November 12, 2011

China won their first fleet race ever in an AC45 Saturday, topping all comers in Race 2. Their previous best finish was a third place in Plymouth.
Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
 

From America's Cup Event Authority:

Rain kept coming, but so did the AC45s on a wet Day 1 in sunny southern California.  Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
 

One Point Separates First from Fourth, Light Tricky Conditions Test Crews

The America’s Cup World Series San Diego started on Saturday with the opening fleet races of the Port Cities Challenge.  Conditions were extremely challenging for the nine race crews, who faced light, shifty and very wet conditions.

Just one point separates the top four boats, with Emirates Team New Zealand on top of the fleet after the first day of racing.  Artemis Racing is on equal points with the Kiwis, with China Team and Oracle Racing Coutts just one point back.  The Chinese won race two their first win in the AC World Series.

The light conditions only permitted two of the three scheduled races to be sailed, but both featured plenty of drama, despite the slower speeds.  In fact, the fickle winds provided countless opportunities for heroic shifts up the leaderboard in race one, as the race course became a minefield for the tacticians.

Two teams to benefit late in Saturday’s first race were Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, who both shot up the race course in the final moments, coming back from deep in the fleet.  The Swedish Artemis Racing won the race with the Kiwis in second place, ahead of Oracle Racing Spithill – who had led much of the race and Oracle Racing Coutts, with new skipper Darren Bundock at the helm.

“It was tough,” said Kiwi skipper Dean Barker.  “The first race we were pretty fortunate to hook into a nice pressure line of wind at the end.  It's swings and roundabouts, but if you get the last one right it's a good feeling.  In the second one we sailed a much better race.”

After waiting for the wind to build, the second race was sailed on a shorter race course.  Oracle Racing Spithill and Team Korea jumped the start line and were penalized, while China Team sailed a flawless race to earn the win - their best finish to date in the America’s Cup World Series.

“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.”

Despite the weather conditions, local fans braved the rain to gather at the end of Broadway Pier where the race boats ventured in just a few yards from the dock to make their turn around one of the marks of the course.  The racing was up close and very personal for spectators on the dock.

The Port Cities Challenge continues on Sunday with three additional fleet races scheduled.  Representatives from the member cities will be aboard the race boats on Sunday.  The event culminates with a public prize-giving ceremony at the AC Village following racing.

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From Oracle Racing:

Oracle Racing crew gets their weight forward, trying to make the best of the very light conditions by sailing the boat on the narrower forward sections of the hulls as much as possible. Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget

Oracle Racing Battles Rivals and Elements

With the wind swinging through every point of the compass rose, Oracle Racing Coutts scored a 4-2 and Oracle Racing Spithill a 3-8 as the two crews continued their preparation in this practice regatta towards Wednesday’s official start to the third round of the America’s Cup World Series.

“It was good to get out there and get a couple of races, despite the weather,” said skipper Jimmy Spithill.  “We had a good one in the first race and broke the start in the second and had to fight our way back.  But it was good fun to get a couple of races done.”

In addition to the steady rain today’s racing was marked by very light winds.  The first race was designed to last approximately 40 minutes but more than one hour had elapsed by the time the first boat crossed the finish line.

The wind strength was more consistent for the second race, which lasted approximately 15 minutes, but the rain still fell.  While Spithill was an early starter in the second race Oracle Racing Coutts started early in the first race when the wind was less than 5 knots.

“I think it was a pretty good first day,” said Oracle Racing Coutts skipper Darren Bundock.  “Despite the weather I think it was a solid day for us to get a 4-2.  I’m still getting used to the boat and team, but all in all I think it was pretty good for us.”

Bundock, who joined the team over the summer, is subbing for Russell Coutts as the team begins to rotate sailors in preparation of its defense of the America’s Cup.  Bundock is a lifelong multihull sailor with two Olympic medals who’s enjoying his new ride.

“You don’t need much breeze to get the hull out and the boats are very reactive,” said Bundock.  “It does get to the point where it’s a little bit tricky but good sailors have to deal with it and usually you find that the good teams come out on top.”

Three fleet races are planned tomorrow and racing is scheduled to begin at 1:10 pm local time.

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From Team Korea:

Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
 

Team Korea back in action at the America's Cup World Series in San Diego

Team Korea was back in action for the start of the third regatta in the America's Cup World Series in San Diego today, competing in the Port Cities Challenge, the warm up act for the main event which begins next week with both Fleet Racing and Match Racing contests.
 
However the weather was far from warm here in southern California, with driving rain and a light breeze playing havoc with the Race Committee's plans to stage 3 races, as dark overcast gloom engulfed San Diego through the afternoon, creating a scene eerily similar to the opening day of the ACWS circuit which kicked off back in August in Cascais, Portugal.
 
With big wind shifts and holes around the course, the slightest pressure made a huge difference to performance through the opening race, the course crammed into the upper part of San Diego Bay near the eastern shore, one gate seemingly set just meters off Broadway Pier -- ideal for those hardy spectators who braved the inclement weather.  Artemis from Sweden went from last place to win this long race after riding the perfect gust on the final leg to the finish line, Emirates Team New Zealand tagging along behind to claim second place, while Team Korea slid home 6th.
 
After the slow painful tacks and gybes of Race 1, especially around the turn gate in the wind shadow of the giant USS Midway aircraft carrier, a veteran of the Vietnam war which is now a floating museum, the AC slogan of the "Best sailors on the fastest boats" slowly picked up the pace in race 2 as hulls began to fly and some respectable speeds were notched up in the gradually increasing breeze, but with continued drenching rain.
 
This time it was China Team who took the honors, delighted to score their first race win, while both Team Korea and ORACLE Racing Spithill started early and were penalized two boat lengths, denting their plans to be competitive in this race. Oracle Racing Coutts, helmed this regatta by Aussie Darren Bundock, came through for second place and ETNZ took third to consolidate their earlier result and once again finish top of the pile with the combined points, though just 2 points separate the top four overall.
 
Team Korea skipper Chris Draper (UK) admitted afterwards, "We didn't give ourselves much of a chance in that race with the mistake at the start."  Slowing down saw them then 'seesaw' back and forth at the back of the pack, sometimes gaining ground and then losing again in the still fickle conditions, but eventually crossing the line last of the nine boat fleet. He continued, "We thought we were fine at the start and it must have been a super close call. It was hard racing today, and that second one was really tough in miserable conditions, especially when you're trying to play catch up. It was a good learning experience, we've only had light winds here and been sailing the last couple of days, so it was a good practice day ahead of the really important races next week."
 
They begin Wednesday with the seeding races for the ACWS San Diego Match Racing Championship. Team Korea is presently 2nd overall after the combined results of the first two regattas, having reached the finals in Plymouth, UK where they lost to ETNZ. Tomorrow however it's the final three races in the Port Cities Challenge with a much improved weather forecast hopefully offering spectators in San Diego the chance to enjoy some spectacular racing in far sunnier and warmer conditions.
 

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From Artemis Racing:

Artemis manages to take to the air despite light conditions on Day 1 in San Diego.  Photo:©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
 

Artemis Takes Opening Fleet Race

Torrential rains were the order of the day in San Diego as the racing got underway this afternoon.

In extremely fluky conditions, Artemis Racing took the first win of the event in what was a race of snakes and ladders.  Then in the second race, the Swedish team finished fourth, to claim second place overall on count back for the day, tied on points with Emirates Team New Zealand.

Commenting on today’s racing Skipper Terry Hutchinson said, It was about being in the right place at the right time today.  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!

Days like today are very good practice and training.  That is what it is all about.  We also continue to be mindful of how good the people are around us.  We have two new guys on the boat here as part of our ongoing crew rotation plan, so it is as much about racing the AC45 as it is about preparing for the Americas Cup in San Francisco.

Racing continues tomorrow at 1300 PST.

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