33rd America's Cup - Day 4: Strong breeze
Update 4pm The northwesterly breeze keeps blowing unabated while the waves are now topping 2 meters a few miles ofshore. As a result, even Mascalzone Latino AUDI Team cancelled their scheduled training session.
There are waves even in the darsena. Mascalzone Latino AUDI Team cancelled their training session. Valencia, 11 February 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing
Alinghi's shore crew changing the foils. Valencia, 11 February 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingGood morning from windy Valencia. Fortunately, today is an off day, otherwise we would have to spend the morning and afternoon ashore waiting for the breeze to come down so that the two giant multihulls can race. We are currently having a strong northwesterly, between 20 and 25 knots and some wave but not as pronounced as yesterday.
In fact, both Alinghi 5 and USA are docked in front of their respective bases and to the best of our knowledge no training will take place today. The current update for Friday morning is quite tricky. The northwesterly breeze will decrease in strength during the morning and then gradually shift to an esterly sea breeze, starting at midday. That process might result in a period of several hours with very light and shifty winds and, eventually, more delays.
Yet, while the top-notch giant multihulls are docked, the "old and boring" ACC yachts are back in action in Valencia. In fact, Mascalzone Latino AUDI Team, skippered by Gavin Brady, have their ITA-99 yacht already on the water and plan to train today with dockout scheduled at 1pm. We will have all the information on that later on.
The Valencia waters on Thursday morning. Valencia, 11 February 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia SailingLabels: 33rd America's Cup, Valencia
20 Comments:
Interesting to see which are the blogs supporting Alinghi and BOR
If there is no race tomorrow, this 33rd AC will be seriously compromised. The Deed of Gift says nothing about wind or wave limits, or having to set a "fair" course. It is a totally open format race. The RC should set up a course, to the best of their ability and start this thing at 10:06 am, regardless of the conditions. If it is too light they will finish at night (so what?). If it is too strong they will either brake or retire. Their fate or choice. This is the way sailing is. I have broken many times and other times I watched others brake. Crews are grown-ups and know exactly what sort of risks they are taking. If they are not happy with it, find a replacement and stay ashore. For me it is unacceptable to cancel racing on grounds of too little or too much. Get your act together and go racing. We are sick and tired of this.
so far, it's been "Valencia NOT Sailing"
2;26
The AC was compromised the day GGYC launced their legal attack. At least now the teams are ready to sail so why dont we all let them and the PRO get on with it.
Everyone knew that Valencia was going to be difficult in February particularly with these large courses but we all know why we got where we are. I'm pretty sure everyone is sick and tired of the 33rd AC for lots of reasons.
Let's face facts 2 $$$$$$zillion dollar (yachts) and I use the term lightly, stuck at their berths. A: because one butt head refused to sail in favored waters.
B: because both butt heads built go fast machines, so delicate that they can only sail in breezes above 5 and below 6, without any chop or large swell, or running seas.
With age beauty fades-Stupid never does!
If they get these 2 races done by June It'l be a miracle. I know I said 2, because one of the boats is gonna break beyond repair.
Signed: R. U. Kidding
As a sailor for 30 years I have to write this: The emperor has no clothes......so,
Good going, competitors. Yet another cancellation. True sailors buy and sail boats that can manage most any condition on the water. Fair weather sailors rarely sail which is defintely the case with the 33rd America's Cup competition. Note to these so called sailors: Go back to the monohull keel design formula and forget building boats that can hotdog/hotrod but can't be sailed even under normal conditions. You're a disgrace to the sport.
It's time to race children!
So you did not build a seaworthy craft for a 20 mile open ocean course - then its time forfeit the cup or reef down and go race.
The is a DOG match and the deed does not say anything about wave and wind limits.
The PRO needs to grow a pair and send them out. Agree 100% with the comments above re seaworthy boats and crews.
You guys are all right; this is becoming very unattractive and I suggest zero coverage to this BS and let the owners and destroyers realize how boring they are, and have been for the past months. "Disgrace to the sport" -absolutely-
I bet the folk from Mascalzone would go out today if they were racing for the America's Cup.
4:15 PM "The AC was compromised the day GGYC launced their legal attack."
I don't disagree with you on this, but from some time we thought this could be an interesting regatta, after all. High end, super fast, huge boats match racing would be an incredible thing to watch. Even Seahorse Magazine, sometime last year, wrote "Could this turn out to be the most exciting Cup ever?" (or something along those lines) when analyzing the boats. Now, after all the wait, after all the legal actions it is time to go out and sail. RC is canceling races based on an inexistent rule. There is nothing about the course having to be fair or wind and waves limits. RC is baby sitting these guys and making a mockery of sailing. If one of them (or both) breaks, so be it. If they drag themselves in no wind until dark, be it too. Make sure they take sufficient food and water. What we don't want is another cancellation based on an inexistent rule.
Bring out the old AC boats and get racing. Because these 2 teams are having issues and depriving all the other teams, i say screw the 2 rich guys. Let them get on with it. Get all the other teams together and start a new AC Cup.
Very scary looking waves!!!!
Panda de marineros de agua dulce....
Lake sailors de pacotilla!!!
6:10 PM
Have you forgotten that previous AC had wind limits?
And were you really that excited about those boats hardly reaching 10 kts?
Catamarans are so elegant, so fast, so much more fun than those old AC boats... Let's not be confused, even big events (i.e Vandee globe) have to set limits for the start, because sending a boat out to COMPETE knowing that it will break apart is not what we want to see either, but I fully agree, the RC should not invent rules that are not part of the DOG. A fair race? I do not agree Some stable winds? I do not agree A safe race ABSOLUTELY... but to set the limits, it should have been established before the start of the race, period.
What options the RC has under the given circumstances? The boats are as they are and if one breaks or capsizes it is not unlikely that badly injured or dead sailors are the result. It a matter of liability of the RC and the PRO too.
Yes 10 knots is better then 0 knots. At least there was racing and the vibe was great. At the moment this AC cup SUCKS big time.
Wet Hog:
Are you in VLC??? I think not, and as such, (as usual) your opinion means squat!!! I nearly got blown sideways off my bike today when I got out of the protective lee of a building and a massive gust nearly sent me sprawling. No boats could have gone out today, sailing for the America's Cup or not, so until you have something worthwhile to say just STFU, or go spread your cancer and negativity at SA where you fit right in!
06:33 PM
The previous AC had wind limits, established by mutual consent and they were quite reasonable. For example, they would have raced on Wednesday. This AC has no limits because there was never a mutual consent, so this is the way it should be raced. Both teams knew that they could have to race with strong winds and they should have prepared for it. So why is the RC canceling the races. Based on what? Certainly not the rules, because there aren't any regarding wind limits. Liability? I don't think so. Every participant has to sign a waiver before they race. They are big boys and know exactly what they are doing. So what is it? How does the RC decide that? Let's speak frankly? Everybody knows that Alinghi wanted wind and wave limits. Everybody knows that the International Jury threw these limits out of the window. Everybody knows that the Race Committee is been paid by Alinghi and what we are seeing is that they (the RC) is applying non-existng wind limits to cancel races. I think this is a totally arbitrary, groundless, illegal decision. I think Mr. Bennet is walking on a very thin ice and risking a flawless reputation. Don't give me this "safety first" talk. I have started races in 40 knots of wind and no one complained. Mr. Bennet has started races in 25 knots in previous AC. So isn't he doing this now? I have nothing against giant, fragile catamarans. If you want to do a competition using boats like this, with very strict wind and waves limits, do it. It will be fun. But this competition here is the Americas Cup and it was made to be sailed in any weather conditions and what is happening here is smelling very bad.
@7:27 PM
You almost got blown of your bike huh? Sounds like you need some training wheels.
What difference does it make if I am in VLC or not. This is the America's Cup, unless there is a typhoon off shore they should race. Do the VOR guys ask to stop the race and head for shore if a storm pops up in the Southern Ocean? Nope.
to the 4:15pm anon -
"The AC was compromised the day GGYC launced their legal attack". WRONG.
The AC was compromised the day SNG/Alinghi/Bertarelli accepted the CNEV sham challenge and issued the biased protocol.
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