Meanwhile in Valencia... (it's raining...)

Farmers like it, Valencia's water company loves it but sailors and particularly the ones in Port America's Cup hate it. We are talking about the unstoppable rain that has been pouring over Valencia for the last four days.

Why should you bother about the rain in Valencia? Because this is exactly the kind of conditions that one is NOT supposed to have in Dubai this time of the year and during the next 3 months. As one can observe from the automatically-updated weather map at the bottom, the Emirates and the Gulf region enjoy a nice sunshine with temperatures around 30 degrees centigrade and 10 knots of wind in Dubai (at least at the time we are writing this).

Why are we writing all this? Just a day after the Challenger of Record, BMW Oracle, formally ended their Valencia training program for 2006 and with the imminent departure of the Defender of the America's Cup, Alinghi, it seems that another challenger will also pack their base and temporarily seek refuge in the Arab city. According to our colleagues from the Dubai Sailing blog, Victory Challenge are "on their way to" Dubai.

"Well we’ve already got the defender here so that must mean that there are a few challengers keen to see what they’re up to; and that is exactly what is happening.

According to a source that is generally in the loop (and we all know that it a very small loop over here), the swedish syndicate Victory Challenge is on their way to Dubai in the next month or so. There has been no comfirmation from our source in Valencia, but it seems like a reasonably sure thing (*edit* especially now I have seen a few business cards flashed around). Apparently, they are to be based at the far end of Dubai Marina, next to the powerstations, where there is already a travel lift ready and waiting.

Personally, I’m wondering if the Dubai based Class One powerboating champions, The Victory Team have anything to do with this. Anyone else noticed the correlation between the team names? Could this be the first step in the direction for the development of a Dubai Victory Team for sailing boats???"

Whatever the case, it has been an exceptional fall season up to the 30th of October. Particulary, the latter month offered excellent conditions for all America's Cup teams sailing in Valencia and some of them managed to train and test for 25 days, taking just a couple of weekends off. Nevertheless, such kind of rains were due to take place in this Mediterranean city and according to the experts, the extended summer is over.

We will take advantage of this calm season to continue our series of in-depth articles about the America's Cup teams, with Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, giving an insight into electronics, data analysis and boat testing, while we will learn all there is to know from Alinghi's sailmakers. Unless something unforeseen takes place, the most important event in Valencia will be the arrival of FRA-93, the new boat of the French syndicate Areva Challenge, scheduled in approximately two weeks from now. The new boat will be officially presented and christened on November 24.

Latest weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, automatically updated. Copyright UAMET (United Arab Emirates Met Office)