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Act 13: Alinghi wins Act 13! Emirates Team New Zealand leads the challengers. Louis Vuitton Ranking: With their finish in Act 13, Emirates Team New Zealand also stays at the top of the Louis Vuitton Rankings, and carries 4 bonus points forward into the Louis Vuitton Cup. Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 1 and 2 Pairings.
Detailed Louis Vuitton Rankings, points and
finishes Act by Act |
Follow links or scroll down this page for more details, race reports, photos: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 |
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Act 13 boat selections were released Monday. Strategies among the two-boat teams vary, with Alinghi, BMW Oracle, and ETNZ each entering the first of their two new boats, while Luna Rossa, Mascalzone, Desafío Español, and Victory entered the newest ACC in their stable. The remainder have only one eligible boat available.
Read details at BMW
Oracle Blog Limelight
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The only surprise came from Dean Barker, saying he will not sail onboard NZL-84 this week. Ben Ainslie will helm for ETNZ instead. Some skippers confirmed they will use Act 13 to gauge their performance against the new boats. Alinghi's Brad Butterworth commented it will be hard, given positions on the start line and the fact you can't place yourself where you'd like to be for best comparison with other boats, but they'll use any opportunity. Ed Baird will start at the helm of the defender for Act 13, though Peter Holmberg may get a chance as the regatta progresses. Asked by CupInfo about potential for sandbagging, Vasco Vascotto answered that when he plays cards, he likes his friends to be honest. Magnus Holmberg said he thought everybody will give what they have, but admitted some sandbagging might happen. Mark Sadler of Shosholoza says the team wants to gain one additional bonus point, so they will fight hard to get in the 2-point group. He expects that overall there will be no major change, the big four will remain the big four, but there will be upsets. Also: Read Skipper's Press Conference quotes at Americascup.com
Late in the evening +39 was seen heading
out to sail in the dark, reportedly for a shakedown on
their new v.5 mast. |
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Update: Two
Protests have been filed: |
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Racing start
postponed for wind, 15:15 didn't work, still waiting...and
at 15:22: Observed conditions on the course: Clouds and light rain in the area. Big waves, wind up to 12 knots at times but then dropping to 6 or even less and changing direction. Never settling. UITG stepped an old mast to replace the one damaged yesterday. +39's options less enticing, they did step another mast today and should be ready to race Friday. Statements from team members suggest the replacement spar was their old one, though there is chatter about another team giving them a mast, possibly the defender or UITG, a scenario familiar to movie fans, but a plot twist that may face difficulties under the current rules. Day 4 Outlook: From Jack
Katzfey, Alinghi
weather team: +39 Wins Protest For Redress, the Jury awarded +39 Challenge a fifth place finish in Race Three of Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13 (no other positions in the race are affected). In addition, +39 Challenge will hold on to the two bonus points it would earn from its current position on the Louis Vuitton Ranking table, regardless of its result in Act 13. The jury also recommend the teams amend the America's Cup Protocol to allow +39 to use UITG's ACC version 5 mast. Updated April 6: The complete text of Jury Decision ACJ025 regarding this incident is posted online in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format (9 pages) at the America's Cup Jury web site. The Jury found that UITG broke RRS Rule 10 and Rule 14 (as modified for AC32), while protest by the Jury against Areva was dismissed. Rule 10: "When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat." Rule 14: "A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible" (with further stipulations). It is notable that
telemetry data for speed, position, and heading of the
yachts from the Virtual Eye system (used for television
animations) was introduced as evidence in the protest
hearing. |
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The reserve day
will see more racing Saturday. First start scheduled for
14:15h. Two races expected. |
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From the BMW Oracle Blog: "As Challenger of Record BMW ORACLE Racing long ago gave an undertaking to the other Challengers that we would not enact a Protocol amendment without the support of the Challenger Commission. BMW ORACLE supports the proposed +39 amendment, and we are told that the Defender does as well. We will enact the amendment provided the Challenger Commission supports it at their meeting tomorrow morning." Also Updated April 6: The complete text of Jury Decision ACJ025 regarding this incident is posted online in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format (9 pages) at the America's Cup Jury web site. The Jury found that UITG broke RRS Rule 10 and Rule 14 (as modified for AC32), while protest by the Jury against Areva was dismissed. Rule 10: "When boats are on opposite tacks, a port-tack boat shall keep clear of a starboard-tack boat." Rule 14: "A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible" (with further stipulations). It is notable that telemetry data for speed, position, and heading of the yachts from the Virtual Eye system (used for television animations) was introduced as evidence in the protest hearing. Challenger Commission
Statement: Released Saturday Morning: "The proposed +39 Protocol amendment in connection with use of a V5 mast designed and built by another Competitor was not supported." Read more at the Challenger Commission
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Light winds, Race 6 underway at 15:30. Shosholoza was over at the start. ETNZ narrowly lead Alinghi early in a tight pack. Desafío pulled in front, Alinghi second, Shosholoza clawed back into the fleet, Luna Rossa goes left and pays a price, dropping back. Around the top mark, it's ESP, Alinghi, ETNZ, and BMW Oracle. After settling onto the same gybe downwind, the order stays the same at the second mark. Second upwind leg, Alinghi and Victory making gains, Desafío's lead shrinking. Luna Rossa far left again, maybe hunting new wind. Desafío still ahead at second weather mark, Alinghi close behind, ETNZ, Victory. BMWO gybes away and the rest follow. Last leg looks ripe for passing, but Alinghi doesn't pull it off. Desafío wins by 7 seconds over Alinghi, and ETNZ 3rd.
Race 7 start at 17:30, winds 12-14 kts or so. UITG over early. BMWO leading, ESP closing, getting close to top mark. BMWO around first, then Desafío, Luna Rossa. LR gaining downwind, but BMWO holding them off form passing. Alinghi close, too. They round at the bottom and head right. Very close BMWO, Alinghi, LR. Alinghi tacks away, challengers stay with each other. Alinghi's left detour pays, they lead 15s at the second windward mark, then BMWO, Mascalzone, and Luna Rossa. Big leg coming. Hang on! Alinghi wins, BMWO first among challengers.
Met forecast is for light and
variable winds, possibility of some rain returning this
afternoon. The BMW Oracle Blog notes that Desafío
Español and Luna Rossa had new measurement certificates
overnight, suggesting they have adapted a light air
configuration. See Challenger Commission for more on
these re-certs. |
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