Everything is ready for the first event of Quebramar GP42 Cup 2008

Santa Margherita Ligure, 30 April 2008: A few hours separate us from the start of the Regate Pirelli – Trofeo Carlo Negri in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy, organized by the Yacht Club Italiano, the opening event of the Quebramar GP42 Cup 2008.

The line up for the inaugural event of the Quebramar GP42 Cup 2008 is impressive and scores of America’s Cup and Olympic sailors will be racing on the waters of the beautiful bay of Santa Margherita.

All boats are now side by side on the Italian city’s yacht club pier and despite the cold and rainy weather, shore crews are putting the final touches on the GP42 yachts in order to have them race ready for tomorrow, Thursday, first day of the event.

There are great expectations for this season’s newcomers in the class, Roma GP42.2 and Airis from Italy, Near Miss from Switzerland and MADRID from Spain, that have decided to have a new boat designed and built in order to participate in this growing class and that will undoubtedly use every minute before the races in order to fine tune their yachts and crew.

The GP42 fleet getting ready for the Trofeo Pirelli. Santa Margherita, 30 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / GP42

The Italian boat Roma GP42.2 will be helmed by top match racer Paolo Cian, freshly arrived victorious from the Brazilian stage of the world match racing circuit, while another world-class match racer, Sébastien Col, will be calling tactics. At the same time, Roma GP42.1, a vintage 2006 boat and the very first one of the class will be helmed by its owner and class president, Filippo Faruffini. Sandro Montefusco and Roberto Benamati, both world-class Olympic sailors, will be leading the crew of Airis. The fourth Italian team, Seawonder 007, will continue last year’s excellent performance, second overall, with Argentinean 470 Olympic medallist Javier Conte.

The America’s Cup crowd will also have a strong presence here, among them Alicia Ageno, the only woman and navigator aboard Canarias Puerto Calero, the Spanish team that despite a late start in last year’s season showed a very promising performance. It goes without saying that last year’s champions, Spanish EL DESAFIO, will once again aim at the top spot, with a modified boat and an all-America’s Cup crew lead by helmsman Laureano Wizner and tactician Santiago Lopéz-Vasquez. The third Spanish team, MADRID, is making its debut in the GP42 class, skippered by Finn and Star champion and Olympic medallist Jose Maria Van Der Ploeg.

Last but certainly not least, a Swiss team will make its debut in the GP42 class. Near Miss, flying the colors of Société Nautique de Genève, will hit the waters of the Santa Margherita bay with Bertrand Pacé at the helm, Tanguy Cariou calling tactics and Alinghi’s Tom Schnackenberg as navigator.

The level will undoubtedly be very high and all 8 boats will have to race smartly and efficiently from Thursday, May 1st. A maximum of 3 upwind/downwind races are scheduled for the opening day, starting at 11am.

Valencia Sailing goes to Santa Margherita for the Quebramar GP42 Cup

Valencia Sailing is in Santa Margherita, Italy, for the inaugural event of the Quebramar GP42 Cup.

The line up is impressive, with a number of America's Cup sailors and Olympic medalist ready to battle for the second year of racing of the up and coming GP42 class.

Among the favorites are last year's champions, EL DESAFIO, entirely crewed by America's Cup challenger Desafío, sailing on their modified boat.

Among the newcomers in the class are Roma 02, building upon the success of Filippo Faruffini's first GP42 yacht, Roma. Roma 02 will be helmed by Paolo Cian, freshly arrived victorious from Brasil Sailing Cup while another start match racer, Sébastien Col, will be calling tactics.

Société Nautique de Genève, Alinghi's yacht club, will be also represented for the first time in this class by Franck Noël's Near Miss. The Swiss boat will certainly be a tough competitor, helmed by BMW Oracle's former navigator Bertrand Pace and crewed by AREVA Challenge sailors.

Racing begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday.

Larry Ellison meets local authorities in Valencia; proposes 34th AC in 2010

It was rumored, at least here in Valencia, that right after the end of the RC44 Cagliari Cup, Larry Ellison would drop by the city in order to meet local authorities and discuss the possibility of holding the 34th America's Cup here, if of course BMW Oracle wins the 33rd edition against Alinghi.

If one is to believe Las Provincias, Valencia's main newspaper, the American billionaire was indeed in Valencia on Monday and held a secret meeting with Francisco Camps, the president of the Valencia Region, and Rita Barberá, the city's mayor. The meeting was held in Camps' office and lasted an hour and a half, always according to the newspaper.

Las Provincias has a mainly right-wing orientation, as do the two governments (local and regional) and as a result, it enjoys a very good relationship with both of them and has the privilege of accessing very reliable high-ranked officials. If the information comes from within the local authorities, it is very reliable.

There are very few, if any, details in the article about what Ellison discussed with the two politicians. It appears that BMW Oracle's owner came to Valencia with a proposal for holding the 34th edition in 2010, based on the assumption the 33rd edition takes place next October. Of course, this is purely theoretical, given the legal uncertainties but it shows Ellison's intention to move on as quickly as possible once the 33rd America's Cup is out of the way.

Last but not least, there is a brief mention in the article of the financial terms the city proposes. According to the article, Valencia's politicians are thinking of offering BMW Oracle what Alinghi proposed a couple of weeks ago. That is 50 million euros for the 33rd edition and 75 to 100 million euros for the 34th. According to the newspaper, no matter who organizes the 34th edition, Valencia will offer exactly the same financial considerations and rights. This isn't only related to the cash amount but also advertising and television rights, the marina as well as the commercial exploitation of the entire America's Cup complex.

No matter how you do the math, it is impossible to justify the 50 million for a race between two boats that will not last more than a week while a regatta involving up to 10 teams and lasting almost two years is valued at only twice that amount. If Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi's owner, gets that deal, then he's a hell of a negotiator.

First test sail for AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8

One by one, the TP52 teams are getting ready for the imminent start of the 2008 Audi Medcup circuit. On Sunday afternoon it was the turn of Ricardo Simoneschi's AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8 to hit the waters for the first time ever.

The yacht, a Vrolijk design, was built by Hakes Marine in Wellington, New Zealand and launched a month ago. After fitting her out, the team presented it in Genoa during the weekend and immediately thereafter carried out the first test sails under sunny skies and light spring winds. The AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8 will now train onboard the "Silver Surfer" for a few more days before she is transfered to Alicante, for the inaugural event of the 2008 season, from May 12 to 18.

Ricardo Simoneschi will be at the helm of the Silver Surfer while the rest of the crew reads like a who's who of top professional sailing, with a number of a America's Cup pedigree sailors. Tommaso Chieffi will be calling tactics, Philippe Presti will trim the mainsail and a number of ex Luna Rossa sailors will hold the key positions, such as Manuel Modena, Massimo Gherarducci, Michele Cannoni or Paolo Bassani.

First test sail for AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8. Genoa, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8

First test sail for AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8. Genoa, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8

Ricardo Simoneschi at the helm of the Silver Surfer. Genoa, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright AUDI TP52 Sailing Team powered by Q8



Launch of the brand new Silver Surfer. Wellington, 17 March 2008

Vasco Vascotto's TP52 Mutua Madrileña is getting ready in Valencia

Despite the fact the America's Cup is currently in a limbo, there is increasing activity going on in Port America's Cup. In addition to BMW Oracle and Alinghi, a score of other teams are using the existing facilities for various TP52 and GP42 projects. One of them is Vasco Vascotto's Mutua Madrileña, whose brand new yacht arrived from Italy last Monday.

This is the third TP52 boat for the Italians sailor. Vascotto was in fact one of the founding pillars of the TP52 fleet in the Mediterranean since he sailed in its racing circuit from 2005, the year it was established. He grabbed the inaugural title of the circuit, called Breitling Medcup until last year, on Pisco Sour, a Botín & Carkeek design. In 2006 his mainly Mascalzone Latino crew took a break from the TP52 circuit in order to focus exclusively on the America's Cup.

In 2007, and with the arrival of Spanish insurer Mutua Madrileña as title sponsor, Vascotto returned to the Breitling Medcup aboard a new Botín & Carkeek design. Taking into consideration the fact Mutua Madrileña was aiming for the top spot in the circuit, last year was a clear disappointment. Mutua Madrileña finished 6th, the result of a 14th place in Puerto Portals and a 12th in Portimao.

The brand new Mutua Madrileña TP52 being fitted out in the Mascalzone Latino base. Valencia, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Vascotto was busy in the Mascalzone Latino base, sweating under the strong Valencian sun and working with the rest of the shore crew in order to get their brand new boat in tip top shape for the racing season. This year, Mutua Madrileña will be competing with a boat designed by Rolf Vrolijk.

I talked to him briefly and the obvious question concerned the decision to have the new boat designed by Rolf Vrolijk. According to Vascotto, they "have always had an excellent relationship with Marcelino Botín. I think that last year he designed a boat more oriented towards light winds, probably the fastest one in light conditions. This year we decided to change because the events that take place in the Mediterranean almost always seem to have stronger winds. This year we feel more confident with a boat for heavier winds although of course Botín's new designs might prove to be better and beat everybody else".

The brand new Mutua Madrileña TP52 being fitted out in the Mascalzone Latino base. Valencia, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The obvious question was why didn't they then stick with Botín and asked him to design such a boat that would outperform the rest under the conditions they considered more likely. Or is it that only Vrolijk can design a winning TP52 yacht? Vascotto was quick to answer that Botín was a "genius", an excellent designer but in life you have to take decisions and that was one they took. Vascotto decided to take the risk with Vrolijk and true to his Italian flair, he wished all other designers the best for next year's season...

The work schedule for the period leading to the first event of this year's circuit is very busy. The final measurement of the boat will take place on Monday or Tuesday and after that she will be taken out for her first test sail. After a couple of days of testing, Vascotto has assigned three spare days in order to make all the necessary adjustments and from May 5th, Mutua Madrileña will be in Alicante in order to train.

The new Mutua Madrileña TP52 has a three-spreader mast from Hall Spars. Valencia, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

While Vasco Vascotto and the rest of the Mascalzone Latino crew were putting the final touches on the Mutua Madrileña TP52, their neighbors, the Spanish Desafío, trucked their modified GP42 to Italy earlier last week, for the opening event of the 2008 Quebramar GP42 Cup, while their brand new TP52 (another Vrolijk design) took her first sail on Thursday. Terry Hutchinson's Quantum Racing should also be coming to Desafío's green base shortly while this year's big guns, BMW Oracle, Artemis and Mean Machine are due in Valencia any time now.

On Sunday, we also spotted the modified Caixa Galicia carrying out as well their first (to the best of our knowledge) test sail. The Spanish TP52 boat was mainly going up and downwind not far from the Malvarosa beach, taking advantage of the day's excellent northern breeze.

The deck of the brand new Mutua Madrileña TP52. Valencia, 27 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano conquers the Cagliari RC 44 Cup

[Source:RC44] With two races to sail on the last day of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup, Armando Giulietti’s Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano was sitting at an enviable position this morning, seven points ahead of Banco Espirito Santo. However, the situation was more complicated behind the leader, with four teams separated by five points.

The first race took place in a light sea breeze. Team Hiroshi, BMW ORACLE Racing and Banco Espirito Santo went straight for the left of the course whilst Team Sea Dubai (third overall until then) opted for the right. Every point was crucial and all the leading teams were impatiently waiting for the first crossing to see who was right or wrong. Well, both options seemed to pay. Hiroshi rounded the windward mark in first, just ahead of Team Sea Dubai and BMW ORACLE Racing. The same scenario took place downwind, all the leading teams going to the right except Team Sea Dubai who went to the left. The tension was seriously rising as they neared the leeward gate, which they rounded in the same position once again. The only change within the leading boats finally took place on the last downwind leg, when BMW ORACLE Racing overtook Team Sea Dubai; a point that was going to cost them the podium. Team Aqua, who was also looking for a place on the podium, finished seventh whilst Banco Espirito Santo – second overall till then – dropped down the ranking because of an eighth place in this race.

At this stage, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano could not loose the event any more. Team Sea Dubai was only two points ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing and two more ahead of Banco Espirito Santo: all but a comfortable advantage against Russell Coutts and Ben Ainslie.

Well advised, Larry Ellison got a perfect start on the pin end of the line. Also well in the game, and more central on the course, Team Sea Dubai and Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano managed to reach the windward mark a few boat lengths ahead of Oracle. The hunt for the last remaining points was on, and fascinating, with Banco Espirito Santo sailing precisely and smoothly to try to catch up on the leaders. Was it the pressure, bad luck? Team Sea Dubai went from first to third, then sixth and finally seventh over the arrival line, to the despair of their crewmembers. On the other hand, the experienced Ben Ainslie managed to lead Patrick de Barros to the third spot, grabbing the last place available on the podium behind Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano and BMW ORACLE Racing.

Sixth of the last race, Team Aqua ends up fifth overall whilst Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref is seventh, ahead of Beecom, Cro-A-sail and Mascalzone Latino.

Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano increases its lead in the 2008 Championship Tour, ahead of Patrick de Barros and Igor Lah. Armando Giulietti will carry on sailing with the Championship Tour leader’s gold wheels in the next event, the Austria Cup (May 28 – June 1).


They said:

Armando Giulietti, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano: “This is a great conclusion to a nice week. I think that this is a decisive stage for the RC 44 Class. Indeed, it is growing and attracting more and more top names. It is tough to sail against all these teams but it is great when you manage to beat them.”

Sébastien Col, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano: “Our goal is clearly the fleet racing event, so we are very happy with our week. We are using the match-race to test new sails; this worked well and allowed us to make the right decisions in the fleet race. Our speed was excellent and we managed to sail in the right spot most of the times.”

Fleet race, final results after eight races (no discard):

(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)

1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, 1, 2, 6, 4, 1, 3, 1, 1 – 19 points
2) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 6, 1, 5, 2, 8, 6, 2, 2 – 32 points
3) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros, 4, 5, 8, 3, 3, 1, 8, 3 - 35 points
4) Sea Dubai, Joki Hellmich, 3, 4, 1, 7, 5, 5, 3, 7 – 35 points
5) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 9, 3, 7, 1, 2, 4, 7, 6 – 39 points
6) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 7, 6, 2, 6, 4, 9, 4, 4 – 42 points
7) Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 5, 8, 3, 9, 7, 2, 6, 8 – 48 points
8) Beecom, Isao Mita, 2, 7, 9, 8, 6, 8, 5, 5 – 50 points
9) Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic, 8, 9, 4, 5, 10, DNF, 9, DNF – 67 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, DNS, 10, 10, 10, 9, 7, 10, 9 – 76 points


RC 44 Championship Tour 2008 (after 2 events):

1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, 40 points
2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, 75 points
3) Ceeref, 78 points
4) Sea Dubai, 81 points
5) Team Aqua, 84 points
6) Cro-A-Sail, 112 points
7) BMW ORACLE Racing, 120 points
8) Team Organika, 136 points
9) Beecom, 138 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, 164 points
11) Magia Alike, 184 points
11) Ekipa 44, 184 points
11) Jelik, 184 points

Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano makes the break on day two of the RC 44 fleet race event

[Source: RC 44] Armando Giulietti and his crew on board Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano are now seven points ahead of Patrick de Barros’s Banco Espirito Santo, whilst Team Sea Dubai sits in third.

After another stunning day off the coast of Cagliari, Sardinia, the boat that sails with the RC 44 championship leader’s gold wheel is back at the top of the ranking. With tactician Sébastien Col and Armando Giulietti at the helm, team Hiroshi – Città di Milano had three good races today (4, 1, 3), giving it a fairly comfortable lead before the last racing day.

The first race of the day (the fourth altogether) took place in a light and raising sea breeze. Igor Lah’s Ceeref crossed the line a few seconds too early and had to re-cross it, whilst Banco Espirito Santo, with Patrick de Barros at the helm and Ben Ainslie calling the shots, took the best start alongside Team Aqua and BMW ORACLE Racing. These three boats rapidly increased their lead over the rest of the fleet and initiated a race on their own despite Team Hiroshi’s constant pressure a few boat lengths behind. During the last downwind leg, Banco Espirito Santo – who had made no mistake until then – jibed too late towards the finishing line. Cameron Appleton (Team Aqua) and Larry Ellison (BMW ORACLE Racing) benefited from this mistake to get the first two spots of the race behind a disappointed de Barros, who had just missed a great opportunity.

The RC44 fleet in the Cagliari RC 44 Cup. Cagliari, 26 April 2008. Photo copyright Francesco Nonnoi, Yacht Club Cagliari.

The wind increased to ten knots for race two, allowing a superb fight between the ten one-designs. Both Banco Espirito Santo and Cro-A-Sail were over the line; however only the Portuguese boat got recalled. Unlike during race 1, this time it is the right side of the course that proved to be favourable. The recent Farr 40 world champions on board Mascalzone Latino used the right shift (30 ° over the entire race) to their advantage to reach the first mark in the lead. Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano didn’t take long to overtake them and build a huge gap, sailing to victory without being threatened. At this stage, Banco Espirito Santo was already back in fourth whilst the early leader Cro-A-Sail was trailing the fleet, following a bad tactical decision to choose the left side of the course. Banco Espirito Santo and Team Aqua showed once again that they were on great form, overtaking one opponent after the next to finish second and third.

The last race of the day was also the long distance DHL Trophy. The wind had by then increased to a lovely 15 knots, making it even more exciting than the previous races. Team Organika, with Star world champion Mateusz Kusznierewicz, played the shifts better than the other teams, remaining in the centre of the course and sailing with a jib whilst all other teams had a genoa. Organika reached the windward mark in the top position, just ahead of Banco Espirito Santo and Sea Dubai, once again excellent in the first part of the race. After a long downwind leg, the ten RC 44s reached along the stunning coast line of Cape Elia, heading for the arrival line. Banco Espirito Santo was by then in the lead, a few boat lengths ahead of Team Organika and Hiroshi – Città di Milano. With no passing options, the boats crossed the line in this order to the delight of the Polish team who is getting better by the day.

Three more fleet races will be sailed tomorrow, in conclusion to an extraordinary sailing week in Cagliari.

They said:
Armando Giulietti, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano: “Our strategy was to try to get good rankings and avoid any risks. We played it safe and it paid off, despite everyone tacking on us as soon as they had an opportunity. I am very happy; our boat is perfectly prepared and we hardly ever have technical problems. However, the pressure is on and tomorrow will be a tough day.”

Larry Ellison, BMW ORACLE Racing: "It was very shifty and tricky, and it is really tough out there. I think that this place is really great for sailing, because we’ve had everything from fairly strong breeze to light winds. You really get all the possible conditions.”

Patrick de Barros, Banco Espirito Santo: “We are getting there… We still need to improve our downwind speed but we are definitely improving. It’s great to sail with Ben Ainslie, he is a real asset. His personality is very different to Russel Coutts’, who is normally my tactician for the fleet races. But they are both great sailors and entirely focused on their work.”

Volker Miller, DHL, RC 44 Official logistics supplier: “It was a first experience for me to be sitting on a boat during a race. It was fantastic. I saw some similarities with our work in logistics, because a strong team spirit is required in both fields. This is a great partnership for us, because it is not just about sponsoring an event. It is a real exchange: our experience and involvement is useful to all the teams involved.”


Fleet race, provisional results after six races (no discard):

(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)

1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, 1, 2, 6, 4, 1, 3 – 17 points
2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros, 4, 5, 8, 3, 3, 1 - 24 points
3) Sea Dubai, Joki Hellmich, 3, 4, 1, 7, 5, 5 – 25 points
4) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 9, 3, 7, 1, 2, 4 – 26 points
5) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 6, 1, 5, 2, 8, 6 – 28 points
6) Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 5, 8, 3, 9, 7, 2 – 34 points
7) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 7, 6, 2, 6, 4, 9 – 34 points
8) Beecom, Isao Mita, 2, 7, 9, 8, 6, 8 – 40 points
9) Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic, 8, 9, 4, 5, 10, DNF – 47 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, DNS, 10, 10, 10, 9, 7 – 57 points

Team Sea Dubai takes the lead on day one of the fleet race event of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup

[Source: RC44] Markus Wieser and his helmsman Joki Hellmich had a superb day on board Sea Dubai. They lead the fleet race event ahead of Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano and BMW ORACLE Racing.

Cagliari, April 25, 2008 – Team Sea Dubai is the new and unexpected leader after the first three fleet races of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup. After a very good start in Dubai last month, this new team proves once again that it will be a serious opponent this season, thanks to a well managed program under the supervision of Markus Wieser.

The strong Mistral that was blowing during the match race event made space to a fairly shifty sea breeze today. Indeed, the first fleet race took place in 8 knots of wind, under a blue sunshine. Children from the Yacht Club Cagliari, one of the event’s partners, were invited on board each of the boats and they had the ride of their life.

Armand Giulietti’s Team Hiroshi Città di Milano didn’t have the start it wanted. The Italian boat was forced to tack a few seconds after the start, in an uncomfortable position; it went for the right side of the course and soon realised that this wasn’t such a bad thing: thanks to a great boat speed and a nice little shift, Hiroshi soon took the lead and sailed away, increasing its lead over Beecom. Both Team Sea Dubai and Team Organika, who had been struggling at the back of the fleet, made superb come-backs and finished respectively third and fifth.

The three leaders of this first race were ranked in the bottom half of the match-race event earlier in the week, proving how tight the fleet is and illustrating the fact that any boat can win any race thanks to the strict one-design characteristic of the RC 44.

The second race saw Larry Ellison’s BMW ORACLE Racing’s come back at the top after a sixth rank in the first race. Sailing fast and at the right place, in a lovely 15 knots breeze, Ellison made the best of the first downwind leg to take the lead over from Team Sea Dubai and Team Aqua. Despite a poor first leg, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano managed to catch up with the leader, finishing in BMW Oracle’s wake. The wind dropped dramatically during the last leg, and Russell Coutts’ perfect positioning allowed his team to save its lead despite the come back of both Hiroshi and Chris Bake’s Team Aqua, who finished third after a solid race.

The wind then dropped completely for a while, before settling in again in a new direction. Peter Reggio was once again wise, having asked the fleet to wait until the wind was well settled to launch the start procedure. The breeze was light but there was still a lot of chop from the earlier breeze, making the helmsmen’s and trimmer’s life difficult. Team Sea Dubai handled those conditions perfectly, taking a good start and going for the favoured right side of the course to take the lead. The team from Dubai International Marine Club sailed away whilst a strong fight took place behind, between Igor Lah’s Ceeref and Team Organika, with Star world champion Mateusz Kusznierewicz calling the shots. The boats finished in this order, Team Sea Dubai benefiting from Hiroshi – Città di Milano’s sixth place to take the overall lead.

The races have been followed by a big crowd, both on and off the water. An impressive public cheered the teams as they arrived at the pontoons. Thousands of people are here to celebrate the Fiera Internazionale della Sardinia, a great cultural event that takes place in Cagliari between April 24 and May 5.

Six more fleet races are scheduled over the next two days. With only eleven points between the top eight boats, the game remains very open.

They said:
Markus Wieser, Team Sea Dubai: "We have improved a lot although we were already quite fast last month in Dubai. We have new spinnakers, so now we can maintain our good position downwind too. We are a new team, and we still have difficulties, but it is easier in light winds. I think that we sailed quite smartly today, we didn’t take risks and we were fast upwind.”

Armando Giulietti, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano: “We had a good day, except for the third race were everybody tacked on us. We have a very good speed. Our trimming is excellent but we have also been working a lot on our sails, with North Sails Italy (Cassinari). We are quite happy with our results, but it is tough. The level is incredible.”

Maciej Nawrocki, Team Organika: "We have a great team and obviously, this helped a lot. Mateusz’s strategy was great and our team work has improved a lot. This was our problem until now, but the coordination is better and we are improving every day. This is also a new game for me, and I still have a lot to learn.”

Vincenzo Onorato, Mascalzone Latino: “This class has all the top sailors, so it is very tough. But we are here for the fun. Our team is almost the same as the one that was sailing in the Farr 40 Worlds last week. I sail with some of these guys since 15 or 20 years… In the future, we will want to improve our lever on RC 44’s. But we will do this step by step. In the Farr 40, it took us a long time too. Of course, now we have won three world championship titles. But we started sailing in this class in 1998. It takes time to get to the top.”

Chris Bake, Team Aqua: "This fleet simply doesn’t allow mistakes. We have a tendency to dig big holes to ourselves and then we spend our time fighting to get out of them. Our starts were good and we got a good result in race two. But it’s tough and it is clear that I don’t get enough steering compared to some of these guys.”

Fleet race, provisional results after three races (no discard):

(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)

1) Sea Dubai, Joki Hellmich, 3, 4, 1 – 8 points
2) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, 1, 2, 6 – 9 points
3) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 6, 1, 5 – 12 points
4) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 7, 6, 2 – 15 points
5) Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 5, 8, 3 – 16 points
6) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros, 4, 5, 8 - 17 points
7) Beecom, Isao Mita, 2, 7, 9 – 18 points
8) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 9, 3, 7 – 19 points
9) Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic, 8, 9, 4 – 21 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, DNS, 10, 10 – 31 points

Sailing aboard Alinghi's Extreme 40 catamaran

Alinghi's media day included a very instructional experience on the water. Not only were we able to watch the team's two Extreme 40 yachts train against each other we were also given the opportunity to hop onboard and witness the races from a privileged position.

The white boat was crewed by Ed Baird, Lorenzo Mazza, Rodney Ardern and Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyzen while on the black one by Murray Jones, Brad Butterworth, Nils Frei and Yves Detrey.

Ed Baird won all 5 of the exhibition match races but of course these results should be taken with a pinch of salt. They did in fact simulate a Deed-of-Gift match, with just one upwind and one downwind leg but the course was set very short, just 1 mile, in order to squeeze as many races as possible for the numerous guests. With such a short distance the two teams tacked and gybed once or twice in each leg, amplifying by much the importance of the start. Of course, one should always keep in mind that Baird is one of the most experienced and successful match-racers in the world, twice claiming the top position on world rankings.

Being aboard one of these catamarans is a thrilling experience, especially if it's driven by somebody like Baird. It makes you wonder why the America's Cup hasn't been held on such yachts earlier. My turn was in the fifth and final race when the breeze had already kicked in but the first two races took place in quite lighter conditions. Still, both yachts sailed much faster than the conventional America's Cup yachts and it's almost certain that they wouldn't have faced last year's problems during the Louis Vuitton Cup when very light winds disrupted the event for many days.

The 33rd America's Cup will not be raced on these small rockets but on huge 90ft trimarans nobody has ever seen before. Will they be as spectacular? What will match racing look like with these monsters when one doesn't even know the number of crew they will have? What will be the rules of the match?

Prestart of the 5th race between Ed Baird and Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

From left, Lorenzo Mazza, Rodney Ardern, Ed Baird and Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyzen counting the final seconds to start of the race against Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

From left, Lorenzo Mazza, Rodney Ardern and Ed Baird aboard Alinghi's white Extreme 40 catamaran, match racing against the black yacht, helmed by Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Ed Baird (left) and Rodney Ardern aboard Alinghi's white Extreme 40 catamaran, match racing against the black yacht, helmed by Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Hoisting the spinnaker. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Last stretch of the 5th and final race and 5th win for Baird. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Murray Jones on the helm of Alinghi's black Extreme 40. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi's two Extreme 40 catamarans sailing in the upwind leg of one of the races. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi's two Extreme 40 catamarans during dialup. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi present sailing & design team in Valencia; announce imminent construction of yacht

Alinghi, the Defender of the 33rd America's Cup held on Thursday a media day in their base in Valencia, presenting their sailing and design teams and giving an update on the status of design and construction of their multihull yacht. Don't hold your breath there wasn't anything spectacular announcement, although we do know now that the start of construction is "imminent".

Design & Construction of multihull yacht
We would have been foolish if we had expected any major revelation during Thursday's presentation even if hearing Brad Butterworth in his opening words say that construction of the new yacht had started in Villeneuve, Switzerland was indeed a surprise. During the day, and depending one who you talked to, the stage of construction varied slightly. Rolf Vrolijk, chief designer, stated that design is in its final stages and construction could start at any moment after the decision is taken. Regardless of the exact degree of construction, it appears that Alinghi is about to start or has just started the construction process.

Obviously, this is the official line and we doubt anyone knows how advanced the construction is, except a small circle of insiders. At this stage, it would be foolish to reveal anything to the adversary. BMW Oracle also sent some days ago three pictures from what they claimed was their boatyard, without showing any specifics or even dating the photos.

The Alinghi design team has been reinforced with a number of experts, the most prominent being Nigel Irens, the British designer with more than 30 years of experience in large multihulls. Although he claimed he was just a "small addition" to Alinghi's existing team, it's certainly no coincidence he designed a 75ft and a 97ft trimaran that smashed the round-the-world records.

Some general lines were given but lips were tight as far as the details were concerned. With the absence of any predetermined design rules or previous examples of similar yachts it is still a wild guess what they will look like. It appears Alinghi's design team, and not only, was trying to convey the message that because of these reasons and the inherent complexity, it is impossible to build such a boat before the end of the year and for that reason it is impossible to hold an America's Cup match before May 2009, the cornerstone of their legal arguments.

Rolf Vrolijk claimed that it takes 3 months just to understand the concept and structure of such a yacht. Its construction takes roughly 9 months, twice as much as an America's Cup from the last edition. These yachts will contain 3 times the amount of carbon fiber in the current conventional boats. Adding 2 months needed for shake down, Alinghi will not be able to race before a year from now. It appears the design and construction of the yacht are trapped in a vicious circle. The design cannot be finalized before the issue of the venue is decided. The venue depends on the date of the race which in turn depends on the outcome of the legal battle.

One thing is certain, designers and boatbuilders are entering uncharted territory where anything goes. It is up to them to try to figure out what they can achieve in the limited time they have and provided the following construction time schedule in order to support their claim.



Wherever the truth lies about the design and construction of such a boat, the costs are staggering. Grant Simmer, general manager of Alinghi, pointed out that the team's total budget for the 32nd America's Cup was 130 million euros and this time, despite building just one yacht, they are still "proportionally similar". In plain English that means 60-70 million euros for a race that might not even last more than 3 days!!

Sailing Team
There might be a number of reasons why one could be critical of Alinghi but the quality of its sailing team is without any doubt not one of them, quite the contrary. Out of the Defender's 27-strong sailing team, 14 were already part of the 31st America's Cup winner and another 12 joined in the lead up to the second victory in the 32nd edition of the event. That leaves us with just two newcomers, John Barnitt and Alain Gautier.

Barnitt, a three-time America's Cup winner, joined Alinghi as sports director while Gautier is a French multihull specialist whose role in the team is described as multihull consultant. When he was asked to explain his job in the team he described it as "to answer questions".

As a result, it's a closely-knit group of top professional sailors that has won two consecutive America's Cups and there isn't any inherent reason why they shouldn't be able to quickly reach a winning level in multihulls as well. According to Gautier there isn't any preparation deficit in the current structure and no need to change a winning team. This is the reason why they just didn't "buy" an already-established multihull team and renamed it Alinghi.

Unlike BMW Oracle, we weren't surprised with any big-name addition to the team and we were greeted by the same familiar faces we have been seeing in the last 3 years but then, BMW Oracle's sailing team was hardly a brilliant success last year. Alinghi's sailing team shrank from 36 members to 27 but that was a result of change of scope, passing from two fully-crewed America's Cup yachts to two small multihulls or a big one.

Sailing Program
There wasn't any surprise either on the nature of the Defender's sailing program for the next months. Alinghi wants to get the maximum of experience and performance in multihulls and that's what they are going to do. First of all, they will obviously be training aboard the two Extreme 40's here in Valencia.

Second, Alinghi has a third Extreme 40 in order to take part in the iShares Cup, the racing circuit organized by the class. This year's iShares Cup will travel to Lugano in Switzerland, Hyères in France, Cowes in the UK, Germany and finally Amsterdam. The season's kickoff will take place in Valencia, with an exhibition regatta, or official training as the organizers call it, on May 16-18.

Third, in parallel to the iShares Cup, Alinghi will also be racing aboard its D35 on lake Geneva.

Finally, according to Gautier, Alinghi will sail onboard FONCIA and train against another 60ft trimaran but this hasn't yet been decided.

Some of the team's sailors will be sailing on monohulls, on an individual basis and this is probably the biggest difference with BMW Oracle. The Americans have entered the RC44 and TP52 racing circuits in full force. In both of these classes, BMW Oracle has its own fully-crewed yacht while a number of additional sailors are onboard other boats.

Alinghi present sailing & design team in Valencia

Sorry for the delay in updates today, but the Defender of the 33rd America's Cup is making a day long presentation in Valencia. Our full report will be online late on Thursday or early morning Friday.

If we could sum up in a few words the day's most essential news, it would be that Alinghi is in the final stages of the design process and construction of the yacht to defend the America's Cup can start any day now. This is of course under the assumption, as the Swiss have always insisted, that the race takes place after May 2009.

From left, Lorenzo Mazza, Rodney Ardern and Ed Baird aboard Alinghi's white Extreme 40 catamaran, match racing against the black yacht, helmed by Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Ed Baird (left) and Rodney Ardern aboard Alinghi's white Extreme 40 catamaran, match racing against the black yacht, helmed by Murray Jones. Valencia, 24 April 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Ben Ainslie, Larry Ellison and James Spithill share the lead after day one of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup

[Source: RC44] Whoever thinks that match racing should be competed on board slow boats should come to Cagliari and watch the ten RC 44’s match-racing in 25 knots of wind, surfing down the waves and yet crossing the arrival line merely separated by a handful of seconds.

This is indeed what happened throughout the day in Cagliari on day one of the RC 44 Cup. The ten boats – and their (mainly) pro skippers – offered an extraordinary show off the coast of Cagliari, sailing no less than 21 matches in the best possible conditions.

Leader of the event after day one, Larry Ellison and his crew onboard BMW ORACLE Racing impressed a lot of people by the quality of their performance in those difficult conditions. They started the day with a win against Cameron Appleton’s Team Aqua, crossing the arrival line eight seconds before their opponent after a very intense match. Even closer, the match between James Spithill’s Team Ceeref and Ben Ainslie, onboard Team Banco Espirito Santo and won by Spithill by 3 seconds! But the closest of all matches took place in the next flight, in a dual between Cro-A-Sail (Morten Henriksen) and BMW ORACLE Racing: one second between the two boats on the finish line and a joyfully celebration for the Croatians.

At the end of the day, three teams share the same number of points in the leader board of the match race event: Team Banco Espirito Santo, BMW ORACLE Racing and Ceeref. However, Larry Ellison’s team is the provisional leader thanks to victories against its direct opponents. A great achievement for the only non-professional helmsman involved today.

Five flights are yet to be sailed and the game remains open. Indeed, Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton) and Cro-A-Sail have both won three matches and are still well in the game.

They said:

Ben Ainslie, Team Banco Espirito Santo: “It was fairly hard for me to adapt to this boat, particularly during the pre-start. Luckily, the team helped me a lot. They are great, and this is definitely a day when the team counts for as much – if not more - as the helmsman. But what a day! It was awesome, and certainly one of the best sailing days I have had for a long time.”

James Spithill, Team Ceeref: “This is simply the best level you can get in match racing, worldwide. You have match race world champions, America’s Cup skippers, world champions of several classes. It’s just very tough. The boats are great, and very fast. Thanks to their speed, there are always great passing opportunities. It’s very exciting.”

Morten Henriksen, Cro-A-Sail: "The highlight of our day is obviously the victory against BMW ORACLE Racing. It was so close we didn't even know who had won. Other than that, we have been a bit lucky as we got two points against competitors who suffered gear failures. But we are happy to be well in the game."

Jes Gram Hansen, Mascalzone Latino: "It's the first time I sail back with Mascalzone Latino since the Cup, so I am really happy although our results weren't good today. For us, it's a new boat, a new team and It was very windy so we suffered. But we had a great time."

Russell Coutts, BMW ORACLE Racing: "This is the first time I was sailing with Larry, so we are very happy it went so well. I have to say: he did a great job. We didn't break anything, we never broached and we sailed well. It was just an awesome day!"

Match-race, provisional results after day one :

(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)

1) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 4/1 - 4 points
2) Team Ceeref, James Spithill, 4/1 - 4 points
3) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Ben Ainslie, 4/1 - 4 points
4) Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton 3/2 - 3 points
5) Cro-A-Sail, Morten Henrikson, 3/2 - 3 points
6) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Sébastien Col 3/2 - 2 points (1 penalty)
7) Team Beecom, Jesper Radich 1/3 – 1 point
8) Mascalzone Latino, Jes Gram Hansen 0/3 – 0 point
9) Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser 0/4 – 0 point
10) Team Organika, Mateusz Kusznierewicz 0/5 – 0 point

Williams, Holmberg, Cian and Hansen off to ‘sensacional’ start of Brasil Sailing Cupnal

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Brilliant sunshine and a steady 10-12 knot easterly breeze gave the perfect start to today’s first day of match race competition in the Brasil Sailing Cup, the year’s first event of the World Match Racing Tour. Ian Williams (GBR) and his Team Pindar are showing their World Champion style, being undefeated among their five other rivals in Group A, while WMRT veteran Magnus Holmberg (SWE) shares the top of the leader board also on three wins.

Among the six teams in Group B, Paolo Cian (ITA) of Team Shosholoza and Bjorn Hansen (SWE) of Alandia Sailing Team emerged undefeated in their two flights of the day. Group B will be first to resume round-robin competition in the morning.

Team Shosholoza's Paolo Cian, leading Group A after the first day of Brasil Sailing Cup. Vittoria, 22 April 2008. Photo copyright Bruno Miani

“We had a good day today but it wasn't all straight forward,” said Holmberg. “We had a tough match against Adam Minoprio, he won the start and led round the first mark, and then we had a luffing duel down the run but couldn't get around him. It was close at the last mark and we just managed to pass him down the run to the finish.” Minoprio (NZL) of Emirates Team New Zealand, BlackMatch Racing is just one of several new and talented teams entering WMRT competition in this event.

Williams, the reigning WMRT leader and World Champion, also had his hands full in his match against young Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and his Mirsky Racing Team. In his match against Mirsky an aggressive pre-start saw Williams penalized early on but with 30 seconds left to the start an infringement by the young Australian resulted in a Red Flag immediate penalty handed to him by the Umpires.

Results:

Group A

Ian Williams, Team Pindar 3-0
Magnus Holmberg, Victory Challenge 3-0
Torvar Mirsky, Mirsky Racing Team 2-1
Adam Minoprio, Emirates Team New Zealand, BlackMatch Racing 1-2
Daniel Glomb, Team Bravissimo 0-3
Juan Grimaldi, Giant Sailing Team 0-3

Group B

Paolo Cian, Team Shosholoza 2-0
Bjorn Hansen, Alandia Sailing Team 2-0
Pierre Antoine Morvan, Equipe de France espoir de match racing 1-1
Mattias Rahm, Stenna Bulk Sailing Team 1-1
Peter Wibroe, Wibroe Sailing Team 0-2
Henrique Haddad, Tag Heuer Sailing Team 0-1

PUMA Ocean Racing's New Boat Moves to Newport Shipyard for Final Touches

[Source: PUMA Ocean Racing] What began at 4am under the darkness of night and a full moon, ended more than two hours later in the morning dawn. Following an arduous 20 mile trip, PUMA Ocean Racing’s new boat for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 made its way from Goetz Custom Boats in Bristol, Rhode Island to the Newport Shipyard in Newport, where it will receive final preparations before going in the water.

“I am just incredibly pleased with the effort that went into the boat design and build process. We started building just over 6 months ago and finished within days of our goal,” said Ken Read, Skipper, PUMA Ocean Racing. “Everyone at Custom Line Yachts, Goetz Custom Boats, our designers at Botin & Carkeek and the engineering firm Gurit have worked incredibly hard to get this boat ready and do what they do best: build what we hope is a very fast boat. Now I am looking forward to the chance to do what we as a team can do best: and that’s go out and sail.”

PUMA Ocean Racing's new boat on its way from Goetz Custom Boats in Bristol, Rhode Island to the Newport Shipyard. Newport, 22 April 2008. Photo copyright Sally Collison / PUMA Ocean Racing

PUMA’s new racing yacht left Goetz Custom Boats at 4:07am Eastern time under the power of a 16-liter VT800 Volvo Truck. What normally takes 25 minutes for passenger cars took more than 2 hours as the wide load and 70-foot boat had to navigate over a closed 2-lane bridge, around streets signs, through narrow turns and over curbs. A dense layer of fog on the historic Mt. Hope Bridge, made for an especially tricky but photo-worthy drive. At 6:25 with the sun slowly rising, PUMA’s new boat arrived at the Newport Shipyard.

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but this is certainly an important milestone for both PUMA Ocean Racing and our new boat,” said Read. PUMA Ocean Racing will reveal the name and look of its boat on May 12th when the yacht will be christened in Boston Harbour at the The Institute of Contemporary Art. PUMAOceanRacing.com, the team’s website, will launch in early May.

PUMA Ocean Racing's new boat on its way from Goetz Custom Boats in Bristol, Rhode Island to the Newport Shipyard. Newport, 22 April 2008. Photo copyright Sally Collison / PUMA Ocean Racing

The modified GP42 Iberdrola-Quebramar takes her maiden sail in Valencia

Quebramar, last year's champion of the up-and-coming GP42 class, is now back on the water in Valencia after having modified their boat during the last couple of months. The team has now been renamed to Iberdrola-Quebramar, its main two sponsors, and officially forms part of the America's Cup challenger Desafío Iberdrola-Quebramar, also renamed to reflect the new reality. In fact, together with the TP52 boat, they will be the team's only racing activity this season, given the standstill in the America's Cup.

The yacht, helmed by Laureano Wizner and crewed entirely by Desafío Iberdrola-Quebramar's sailors, carried the first test session under excellent conditions. The intense low system that was stuck over Eastern Spain has finally dissipated but the strong and constant breeze lingered on until Tuesday.

The Quebramar GP42 Cup promises to provide thrill and excitement this year, with 4 new boats joining the ranks, one from Spain and France each and two from Italy. Don't forget to check the official GP42 website for all the latest news and photos.

The newly-modified GP42 Iberdrola-Quebramar is back on the water. Valencia, 21 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez

The newly-modified GP42 Iberdrola-Quebramar is back on the water. Valencia, 21 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez

The newly-modified GP42 Iberdrola-Quebramar is back on the water. Valencia, 21 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez

The newly-modified GP42 Iberdrola-Quebramar is back on the water. Valencia, 21 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez

BMW ORACLE Racing competes in first regatta of the RC44 2008 season

[Source: BMW Oracle] Cagliari, Italy, 22 April 2008 – BMW ORACLE Racing competes in the team’s first competition of the 2008 season starting tomorrow at the RC 44 Cagliari Cup in Italy. Skipper Russell Coutts and team owner Larry Ellison are sharing afterguard duties in their first regatta together.

“This is Larry’s first time sailing the RC 44s and he is really enjoying it,” said BMW ORACLE Racing skipper Russell Coutts. “On our first day of training yesterday, we saw 25 knots of fresh sea breeze off the Sardinia coast. We had a great time shaking down the boat and tuning up with some practice starts and drop set maneuvers. Larry is looking forward to helming this week in both the match racing against the pro skippers and in the fleet racing events against the other owner/drivers. It’s a competitive fleet here and promises to be great racing.”

The first ever BMW Oracle RC44 boat. Cagliari, 22 April 2008. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle

The RC 44 circuit is part of the team’s overall 2008 sailing program. Other team members on board for this regatta include Dirk de Ridder, Ross Halcrow and Brad Webb.

Six other BMW ORACLE Racing crew members are competing here this week on two other entries. James Spithill has Michele Ivaldi and Joey Newton racing with him on board Igor Lah’s RC 44. Max Sirena, Noel Drennan and Daniel Fong are sailing with Ben Ainslie with owner Patrick de Barros. BMW ORACLE Racing sailing coordinator Julien di Biase joins his teammates on board the de Barros entry.

The regatta starts Wednesday 23 April with two days of match racing followed by three days of fleet racing, concluding on Sunday 27 April.

Larry Ellison will helm the first ever RC44 boat of BMW Oracle while Russell Coutts will be calling tactics. Cagliari, 22 April 2008. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle

Cagliari RC 44 Cup: a gathering of the best amongst the best

[Source: RC44] With recently crowned World Champions Mateusz Kusznierewicz (Star) and Vincenzo Onorato (Farr 40), the second regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2008 promises to be a fantastic sailing event. Indeed, Ben Ainslie, Russell Coutts, James Spithill, Sébastien Col, Larry Ellison, Cameron Appleton and many more will fight hard for the title on board ten strict one design RC 44’s in the superb venue of Cagliari.

Just one day to go until the start of the second event of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2008! The tension is rising on the pontoons of Cagliari. Indeed, this regatta - organised by Yacht Club Cagliari with the support of the City of Cagliari - assembles some of the world’s best sailors on board ten strict one design RC 44’s.

Two of the competitors, Mateusz Kusznierewicz (Team Organika) and Vincenzo Onorato (Mascalzone Latino) have won prestigious world champion titles last week, in the highly competitive Star and Farr 40 Classes. Two fantastic achievements and an extra motivation for the other teams to beat them!

Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano (Armando Giulietti and Sébastien Col), the current leader of the Championship Tour and winner of the first season regatta in Dubai, will lead the charge. Also in Cagliari with great ambition, Chris Bake and Cameron Appleton - winners of last year’s Championship Tour - will be keen to climb on the podium after their fourth place in Dubai last month.

Triple Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie will discover the RC 44 yachts on board Patrick de Barros’s Team Banco Espirito Santo. So will Larry Ellison, helming both the fleet and the match race and sailing for the first time with Russell Coutts on a BMW ORACLE Racing branded RC 44.

The Cagliari Cup will start on Wednesday April 23 with the match racing event. Unbeaten in match racing since two regattas, Team Ceeref (Igor Lah / James Spithill) is the logical favourite of this event. After a full round robin, hopefully completed in two days, the team owners will take the helm for three days of fleet racing; a contest that is probably more open than the match. A long distance race - the DHL Trophy - will allow the fleet to discover the beauties of Cagliari's surroundings. The winner of this race will be awarded with the DHL Trophy, whilst the points of the regatta will be incorporated in the fleet race ranking.

Other teams will look for precious points on the Championship Tour, such as Miroslav Reljanovic’s Cro-A-Sail, dominator of the first RC 44 season in 2006, DIMC’s Team Sea Dubai with Marcus Wieser at the helm, or Isao Mita’s Team Beecom (JAP).

The teams involved:

(Name of team, owner, pro sailor)

Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti / Sébastien Col
Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros / Ben Ainslie
Team Aqua, Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton
Team CEEREF, Igor Lah / James Spithill
Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic / Morten Henrikson
Sea Dubai, DIMC, Markus Wieser
Team Beecom, Isao Mita / Jesper Radich
BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts
Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki / Mateusz Kusznierewicz
Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato / Jes Gram Hansen

Brazil starts 2008 World Match Racing Tour season

[Source: World Match Racing Tour] Anticipation runs high today for tomorrow’s start of the Brasil Sailing Cup in Vitoria, Brazil, the first event of nine of the 2008 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) season. As with all WMRT events, an impressive slate of 12 skippers and their crews representing America’s Cup teams, top-ranked positions on the ISAF Match Race Ranking List, and up-and-coming aspirants who have won qualifying events are all poised for battling each other for their share of WMRT ranking points and a piece of the US$150,000 prize money purse.

“We’re very excited for the start of tomorrow’s racing,” said Justino Sa Machado, Event Director of the Brasil Sailing Cup. “We learned much from having our first event here in Vitoria in last year’s edition in November, so this year’s racing should be even more exciting as we try to bring the action even closer to the spectators on shore.” The venue here is a spectacular amphitheater of a small bay enclosed by a long strand of beach in the pre-start area, with a narrow passage at the bay’s entrance framed by two rocky headlands that protrude into the South Atlantic Ocean.

“This venue has promise to be one of the more spectator-friendly among all our Tour events,” said Craig Mitchell, WMRT Director, “so weather permitting we will work hard with the Principal Race Officer Miguel Allen and his team to bring the action to the thousands who are on the beach here in Vitoria.”

Several veterans of America’s Cup teams are here who want to keep their skills honed while the legal battle continues between Alinghi and Oracle Racing, and two are returning from last year’s contest. These include Paolo Cian (ITA), of Team Shosholoza and Magnus Holmberg (SWE), of Victory Challenge, who finished third and fourth respectively. New to Vitoria is Mattias Rahm (SWE) also of Victory Challenge, and Adam Minoprio (NZL), of Emirates Team New Zealand.

Also returning to Vitoria to begin accumulating the points necessary to hold on to his top-ranked position on the WMRT ranking list is reigning World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) of Team Pindar. Challenging him will be Bjorn Hansen (SWE) and his Alandia Sailing Team, who is ranked 4th on the WMRT ranking list.

But a unique aspect of this first event of the ’08 WMRT season is the number of aspiring new talent who have just within the last year started their climb through the WMRT ranking list or are brand-new to this top level of the game, having won qualifying events to be here. At 22, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) is one of the youngest skippers on the WMRT, but has competed in three events in the last year, including a 7th place finish here in Vitoria and a 5th place at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia last November. Also returning is Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) who finished 9th here last year and is ranked 11th on the ISAF world match race ranking list, and Daniel Glomb (BRA), who is an Olympic veteran and this country’s most active match race skipper today, finished 10th. Peter Wibroe (DEN), who finished 2nd in last year’s Danish Open and is 10th in the ISAF rankings, will be here in Vitoria for the first time.

The field is rounded out by two newcomers who are making their WMRT debuts through their top results in the qualifying event, the Rio de Janeiro State Match Race Championship. Henrique Haddad will not see his 21st birthday until next month, yet he went undefeated in the Rio qualifier, and runner-up was Juan Grimaldi (ARG) of the Tag Heuer Sailing Team, who is ranked 53rd in the ISAF rankings.

“We’ve got a very healthy mix of competitors, and it is great to have our kick-off event here in Brasil,” said WMRT President Scott MacLeod, “as this is an important and growing sailing market in South America. It’s also providing a needed niche of world-class sailing competition in this climate of uncertainty regarding the next America’s Cup.”

Racing starts tomorrow at 1000 BRT (GMT-3H) with the start of single round robin competition among Groups A and B in Stage 1.

Teams
Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza
Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net
Daniel Glomb (BRA) Team Bravissimo
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Peter Wibroe (DEN) Team Wibroe
Pierre Morvan (FRA) Extreme Team Morbihan
Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team

Spectacular conditions in 3rd day of HUBLOT PalmaVela

All classes, except Lateen Sailing, received the benefit of a nice, reliable breeze and blue skies

Y3K holds slim lead over Open Season in the Maxi Wally class

Palma de Majorca, 19 April 2008 – What a difference a day makes. After yesterday’s excessive winds that topped 40 knots in the afternoon, winds calmed down over the Palma de Majorca bay on Saturday and spectacular action was the order of the day.

Under sunny and blue skies, the more than 200 boats enjoyed Palma’s exciting conditions with a reliable southwestern breeze, ranging between 14 and 19 knots. Although it was a definitely simpler day than yesterday, there was still a lingering swell created by the strong winds, putting the boats and their crews to test.

Sunday, closing day of Hublot PalmaVela, promises to be another beautiful, albeit stronger day. The weather forecast calls for a southwestern breeze, starting at 20 knots and topping 25 in the afternoon. All races are scheduled to start at noon local time.

Start of the Maxi Class coastal race in the 3rd day of HUBLOT PalmaVela. Palma, 19 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

Maxi Wallies

The Wallies had another exciting day with two coastal races, the first one 17 miles long and the second one 23 miles. Claus-Peter Offen’s Y3K won the first one while Thomas Bscher’s Open Season prevailed in the second one. “Today’s two races turned out to be almost a match race between the two yachts”, said Nacho Postigo, navigator aboard Y3K.

In the first race Open Season allowed Y3K to gain an initial advantage due to an error in the choice of sails for the first upwind leg. Y3K was then able to hold on to its advantage and win the race. In the second race, Open Season was leading from the start and despite a broken spinnaker in the last downwind approach, Thomas Bscher’s boat crossed the finish line ahead.

For Open Season, HUBLOT PalmaVela is an event they can’t miss. The yacht’s winter home is in Palma and the event provides them with a very valuable first race of the season.

Maxi Racers/Cruisers

Just like the Wallies, the other 7 Maxis sailed two coastal races in the Palma bay. Jesus Turró’s Sercotel Hotels held on to their leadership after scoring a second and a first. Benjamin Brian’s Aegir scored a first and a second respectively but was a distant third due to their disqualification of the first day.

Platu 25

The 18 boats of this one-design class raced for the first day today after yesterday’s excessive winds that kept them ashore. Racing was close and two boats, Vanity Hotels and Turismo de Algarve, are tied on first place with 6 points. According to Spanish match-racing champion Manu Weiler, the first day of Platu 25 sailing was raced under very good but tactically difficult conditions, especially given the fact his team tried new sails in view of the forthcoming Spanish championship. The race committee squeezed in three races and Weiler’s team scored two firsts and a fourth. Weiler will try to be more conservative tomorrow and aim for overall victory.

J-80

The J-80’s as well had their inaugural races as well. Like the Platu 25’s, the race committee fired the starting gun three times. Spanish Olympic medalist Toño Gorostegui is leading the fleet with two bullets and a second place. According to Gorostegui conditions were fantastic on their first day of races but their slim lead means overall victory is not guaranteed.

The Wally Open Season, with America's Cup sailors Jochen Schuemann and Nacho Postigo. Palma, 19 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

The Wally Open Season, with America's Cup sailors Jochen Schuemann and Nacho Postigo at the start of the coastal race. Palma, 19 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

The Wally Tiketitoo during the coastal race. Palma, 19 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AFTER THE 3rd DAY

(Note: Full results are available on www.palmavela.com)

Maxi Wally
1. Y3K, Claus-Peter Offen, 1-1-2 / 4 points
2. Open Seanson, Thomas Bscher, 2-2-1 / 5 points
3. Tiketoo, Mike Donnithorne, 4-3-3 / 10 points

Maxi Racers/Cruisers
1. Sercotel Hotels, F. López/J. Turró, 1-2-1 / 4 points
2. Rani, Jochen Hertzke, 2,3,5 / 10 points
3. Aegir, Benjamin Brian, 8-1-2 / 11 points

Platu 25
1. Vanity Hotels, Manu Weiller, 1-1-4 / 6 points
2. Turismo de Algarve, Hugo Rocha, 2-3-1 / 6 puntos
3. La Revoltosa, Axel Rodger, 3-4-2 / 10 puntos

J-80
1. Cantabria Infinita, Toño Gorostegui, 2-1-1 / 4 points
2. Rolling Stock, Steve Branagh, 3-2-2 / 7 points
3. Fierabras, Diego Colón, 4-6-3 / 13 points

Racing is cancelled in the 2nd day of HUBLOT PalmaVela

The island of Majorca is under siege from the wind, leaving race officers no choice but keep the boats on shore

Tomorrow Saturday all 230 boats from 14 classes will be competing on the waters of the Palma bay

Palma de Majorca, 18 April 2008 – Racing was cancelled across the board in the second day of the HUBLOT PalmaVela regatta due to excessive winds over 30 knots, with gusts reaching 40 knots.

The impressive Maxis gave us a prelude of was to come with their inaugural costal race on Thursday. The strong winds that prevailed over the bay throughout the day provided exciting sailing conditions but unfortunately happiness was due to turn into frustration. The city once again woke up under cloudy and covered skies but winds had not abated as expected. The breeze was already blowing from the southwest at 15 knots in mid morning and kept increasing throughout the day.

HUBLOT PalmaVela’s Principal Race Officer, Gaspar Morey, pointed that they had to cancel all races because wind speeds were constantly over 30 knots and there was no clear indication they would have dropped by the end of the day. According to Gaspar, the forecast for Saturday is that conditions will ameliorate, helping the race committee squeeze in as many races as possible.

The race officers’ intention for tomorrow is to continue the initially scheduled program with the opening race of the Lateen Sail, Disabled Sailing, One-Meter International and Industry Yachting classes.

The schedule for Saturday calls for two windward-leeward races for the One-Design, IRC, RN, Disabled Sailing, Lateen Sail, Vintage & Classic classes. The Maxis will sail two coastal races, while the One-Meter International and Industry Yachting classes have one race scheduled.

The forecast for Saturday is much more optimistic since winds are expected to drop significantly, allowing the race committee to hopefully carry out all races.

Racing is canned in the 2nd day of HUBLOT PalmaVela

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AFTER THE 2nd DAY

Maxi Wally

1. Y3K, Claus-Peter Offen 1 point
2. Open Seanson, Thomas Bscher, 2 points
3. Tiketoo, Mike Donnithorne, 4 points

Maxi Racers/Cruisers

1. Sercotel Hotels, F. López/J. Turró, 1 point
2. Rani, Jochen Hertzke, 2 points
3. Kiboko, J.I. Entrecanales, 3 points
4. Fortuny, Javier Merino, 8 points
5. Prana, Robert Holthuizen, 8 points
6. Aegir, Benjamin Brian, 8 points
7. Lizard, José Manuel Entrecanales, 8 points

Outstanding opening day of the HUBLOT PalmaVela with Y3K and Sercotel leaders

The Maxis sailed a 29.5-mile tough coastal race around the Palma de Majorca bay

The strong south-western breeze started at 15 knots and topped 25

Palma de Majorca, 17 April 2008.- The 5th edition of HUBLOT PalmaVela got underway in style today, under outstanding conditions, with wind speeds starting at 15-16 knots and topping 25 early in the afternoon. Despite the initial fears for a difficult day, Palma de Majorca’s famous conditions came right on time and the starting gun was fired at noon, sending the 9 impressive maxis to an exciting race.

The bay of Palma woke up under covered and cloudy skies with a grim weather forecast, calling for light and shifty winds and a 50% chance of rain. Instead of that, the 9 crews enjoyed a constant southwesterly and waves of around 1 meter, putting them and their yachts to test. After an initial mark 2.5 miles from the starting line, the 9 yachts sailed twice around the small island of Sec and the buoys set up thorughout the Palma bay.

Open Season, second in the Maxi Wally class. Palma, 17 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

The German Y3K, owned by Claus-Peter Offen and with America’s Cup sailor Karol Jablonski aboard was the leader in the Maxi Wally class. They kept a constant advantage over their two competitors, Thomas Bscher’s “Open Season” and Mike Donnithore’s “Tiketitoo”. Both Y3K and Open Season boasted scores of America’s Cup sailors onboard and that obviously constituted the recipe for a close and exciting race. Four-time Olympic gold-medallist and two-time America’s Cup winner, Jochen Schuemann, was Open Season’s thinking head. Halfway through the race, Tiketitoo had to abandon.

In the Maxi Racer/Cruiser class, “Aegir” and “Lizard” crossed the finish line ahead of the rest of the fleet but were later disqualified as they mistakenly rounded the wrong mark.

Quotes

Karol Jablonski (Y3K): “It was a very exciting day with strong breeze and a very competitive race course. It was hard to go around it and the crew did a great job. At one stage we had 28-29 knots at the top of the mast. It was a tough day and we feel very tired. We damaged one of the gennakers under these strong conditions.

I also helmed the boat because for the owner, a 100 footer under such strong winds and big waves is very difficult to helm. We were even forced at one point to have two men steering the two wheels since the pressure on the rudder was very powerful, especially when we were going downwind at 22 knots. We had to hoist 3 different gennakers, from the biggest to the smallest one, as the breeze was getting stronger. Crew work was excellent.

Y3K, leader of the Maxi Wally class, with Karol Jablonski aboard. Palma, 17 April 2008. Photo copyright Nico Martinez / HUBLOT PalmaVela

In such a strong breeze, tactics are important but you also need to have remarkable crew work. Just a small mistake can cause you to lose lots of minutes and as I always say all the components must perfectly work together. We won by 1:30 minutes against Open Season and that’s probably because we made one mistake less.

Compared to the current America’s Cup yachts these are true monsters but they provide very good training and preparation. If you sail these yachts then the America’s Cup boats feel like dinghies and as a result you can push them more. You can feel they are faster and smaller. These ones are much bigger and definitely harder. Don’t forget that our biggest gennaker measures 1,000 square meters and hoisting it when you are going at 20 knots is an uphill battle.

I prefer sailing on big boats because you get a feeling of the waves, the wind and the boat. I love sailing these big yachts and today we proved to be very competitive. I’m happy with what we achieved and tomorrow will be another tough day.

The HUBLOT PalmaVela is a fantastic regatta. Not often do you have the opportunity to race under such exciting conditions. Not only was the breeze strong and constant, the race committee did an excellent job in setting up a superb race course. It gave us the chance to train and test ourselves and the boat”.

PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AFTER 1st DAY

Maxi Wally

1. Y3K, Claus-Peter Offen 1 point
2. Open Season, Thomas Bscher, 2 points
3. Tiketoo, Mike Donnithorne, 4 points

Maxi Racer/Cruiser

1. Sercotel Hotels, F. López/J. Turró, 1 point
2. Rani, Jochen Hertzke, 2 points
3. Kiboko, J.I. Entrecanales, 3 points
4. Fortuny, Javier Merino, 8 points
5. Lizard, José Manuel Entrecanales, 8 points
6. Aegir, Benjamin Brian, 8 points
7. Prana, Robert Holthuizen, 8 points