Cup defenders Columbia, Intrepid, and Courageous along with other famous yachts such as the newly restored Dorade. Read more:
NYYC Press Release and
Regatta
Site Italian Style
South Africa's Shosholoza and their ACC RSA-83 stood out among the assembled 200-boat fleet. The team's strong ties to the Italian city were in evidence in the warm welcome they generated at this exhibition event. 2007: Alinghi Defender Trials
CupInfo Visits the Defender Alinghi recently wrapped up their second round of trials in the Gulf, pitting SUI-91 against SUI-64, Ed Baird versus Peter Holmberg as skippers, to hone their preparations for the upcoming defense. Our man in Oman (or is that our guy in Dubai?) was there, talked with the top sailors, and brings you the story. Are there A and B teams? What's going on with the bowsprits? And what's it like when they are all out to beat you? Read Vaughn Woodfield's Alinghi Report More CupInfo Articles: Geordie Shaver's perspective on the America's Cup Talking with Mascalzone's Cameron Dunn Also: CupInfo's Allianz Cup Page And be sure to see the Features Page for many more articles, interviews, history, and fun stuff for Cup Fans. |
CupInfo Features: Picturing the America's Cup
Photographers Jürg Kaufmann and Daniel Forster have teamed up for the 33rd Defense. CupInfo talked to them about what they've seen at the America's Cup over the years, plus how they approach the art and technique of sailing photography. CupInfo: You have both been to many America’s Cups, Daniel going back to 1977. Which was your favorite as a photographer? Daniel: My favorite one as a photographer was the 1987 Cup in Perth/Fremantle. Every day by 11:00 am the “Fremantle Doctor” arrived: 25-30 knots of wind with big waves and bright sunshine and the 12mJI yachts sailed, unlike here! Visiting Dogzilla
Our West Coast correspondent dropped by the BMW Oracle base in San Diego to check up on giant multi-hull progress and provides this report: Naturally the "dognormous" boat, using nearly every square inch of something that can't really be called a slip, is the focus of the morning's activity. Sails are loaded onto the boat with halyards and pulleys and cables -- cables of a size that get everyone's attention and mean no one has to be told to get out of the way. Even with the sails and sailors onboard, the boat sits elegantly on the water, with very little wetted surface. Photo Galleries and more below: BMW Oracle Multi-hull on TV: Also, unrelated to BMW Oracle, enjoy this vintage Walter Cronkite interview with Ted Turner, circa 1977: CBS News Video
Oct 20: Two weeks of San Diego testing complete: BMW Oracle web site Inside the BMW Oracle compound:
It's interesting to note some comparisons between BMW Oracle's boat and the giant new 131-foot ocean racing trimaran Banque Populaire V. See Banque story and photos by Lyn Hines at Sailing World See more photos at the
BMW
Oracle Racing photo bank First Flight
Sept 15: Why San Diego? "Warm weather, the right wind, sea conditions that will give us a good picture and a lot of room." : SignOnSanDiego.com Sept 10: Monster Watching: "While sailing upwind in no more than 9 knots of breeze, they heeled the boat enough to sail on only the leeward float, making even speed with our media boat at roughly 26 knots": Scuttlebutt News Sept 10: James Spithill: "We're not even at 50 percent yet and it's already pretty impressive.": Seattle Times Sept 10: Training moving to San Diego: IHT Sept 8: Sailing World podcast with James Spithill Sept 3: John Kostecki: "...There isn't anything like this, a multi-hull like this..." Read more at NZ Herald Sept 1:
First Sail Press Release Aug 30: Bob Fisher: 5300 sf mainsail, 3700 sf foresail, and 7500 sf spinnaker to be raised Saturday Aug 29: Testing Begins Aug 28:
First sail Labor Day weekend?
James Spithill: "It's awesome, mate. The first time you see it in real life it's a shock factor, to be real honest." Read more at International Herald Tribune
Spy Shots showing BMW Oracle multi-hull preparation and launching. See spy photo gallery Step-by-step coverage of launch and rigging nearly live Monday afternoon: Dogzillabuzz Blog
Read Unveiling Press Release at BMW Oracle Site CupTracker 2007 CupInfo CupTracker™ is a powerful tool to analyze team results in the Louis Vuitton Acts, follow changes in the Louis Vuitton Rankings, check head-to-head results between teams at a glance, and track scoring through the Louis Vuitton Cup finals and the Big Match itself ! |
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Inquires please contact: Last update: Thursday May 17, 2012 |
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Some of the features on CupInfo : |
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From the 2003-2007 America's Cup Cycle: Schedule The basic Louis Vuitton Acts, the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the America's Cup: events, places, and dates. Plus a detailed schedule including protocol deadlines in addition to background on the Louis Vuitton regatta plans and how they evolved. Recent America's Cup Class Racing: Information about the UBS Trophy, the Moet Cup, the ACC worlds, plus other vintage and exhibition events that took place between America's Cup Defenses. UBS Trophy Racing: Photo Gallery and Racing Recap. CupLog, our chronology of news stories about America's Cup topics since racing ended in Auckland, with links where possible, 2003 through 2005. Valencia: Correspondent Félix García, covered some America's Cup related stories from the regatta's new Mediterranean home, providing a perspective on the event and the city that only a Valenciano can. Shosholoza Interview Peter Holmberg Interview J-Class Revisited Coutts/Alinghi Our earlier content remains on line for your reference, too, including the 2007 Challenger Details Page: All the specifics we knew about the various teams and hopefuls (and some of the guesses) in one place; "Make Your Point" (a look at ACC bow design in the 2003 AC); and our Guide to the 2007 Host City Finalists Cheers! |
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