Caixa Galicia to build new Botín-designed TP52 boat, sharing mould with new Mutua Madrileña
Caixa Galicia will be build their new TP52 boat in Castellón, Spain at the Longitud Cero boatyard.
The team lead by Vicente Tirado chooses Marcelino Botín as designer and will share the hull mould with Mutua Madrileña, winner of the 2006 Breitling MedCup circuit.
Caixa Galicia will compete in the 2007 Breitling Medcup circuit with a new TP52 boat. According to the team owner Vicente Tirado, they decided to appoint Marcelino Botín as designer and will build the yacht at the boatyard Longitud Cero, lead by Chimo López, in Castellón, where they will share the female mould with another leading project, the new TP52 boat of Mutua Madrileña, winner of the 2006 Breitling MedCup circuit.
A mere two days after the end of the 2006 Breitling Medcup, the first announcement about the construction of a new boat has just been made public. It is expected that an important number of similar announcements will be made in the following weeks, bringing the total number of teams participating in next year's Breitling Medcup close to 30.
Caixa Galicia who was stripped of third place at the 2006 Breitling Medcup only during ththe season's last day, has already taken the first steps towards the construction of the new boat. Although this option was already under consideration, the final decision was only taken a couple of days ago, during the Balearia Ibiza Trophy, when both the owner and his crew had to confront a tough dilemma: choose the designer and boatyard.
“It has been a very tough decision to take - confesses Vicente Tirado - because it will set the team's framework for the next three years. We had excellent proposals from Marcelino Botín, Rolf Vrolijk and Bruce Farr (the designer of the current boat used in the last two seasons). Till the last moment we were leaning towards Rolf Vrolijk's proposal. He is a great designer and the majority of boats that have been triumphal lately are his...”
"But on the other hand, Marcelino Botín has always been linked to our project and team as designer and at the end we decided to trust our future boat on his hands". Construction will be done under the direct supervision of Toño Piris who has already supervised the construction of Caixa Galicia's previous racing yachts.
In addition, Vicente Tirado confirmed that construction would take place in Spain, precisely at Longitud Cero, the boatyard managed by Chimo López, where the current ONO boat was also built (the former Pisco Sour, winner of the 2005 Breitling MedCup circuit) and the Baleària. More importantly, Longitud Cero will also build the new Mutua Madrileña boat, winner of the 2005 Breitling MedCup circuit.
The relation between Vicente Tirado and Longitud Cero of Chimo López isn't either recent as they are good and old friends and partners. It is worht mentioning that Vicente Tirado's first boat, Exagres, was built by Chimo López back in 1989.
“It is a circle that closes, we started with him and have now decided to return and put our trust on his boatyard and the excellent construction quality, trademarks of Chimo López”, recognized as one of the four best boatyards in the world as far as the TP52 class is concerned.
Construction of the boat will start immediately. During the next few days the project team will set up the definite framework for the design and construction planning.
"We want the boat to be on water at the end of next April in order to train with her and finetune her before the first event of the 2007 Breitling MedCup circuit, to take place in Castellón next June".
The new Caixa Galicia will share the boatyard with Mutua Madrileña. "Both boats will be built on a female mould and will have the same hull made of carbon".
Caixa Galicia will change boat after two years of racing. "The rule of this class guarantees a longer life for this type of boats because, unlike the IMS, they don't lose their resale value. The life we had anticipated for this boat was three years but currently Caixa Galicia is the oldest one of the fleet, although it obtained excellent results this season. We have a very good boat but we realized it was necessary to evolve and advance. The boat we currently have sails very well under light winds and flat seas but performs worse at greater wind speeds. With the new design we will seek a boat able to perform in a wider range of wind speeds and seas".
6 Comments:
This statement below from this article is misleading and what I consider bad journalism work and a bit of an insult to the guys on Mean Machine (presently sponsored by Mutua Madrileña) !!
Quote: "will share the hull mould with Mutua Madrileña, winner of the 2006 Breitling MedCup circuit"
The winner of the 06 MedCup was in deed sponsored by Mutua Madrileña – the boat owner was Peter De Ridder and the boats name was Mean Machine.
The new 07' Mutua Madrileña boat mention in this article refers to a completely different (new) boat & different sailing team !!
Yes it will have the Mutua Madrileña sponsorship, but has nothing to do with the present holder of the MedCup. For this new Mutua Madrileña team to hang off the victory of another team is a bit average and a bit of an insult.
Did the sponsor right this article ?
Ximo Lopez - one of the four best TP52 builders in the world? - you must be joking.
Let's look down to the Port Americas Cup in Valencia where the Mascalzone Latino boat(built by Ximo Lopez) has spent months being fixed and has only sailed for a few days since the christening in April. If Ximo and Longitudo are so good why are Green Marine building the new ML boat.
I have to agree with the previous post, this was definitely written by a PR company and incorporates plenty of spin!
There seems to be some misunderstanding about this article.
First of all, it was not written by any PR agency.
Second, I refer to the team as Mutua Madrileña because that's its official name. Just have a look at the official MedCup website (www.medcup.org). You read Mutua Madrileña all around the place. Now if the boat changes and you have another sailing team that doesn't mean the name of the team has to change. It is common practice in all sports.
Third, Ximo Lopez is refered as one of the best in the TP52 boats. The problems ML are encountering with ITA90 are not related to Ximo because he did NOT build the hull!! It was built in Italy and fitted out in Ximo's boatyard. The problems with ITA90 are related to the poor construction of the hull in Italy!!!
Pierre Orphanidis
Editor
Valencia Sailing
I beg to differ re who built/oversaw the build of the ML boat.
From the ML website news "The hull of ITA 90 was built by Marine Composite of Andora, Savona, and was fit out by Longitud Cero Composites of Castellòn, Spain. Ximo Lopez and his team of boatbuilders managed the construction and fit out."
The guy who oversees the build is responsible to get the job done properly!!
There are so many boat builders out there claiming they did each job, (or didn't do it when it goes wrong). It is up to the sailing media to give the facts.
Hi Pierre,
Sorry but the article reads badly, I don't think there is any misunderstanding......you are referring to two different boats and sailing teams.
Yes - they will have the same sponsor "Mutua Madrileña" but reading this article knowing the facts, it would seem it only benefits the sponsor or the ego's of the new team thinking they are defending champions……?? Not so !
I view the official MedCup website every day there is a regatta on and they clearly state Mutua Madrileña/Mean Machine so don’t agree with your point.
You state - “if the boat changes and you have another sailing team that doesn't mean the name of the team has to change” – maybe so but don’t give the success of a previous boat & team to the new boat & team, there completely different things.
The general public reading this article don’t know this, it is misleading.
We are talking about three different things here – sponsor, boat and a sailing team.
Your article is not balanced as it focus on one of these things – the sponsor, so hence the only one who benefits from this is the sponsor.
Give credit where it is due.
Maybe if it wasn’t for the sponsor then “maybe” Mean Machine would sail – I doubt that, I think Mr De Ridder has enough to sail without a sponsor but I’m sure it helps.
I’m sure if Alonso & Renault moved from there sponsor Telefonica to another sposor – Alonso & Renault would still be regarded as the World Champions, NOT the sponsor Telefonica…..
Sponsors play an every increasing role in our sport and should be also given credit for there contribution, but not full credit as you article is portraying…….
Who built ML in Italy?
Ay, ay, ay...
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