AYRE Challenge presents its Volvo Ocean Race project

[Source: AYRE Challenge] AYRE Challenge presented today in Denia its project to take part in the next three editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, all of which will start in the Spanish port of Alicante.

The presentation of this 10-year-long project and milestone in Spanish yacht racing took place in Denia, a city that has strong ties with AYRE Challenge. Two years ago, the Spanish team presented its challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup representing the Real Club Náutico de Denia (Royal Yacht Club of Denia).

The city of Denia also belongs to the province of Alicante, starting point of the next three editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, highlighting AYRE’s firm commitment to participate in all of them.

AYRE Challenge presents its firm intention to take part in the next 3 editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. From left Ana Kringe (mayor of Denia), Knut Frostad (Volvo Ocean Race CEO), Arantxa Vallés (General Director of the Sociedad Gestora para la Imagen Estratégica y Promocional de la Comunitat Valenciana) and Pedro Perelló (AYRE Challenge CEO). Denia, 23 November 2009. Photo copyright Pedro Martinez / AYRE Challenge

The speakers in the presentation were Ana Kringe, mayor of Denia, Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Pedro Perelló, General Manager of AYRE Challenge, Manuel González-Devesa, President of the Denia Royal Yacht Club, and Augusto Sanguinetti, Sports and Technical Director of AYRE Challenge. In addition, during the act were present, among others, Arantxa Vallés, General Director of the Sociedad Gestora para la Imagen Estratégica y Promocional de la Comunitat Valenciana –showing the institution’s support of the project-, Edouard Legendre, AYRE Challenge Commercial and Marketing Director, as well as José Juan Parets, AYRE Challenge Financial Director.

Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, expressed his satisfaction with the firm intention of AYRE Challenge: “We are very happy that teams such as AYRE present their firm intention to take part in our competition, proving the sport and commercial appeal of the Volvo Ocean Race as a platform with international reach and impact” and pointed out that “AYRE Challenge is a project with a long-term commitment that will guarantee its participation in at least 2 editions”.

Pedro Perelló, founder and CEO of AYRE Challenge, outlined the main lines of action of the team: “AYRE Challenge was born as a new reference in yacht racing on a national and international level, based on 3 fundamental foundations. It will be a winning project, spanning various yacht classes and various aspects (sport, cultural and social).” Perelló wanted to highlight that the team opted for the VOR as the first important sailing event in which to kick off the AYRE project mainly because of “its international reach, its international values and positioning, its prestige, and the solidity it provides to our sponsors”. Regarding AYRE Challenge’s participation, “the key of the project is the ability to have continuity in time in order to break away from the usual cycles in yacht racing and for that reason the team commits to participate in the next 3 VOR editions that will start in Alicante in 2011, 2014 and 2017”.

Augusto Sanguinetti, gave a first brief overview of the project’s main technical and sports aspects: “Our latest-generation VO70 boat will be built in the Region of Valencia in 2010 and according to our initial schedule the boatbuilder will be Richard Gillies”. As far as boat design is concerned, the team is currently studying proposals from 2 designers of the highest international caliber and a decision will be taken before the end of 2009.

Team AYRE Challenge will rely on 2 active bases during the preparation and actual competition of the next VOR: The base in the Valencia Region will be the Team’s permanent one, housing its headquarters and used for both logistics and maintenance operations as well as for the organization of various events by the Team. The sports base, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, will be where the most important tests for the new boat development will take place.

The aim is to have 3 key persons in the sailing crew: the skipper and 2 watch captains. They will be the ones to decide and ultimately select the sailing crew that will compete in the next Volvo Ocean Race and in addition they will actively take part in the buildup and evolution of the Team.

Sanguinetti concluded that, “we have 24 months ahead of us from today before the start of the next VOR and our objective is to make the most of our time in order to build a great team with the best preparation possible.”

The countdown towards the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race has just started for Team AYRE Challenge.

Video: Grant Dalton talks about the Louis Vuitton Trophy

Grant Dalton talks about the LV Trophy. Nice, 22 November 2009. Video copyright BTS Broadcast

Video: First reaction from Dean Barker on his team finishing 2nd in LV Trophy

Dean Barker talks about his team's result in the LV Trophy. Nice, 22 November 2009. Video copyright BTS Broadcast

Azzurra scores 2-0 shut out of Emirates Team New Zealand to win Louis Vuitton Trophy

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] The team from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda makes a triumphant return after a 22-year hiatus.

Even before the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur began, Azzurra skipper Francesco Bruni spoke of his passion and honour to be leading an iconic sailing brand back into the fray after a long absence. This afternoon he could barely describe his joy.

Bruni and his Azzurra crew, including tactician Tommaso Chieffi, defeated Emirates Team New Zealand 2-0 in the Grand Final to win this match race regatta.

Azzurra, from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, made its international sailing debut at the 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup but has been in hiatus since the 1987 event off Western Australia. The team was re-launched last month and today Azzurra won the first race by 25 seconds and the second by 17 for a well-deserved championship.

“It’s an amazing sensation. I can’t find the words to describe it,” said Bruni, the 40-year-old skipper from Sicily. “We knew we could do a good job. We had very good training before the event. But we never thought about beating New Zealand in the final.”

Emirates Team New Zealand entered the final as the favourite. It won the round robin, suffering just one loss in 10 starts, and then defeated the upstart Synergy Russia Sailing Team in a hard-fought semi final match.

Team New Zealand has won many regattas this year, including the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February and the TP52 World Championship in September. Today, however, the Kiwis lost the first cross in both races and could never find a way around the Italians on the short courses of less than 5 nautical miles.

“I think we sailed well today but Azzurra was clearly better than us. They did everything right,” said Dean Barker, skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand. “Sometimes that’s just the way it is. You’re either in the right place or you’re not. Today Azzurra sailed very, very well.”

The two races were sailed early in the morning as the race committee was intent on deciding the regatta on the water and not on countback, which might’ve happened if racing couldn’t be conducted. The best winds of this two-week event were often early in the morning, and today the first warning signal was sounded at 0800 CET, one hour earlier than scheduled.

The northwesterly wind blew between 6 and 10 knots for the two races and was very shifty and patchy. Pressure differences often accounted for different sailing angles as 1 or 2 knots more wind can lift a yacht as much as 10 degrees higher than its opponent.

Chieffi, who won the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup as tactician of Il Moro di Venezia, thought the Kiwis’ success played against them in the final.

“Beating TeamOrigin yesterday was a big plus for us; we’d done our share of work,” said Chieffi. “So we came in with smiley faces today despite the early morning. I could sense the Kiwis were more tense because they were the favourite; they were leading throughout the regatta. This played a role in our favour.”

The winning crew included skipper Bruni and tactician Chieffi, Tom Burnham (strategist), Bruno Zirilli (navigator), Daniele De Luca (mainsail trimmer), Stefano Rizzi (jib trimmer), Pierluigi De Felice (spinnaker trimmer), Gabriele Bruni (trimmer), Piero Romero (runner grinder), Nicola Pilastro (mainsail grinder), Massimo Galli (port grinder), Francesco Scalici (starboard grinder), Cristian Griggio (pitman), Luca Albarelli (mastman), Pietro Mantovani (mid-bow), Matteo Auguadro (bowman) and Michele Cannoni (pit assist).

Despite the win, Azzurra had its mishaps on the racecourse. The skipper and tactician both described three problems in the two races. In Race 1 a helicopter got too low to the water and disrupted the wind flow, reducing a four-boatlength lead to one.


In the second race the crew didn’t judge a bias in the leeward gate. They made a starboard rounding, but the mark was farther downwind and again they gave away three boatlengths.

The biggest mishap came at the top of the second beat in the second race. Approaching the windward mark on starboard tack with Team New Zealand two or three lengths behind, Mantovani, the mid-bowman, slipped overboard while preparing the spinnaker for the rounding. As the yacht sailed past the aft grinder, Romero, ran into the scoop and grabbed him out of the water “like a fish,” according to Bruni.

Chieffi said: “Even with the mishaps, the crew did a solid job to not lose concentration. Yes, we had five-boatlength leads, but one length is enough. The crew did an outstanding job keeping it calm, steady and tidy. We’re very pleased with the result.”

Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Cote d’Azur Final Standings
Team (Country) Skipper (Nationality) Won-Lost

1. Azzurra (ITA) Francesco Bruni (ITA), 11-5
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) Dean Barker (NZL), 11-4
3. Synergy Russia Sailing Team (RUS) Karol Jablonski (POL), 8-6
4. TeamOrigin (GBR) Ben Ainslie (GBR), 9-6
5. All4One (FRA/GER) Jochen Schumann (GER), 5-8
6. BMW Oracle Racing (USA) Hamish Pepper (NZL), 5-8
7. Artemis (SWE) Paul Cayard (USA), 5-7
8. TFS – PagesJaunes (FRA) Bertrand Pacé (FRA), 1-11

Video: Highlights from the 3rd day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Video highlights from the 3Rd day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Nice, 21 November 2009. Video copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Video: La semifinale di Azzurra

With approximately 10% of our viewers from Italy, I thought it would be fair to post a nice video Team Azzurra produced on Friday. The Italian "newcomers" are on a roll and Bruni, Chieffi & Co have proved they are from being the outsiders. After today's comfortable win over Team Origin, Azzurra will face Emirates Team NZ on Sunday for the Trophy in a best-of-three final, weather allowing.

The semifinals according to Azzurra. Nice, 20 November 2009. Video copyright Azzurra

Groupama 3 is now sound and safe in Cape Town

[Source: Cammas-Groupama] Groupama 3 arrived in Cape Town early this Saturday afternoon and immediately tied up alongside so as repairs could begin to reinforce the aft beams.

It was at around 1300 hours UTC that Franck Cammas and his nine crew made landfall after two weeks at sea: Groupama 3 had to abandon her Jules Verne Trophy record attempt on the eleventh day after breaking the port beam bulkhead. As such it has taken five days for the giant trimaran to make South Africa where Groupama's shore crew were waiting to install a `floating' workshop, given that it won't be necessary to lift the boat out onto the hard. The giant trimaran is tied up to the pontoon at the Shosholoza base, which is the South African entry in the America's Cup.

Groupama 3 arrives in Cape Town for repairs. Cape Town, 21 November 2009. Video copyright Groupama

After the gales which Groupama 3 had to avoid just after suffering damage, followed by the tradewinds fuelled by the Saint Helena High, which propelled her along towards Cape Town at over twenty knots, Franck Cammas and his men had to be towed in the last few miles as the engine had been left behind on leaving Brest on 5th November. The wind totally dropped away as they approached port before picking up just enough to enable Groupama 3 to finish the journey under sail, although she had to sit out in the harbour for a while due to the shipping. The crew were able to fill up on fresh produce the minute they arrived, prior to setting to work to get the trimaran back in shape in order to set sail for Brest during the first few days of December.

Emirates Team New Zealand to meet Azzurra for Louis Vuitton Trophy

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] Petite Final wraps with Synergy overcoming TeamOrigin.

One of sailing’s most revered brands will square off tomorrow against one of its most iconic brands when Emirates Team New Zealand races Azzurra in the Final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur.

The final was scheduled to commence this afternoon, but light winds again frustrated competitors and organizers in their attempt to race. Although the championship was put on hold around 1440 CET, three races were held earlier in the day to wrap up the Semi Final Round and the Petit Final.

Azzurra of Italy advanced to the championship by defeating TeamOrigin of the U.K. in their showdown match. After a close first beat, the Italians luffed the British at the top of the leg to gain an advantage at the first mark.

Yesterday the Italians suffered in the strong winds and big waves. But today skipper Francesco Bruni and crew revelled in the 8-knot winds and won by 29 seconds.

Synergy grabs 3rd place overall after a crushing victory over Team Origin. Nice, 21 November 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

“I think that we, as Italians, are used to sailing in lighter wind. We all know that,” said Bruni. “I think that we were driving the boat fast today as trimmer and skipper. Also the acceleration on the start line and how the boat reacts in turns, we’re just more confident in those conditions.”

Emirates Team New Zealand then took to the racecourse and booked its place in the final by defeating the pesky Synergy Russia Sailing Team.

Team New Zealand and Synergy had sailed three ding-dong battles, highlighted by yesterday’s second race when each team was penalised 1 point by a combination of the on-water umpires and International Jury. But this morning’s anticipated showdown proved to be more of a let down.

In a fashion similar to the day’s first match, the crews were evenly matched on the first leg. With both yachts on port tack and Team New Zealand to leeward, skipper Dean Barker, reigning champion of the Louis Vuitton Cup, luffed Synergy near the first mark.

During the incident the on-water umpires penalized the Russian-flagged yacht and Team New Zealand opened an advantage it wouldn’t relinquish. The Kiwis won by 4 minutes although the delta became skewed as Synergy completed a penalty turn on the finish line in light winds.

Bullet camera mounted on Synergy Russian Sailing Team for the pre-start. Nice 21, November 2009. Video copyright BTS Broadcast

“We sort of parked it up and they didn’t give us enough room when we bore away,” said Barker of the incident at the windward mark. “It’s tough as the windward boat because you’re trying to not lose the race at that point. It was close through the manoeuvre. I don’t know if there was contact, I couldn’t see, but it was nothing like yesterday.”

After a break for lunch the four crews returned to the water to resume racing, but the Petit Final between Synergy and TeamOrigin was the only match sailed in winds between 4 and 6 knots. After trailing by 22 seconds at the first mark, Synergy scored a comeback win when it overtook the British on the first downwind leg.

“Not making the final is very disappointing,” said TeamOrigin General Manager Mike Sanderson, a past round-the-world race winner. “We put a lot more effort into this regatta than we did Auckland. We were here to win and to win it you need to get to final. I’d be lying if I said not making the final was a big disappointment.”

Racing tomorrow is scheduled to begin early with the warning signal slated for 0800 CET.

For detailed information about today’s matches please visit the official event Web

Video: Highlights from the 2nd day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Video highlights from the 2nd day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Nice, 20 November 2009. Video copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Emirates Team NZ and Synergy penalized 1 point each; Score now 0-0

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] The jury finds there was hard contact and that Synergy did not keep clear as the right-of-way yacht.

The International Jury for the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur has penalised Synergy Russia Sailing Team a half point for a collision with Emirates Team New Zealand at the finish of their second Semi Final race earlier today.

In the second race Emirates Team New Zealand had been penalised in the pre-start for gybing too close. The crew carried that penalty around the course. Approaching the finish, Team New Zealand was trying to either complete the 270-degree penalty turn or offset it with a penalty on Synergy when the pair wound up outside the committee boat end of the finish line.

Both crews had their genoas hoisted trying to get upwind and over the top of the committee boat, but Team New Zealand got close to the committee boat. The New Zealand crew tacked to port and hailed for water, calling the committee boat an obstruction.

Both boats were downspeed in the sloppy seaway and they collided, Synergy’s port side hitting Team New Zealand’s starboard side.

After the match the on-water umpires penalised Emirates Team New Zealand 1 point and Synergy a half point for the beam-on-beam collision that caused some damage to the 24-tonne yachts.

In a later protest hearing the International jury found that there was a hard collision between Team New Zealand and Synergy. The jury deemed that when Synergy, the starboard-tack yacht, became the right-of-way boat it altered course down towards Team New Zealand and didn’t do enough to keep clear.

“That change of course was an infringement of Rule 14 (Avoiding Contact), so we deducted a half point for that,” said Chief Umpire Bill Edgerton. “In the end we penalised Team new Zealand 1 point and Synergy a half point for the rule to make sure the crews don’t do massive damage. Then we deducted a second half point from Synergy for not doing everything to keep clear.”

Although the teams have each won a race in their match the score is now 0-0, setting up a one race, winner-take-all match tomorrow morning.

Strong breeze and close races highlight day at Louis Vuitton Trophy

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] TeamOrigin and Azzurra are tied 1-1 while Emirates Team New Zealand and Synergy await the outcome of a protest.

Emirates Team New Zealand has been the strongest team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur. Synergy Russia Sailing Team has been the most surprising. Those forces collided today in the Semi Final Round of the regatta, and tonight the two teams are in the protest room trying to resolve an incident at the finish of their second race.

Team New Zealand won a thrilling first race by 20 seconds. The heat featured three lead changes and the Kiwis won after gaining control in a luffing match with the finish line about 10 lengths away.

Great victory for Team Origin against Azzurra in their 2nd semifinal race. Nice, 20 November 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

“It was all on, a very close race,” said Team New Zealand tactician Ray Davies. “It was pretty tense onboard. You have to expect close races in this round. We’re down to the best teams and you have to expect close, ding-dong races otherwise they wouldn’t be worth winning.”

In the second race Team New Zealand was penalised in the pre-start for gybing too close. The Kiwis controlled the race around the track, but couldn’t get enough separation to perform the 270-degree penalty turn and convert the win.

A collision occurred when the pair was outside the committee boat end of the finish line. According to Synergy skipper Karol Jablonski, Team New Zealand called for water to clear the boat end. Jablonski said he responded to the call, but the yachts were downspeed and he had little steerage. The two 24-tonne yachts collided beam-on-beam and suffered some damage.

Although Synergy won the match on the water to even the score at 1-1, the protest was still hanging in the balance. A ruling was expected later tonight.

This regatta has suffered through starts and stops the past two weeks due to light winds. But that was all in distant memory today as the conditions on the Baie des Anges kicked up and added a compelling measure to the racing. Five penalties were issued and two teams were OCS as the conditions put a premium on boathandling.

After the morning offshore flow died, the wind shifted to the east and built to 15 knots, with gusts up to 18 knots. There was also a large seaway running as the winds offshore were blowing up to 25 knots.

TeamOrigin of Great Britain evened its match with Azzurra of Italy at 1-1. British skipper Ben Ainslie gained two penalties on his Italian counterpart, Francesco Bruni, in the 5-minute pre-start sequence. Bruni then misjudged his time and distance to the start line. After re-starting Azzurra was well behind TeamOrigin, which won the race by 2 minutes, 29 seconds.

Great victory for Team Origin against Azzurra in their 2nd semifinal race. Nice, 20 November 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

“It was great to finally race in some wind and waves,” said Ainslie. “It was a ‘must win’ race for us and the guys did a great job all the way around. We have a long way to go yet in this competition, being first on tomorrow.”

“For sure today was harder for the crew, for everybody,” said Bruni. “To go from 15 days of very, very light wind and flat water to these conditions, to switch is hardest for me. I wasn’t as ready as Ben. I think he did a good job.”

In Knockout Round racing, the combined French/German team All4One placed fifth after winning two races. All4One earned a well-deserved win against Artemis by 27 seconds in its first race, and then met BMW Oracle Racing for 5th and 6th places. BMW Oracle had defeated TFS – PagesJaunes in its first race.

BMW Oracle controlled the match early, but made an unforced error at the windward mark. Approaching the first mark on starboard with All4One on its stern, BMW Oracle helmsman Gavin Brady tacked to port to round the mark. But All4One had to bear away to avoid hitting BMW Oracle, and the on-water umpires issued a red flag penalty.

BMW Oracle had to perform its penalty immediately on the run, and when it did so All4One sailed into a commanding lead. All4One won the match by 1 minute, 23 seconds to place 5th and drop BMW Oracle to 6th.

“This morning we had nothing to lose,” said All4One helmsman Sebastien Col. “We had the best conditions we could dream of for Nice. We were really waiting for these conditions because I think we have a strong team that can handle the boat well in a breeze. We started the regatta slowly and had some tough moments, but we are happy to finish well. It’s good for the team.”

Artemis of Sweden placed 7th on countback, and TFS – PagesJaunes finished 8th.

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning with a warning signal set for 0830 CET. The first race will be between TeamOrigin and Azzurra.

Video: Highlights from the 1st day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Video highlights from the 1st day of Semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Nice, 19 November 2009. Video copyright Louis Vuitton Trophy

Statement from Tom Ehman, Golden Gate Yacht Club spokesman

[Source: BMW Oracle] The New York Supreme Court has moved the 33rd America’s Cup match another significant step closer to be being sailed under the normal, fair rules of sailing.

Justice Shirley Kornreich has adopted the unanimous recommendations made by the Expert Panel which took testimony from both Golden Gate Yacht Club and the defending Société Nautique de Geneve in New York on November 7, 2009.

“This is victory for fair rules and common sense,” said Tom Ehman, GGYC spokesperson. “Once again SNG’s attempts to bias the rules in their favor have been rejected.”

The court’s ruling that both yachts must be measured with all ballast aboard, including moveable ballast, blocks Alinghi’s attempt to circumvent the 90ft Length on Load Waterline (LWL) limit imposed by the America’s Cup Deed of Gift.

It was because of SNG’s refusal to put an International Jury in place to determine some of the sporting and technical issues that the Court called for its own Expert Panel of former America’s Cup jurors.

David Tillett (AUS), Graham McKenzie (NZL) and Bryan Willis (GBR) were “well qualified and independent,” the Court said in today’s ruling.

The Court also put a time limit on this vital matter of jury appointment, ordering that if is not settled by December 4th, 2009 the Court will ask the Expert Panel to re-convene.

“All we have ever asked is that the America’s Cup be raced under the normal rules and procedures that nearly every sailor in the world competes under,” added Ehman. “Yet again SNG has had to be reminded that the America’s Cup is not the Alinghi Cup.”

Société Nautique de Genève statement following Justice Kornreich's latest decision

[Source: Alinghi] Fred Meyer, SNG vice-commodore:

“New York Supreme Court Justice Kornreich has brought a degree more certainty to the 33rd America's Cup today. It is good to at last have her decision on some of the pending issues. Alinghi continues to focus on its training programme ahead of the Match for the 33rd America's Cup against BMW Oracle on 8 February 2010.”

Justice Kornreich issues order

Related PDF Documents

- Justice Kornreich Order, dated 19 November 2009

Justice Kornreich issued today her order on the remaining 5 issues (Load water-line measurement, safety of holding race in Valencia in February, date of issue of NoR and other rules, date of appointment of Panel of jurors, and whether the agreement between ISAF and Alinghi provides for an independent and objective Panel of jurors).

After a first browse through her order, the issue of the venue becomes quite clear. According to Justice Kornreich, "both parties agreed that with the proper application of the RRS, races held in Valencia can be safely managed". In addition, the expert panel concurred with that assessment. She then states that Alinghi issued a NoR on November 10th, identifying as the venue of the 33rd America's Cup match Valencia. As a result, according to Justice Kornreich, "this issue is now moot".

So, it's going to be Valencia... unless of course, the Appellate Division overturns her ruling.

Azzurra opens semis with win at Louis Vuitton Trophy

[Source: Louis Vuitton Trophy] Light winds frustrate competitors, organisers and postpone schedule.

Italy’s Azzurra opened the Semi Final Round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur with a solid win, but the second Semi Final match between Emirates Team New Zealand and Synergy Russia Sailing team was postponed until tomorrow due to light winds.

Today’s lone match began in winds between 8 and 10 knots from the north, but the velocity dropped to between 4 and 5 knots at the finish of the short, 5.2-nautical-mile race.

“We were hoping to get more racing completed but there just wasn’t enough velocity,” said Principal Race Officer Peter Reggio. “The direction was consistent enough from the east, but the strength was between 3 and 5 knots. The boats might’ve been able to sail upwind in that, but they’d never make it downwind in the sloppy seaway.”

Azzurra scores a significant victory over Team Origin. Nice, 19 November 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

Reggio stressed the importance of having steady conditions because of the nature of the semi finals. The first crew to score 2 points wins each series. “We don’t want these series becoming sudden death,” Reggio said.

The postponement also affected the Knockout Round matches for 5th through 8th places. The pairings – BMW Oracle Racing versus TFS – PagesJaunes and Artemis against All4One – are setback a day.

In the Azzura-TeamOrigin race skipper Francesco Bruni led his crew to a decisive victory of 1 minute, 34 seconds. The Italians played the right side of the racecourse and snuck inside the British crew at the windward mark to gain the advantage.

Azzurra held the early lead on the first leg when it tacked to starboard well above the layline to the windward mark. The British tacked to leeward and outside the Italians and made gains in a right-hand shift.

TeamOrigin skipper Ben Ainslie tried to shoot the windward mark, luffing directly into the wind, but Bruni got a late overlap and the British had to bear away and let the Italians round the mark first. The British thought they’d closed the door on the Italians.

“We felt we were safely clear ahead when we entered the circle but that was not to be their (the umpires’) decision and so we trailed into the first mark,” said TeamOrigin General Manager Mike Sanderson. “Azzurra did a lovely job thereafter of protecting their lead to take the win. At the end of the day, to win the semis, one team still has to win two races we just used our ‘get out of jail free card’ a bit earlier than we had hoped.”

Azzurra scores a significant victory over Team Origin. Nice, 19 November 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

The Azzurra crew led by 9 seconds at the first mark and 27 seconds at the leeward gate. The Italians protected the right side on the next upwind leg and increased their margin to 1:16 as the wind started to fade.

“It was a very important race for us and now I’m more confident on the starting line,” said Bruni, the skipper from Sicily. “During the pre-start we fought for the right and won it. We made a mistake on the first layline (by overstanding), but (tactician) Tommaso Chieffi did a good job calling the wind shifts and we regained our lead.”

Tomorrow the first warning signal has been moved up a half hour to 0830 CET. The race committee plans to start the BMW Oracle-TFS – PagesJaunes match first, followed by Emirates Team New Zealand-Synergy Russia Sailing Team and then Artemis-All4One. Additional racing is planned but will be dependent on the weather.

Grant Simmer talks about Alinghi 5

[Source: Alinghi] The America’s Cup Defender Alinghi is completing its current phase of the Alinghi 5 development programme today in Ras Al Khaimah and over the next few days will wheel the giant catamaran into the boat shed for some modifications. The next phase will keep the team busy up until it ships out to Valencia to continue developing towards the February 8 2010 America’s Cup Match.

The team has been testing and training in Ras Al Khaimah for the past six weeks, what have been the main areas of focus and the goals?
Grant Simmer: We changed to the new, bigger, rig soon after we came here and we have been working on our sail crossovers and learning about optimum angles; really just concentrating on learning to sail the boat and optimising the performance.

Alinghi training. Ras Al-Khaimah, 19 October 2009. Photo copyright Guido Trombetta / Alinghi

Have the conditions in Ras Al Khaimah been conducive to the testing and development?
Grant Simmer: One of the reasons we came to Ras Al Khaimah in the first place was that the winter months offer really nice sailing conditions and that is what we have enjoyed here. Luckily we have only lost a couple of days in the six weeks that we have been here and that was mainly due to too much wind. The conditions have been great and very stable so we don’t expect much change from that.

Can you hint at the modifications that will be made to Alinghi 5 over the coming days?
Grant Simmer: Well, you will see them at the end of the week! The thing about this boat is that everything is so massive that you have to plan months in advance to make virtually any component in the boat. We have been manufacturing these pieces in Villeneuve, Switzerland, where we still have a factory (the same one that built the boat) and the boys have done a good job and delivered the parts on time so we will spend next week installing them.

Is adapting the boat for Valencia in February a consideration at this point?
Grant Simmer: Since the decision on Valencia, the default venue, we have been adapting the boat to the increased variability there at the time of the Match. Of course in the background we still have the appeal on the RAK decision, which we feel quite strongly about because RAK is a far better place to race these boats in February; something we have said repeatedly.

Any plans for the few days off?!
Grant Simmer: Actually I plan to take the weekend off to go to Dubai so I’m looking forward to that!

Grant Simmer (left) and Loïck Peyron observing Alinghi 5. Ras Al-Khaimah, 19 October 2009. Photo copyright George Johns / Alinghi

Mirsky Racing Team ready for the Monsoon Cup

[Source: Mirsky Racing Team] Despite a troubling amount of injuries plaguing the Mirsky Racing Team this season, the young team has bounced back to full fitness, and with the Monsoon Cup drawing ever closer, the young Australians are looking better than ever.

The team has returned to their Yacht Club's home town of Perth, who will be playing host to a number of the top teams in contention for the World Championship title next week in the Sunseeker Australia Cup.

"Our training has been going well" said the team's skipper, Torvar Mirsky "but the Aus Cup is going to be a great chance to measure ourselves against the others before the Monsoon Cup."

MRT is the closest team to Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch Racing team, trailing by only 12 points. With the two youngest teams in hot contention for the title, the fight in Malaysia is set to be a fierce one. Minoprio's team has a lead that allows them some breathing room, but MRT have been working closely with Greg Kerr, the team's physiotherapist, and recent coaching improvements have allowed them to reflect upon and improve on their mistakes, so you could see a new team in Malaysia.

Mirsky Racing Team celebrate their first victory ever in a World Match Racing Tour event. Troia, 21 June 2009