Mascalzone Latino launches 1st boat for LV Series

One month exactly separates us from the start of the newly-created Louis Vuitton World Series and the Mascalzone Latino shore crew launched earlier today in Valencia the first of the Italian team's yacht that will be used in the circuit's opening event in Nice, and probably in all other Mediterranean venues. The two Italian boats being so similar we don't know whether it was ITA-90 or ITA-99.

Mascalzone Latino shore crew preparing one of the team's ACC yachts. The second one is still in the shed. Valencia, 30 September 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mascalzone Latino shore crew preparing one of the team's ACC yachts. The second one is still in the shed. Valencia, 30 September 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mascalzone Latino shore crew launch the first yacht for the LV World Series. Valencia, 30 September 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

As for the other pair of boats that will be raced in Nice, both Bruno Troublé and Grant Dalton had stated in the Paris presentation on the 8th of September that an agreement had been reached with Desafío in order to use the Spanish team's yachts, ESP-88 and ESP-97. Yet according to an article by The Independent's Stuart Alexander it seems that that agreement didn't materialize and as a result, Team Origin and BMW Oracle will provide their yachts, GBR-75 and USA-76, respectively. Both of them are 2003 yachts, updated to Version 5. The former is the ex SUI-75, Alinghi's trial yacht in the 31st America's Cup in Auckland, that also raced in the 2006 Louis Vuitton Acts in Valencia.

This must explain the recent activity in the BMW Oracle base and the arrival of various trucks yesterday noon, one of them with an ACC bulb, probably of the British yacht. I'm not sure whether the hull of GBR-75 is already in Valencia. We'll have more updates tomorrow.

The BMW Oracle base with obvious signs of activity. Valencia, 30 September 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin's GBR-75 sails for the first time. Valencia, 14 July 2007. Photo copyright Nico Martinez.