Ask Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts your questions
Update 11:30am Valencia Time: Just in case there was any doubt, I want to make clear that the inclusion of BMW Oracle's embedded online channel doesn't imply any preference, affiliation, liking or inclination towards the Challenger. If Alinghi had a similar channel, the screen would have been split in two.
Update 11am Valencia Time: As you can obviously see at the top of this website, Valencia Sailing will be streaming LIVE today's press conference. Fortunately, there is no need for me to try streaming with a small webcam, the Challenger of the 33rd America's Cup will do it, high-tech style.
In fact, BMW Oracle will be producing unprecedented online coverage. Read here the team's press release on the 21st-century coverage they will be providing. It's funny though when I remember in 2006 asking the teams for video footage of their training sessions in Valencia in order to post it on Valencia Sailing's YouTube channel. A couple of them sent me draft contracts (!!!) with some absurd conditions that could have made it easier to buy a kilo of plutonium in Baghdad's black market than broadcast 5 minutes of ACC yachts sailing.
Don't forget!! The press conference starts at 7:30pm, Valencia Time.
With the 1st race of the 33rd America's Cup a couple of days away, both teams are holding on Friday their big press conference. Alinghi hasn't made public who will attend but on the other hand, BMW Oracle's lineup couldn't get any better. Larry Ellison, founder and owner of the team, Russell Coutts and James Spithill will meet the press and without any doubt this will be the most interesting and anticipated conference the challenger has held in Valencia during the last 2-3 years. If I'm not mistaken, the last time Ellison and Coutts met the press in the BMW Oracle base was on July 24th, 2007 when the American software tycoon announced Coutts had signed as the team's new CEO and skipper.
As I have always done in the last few months, you are welcome to comment here and ask any question you might have for BMW Oracle's top brass. As for myself, I have two questions I will try to ask Larry Ellison, if of course I get the chance. First, if he will appeal in case he loses the court case concerning Alinghi's sails and secondly whether he will host the 34th America's Cup in Valencia, if of course BMW Oracle wins the 33rd edition of the event. There is no point in posting insulting comments, I will reject them. Now that my technical problems with live reporting have been solved, I will try to stream Larry Ellison's press conference, if I'm allowed.
As far as sailing is concerned, it is almost guaranteed there won't be any on Friday. The forecast calls for very strong winds, 25-30 knots, forcing both teams to take their yachts off the water and the race committee to call off the scheduled practice race. If conditions are favorable on Saturday, we might get to see the final official training session before racing starts on Monday.
Labels: 33rd America's Cup, Alinghi, BMW Oracle, Valencia
45 Comments:
What is the maximum sustainable efficiency of USA?
Re: boat speed/true wind speed
I have a question if you are able to ask- If BMW/Oracle wins this Americas Cup, does the syndicate believe they should sit down with all other challengers and interested parties to reorganise the future of the Americas Cup, to ensure that this kind of sportsmanship, or lack of, never occurs again as well as deciding on a new or return to old class of ACC yacht?.
Marc Antoinette
Fremantle, Western Australia
Any reason for the "drafted" agreement papers signed by BOR in Singapore not to be made public?
if there is no legal commitment to keep it secret I would like to know more about it.
Is LE and BOR ready to accept a group of challengers as "COR", not technically rather from an organizational point of view. One will be the COR, but collectively discuss the future of the event.
Thank you Pierre.
Is Your photographer, Gilles Martin-Raget, making USA-17, faster & more beautiful each & every day?
Basically the photos are stunning, we hope you'll let us download them again when you've won the cup!?
If you win the Cup, will you choose Valencia as the venue for the 34th America's Cup?
maybe the more common question..
Do you prefer this monster battle or a race with box rule boats?
wich are "the good and the bad" of this kind of race or a box rule formula?
what is the upwind vmg and the downwind vmg ?
To follow on from Marc, will you sit down with all challengers and amend the DOG to prevent another DOG challenge?
The damage the DOG challenge did to the AC and the sport of sailing in '88 is imeasurable, as it is today.
Nobody wants another DOG challenge.
Lets get back to close racing in a tight design rule.
If USA wins on the water next week, will the court case later this month be dropped?
If USA wins, will GGYC try and defend the Cup in her home waters near San Fransisco?
Have BOR entered into any preliminary discussions with any potential COR?
Bertarelli said that if they loose they won't go to the court to try to win because this is a sport. You would do a big favor to the sailing community if you say the same now. Why not? Will you really feel good winning in the court?
Bertarelli words:
http://www.levante-emv.com/deportes/2010/02/03/bertarelli-imposible-pensar--nautico-espanol-existia/675378.html
Will you be on board? In what role?
Pierre!
I appreciate your work! you are doing a realy great job!
Hi, in the webcam I can't see Alinghi 5 in her base now ¿Can you confirm if she is sailing? Winds are really strong now.
http://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/webcam/valencia-terra-i-mar-valencia-valencia-puerto-0
http://www.tdg.ch/actu/sports/ernesto-bertarelli-deteste-vagues-2010-02-05
Mr. Ellison, what do you mean by 'fair rules': american rules; trditional rules; the-way-we-want-it-rules??? Could you sleep well, if you'd win the cup in court?
Larry - you appear to have spent very little time on the boat - will you be racing on board or just spectating?
I noticed that around the time the first wing sail was added, some other changes were made, such as:
*Rudder on middle hull removed
*Foil (?sorry I am not a sailor) on middle hull removed
*Some white material (not sure what) covering rear cross beam added, removed, added again and removed again
Just curious as to why these were done. I guess it's to make the boat go faster, but I would have thought they had tremendous advantages as well?
What sort of cake was the one that SNG gave you guys?
And how was it delivered? Did someone from SNG just walk on over to your base and hand it over?
@8:57
Glug, I want another DOG Challenge; with muzzles.
@ 9:15 AM anon
Doesn't come as a surprise to me if the team that is using non Deed compliant sails (cheaters) won't go to court if they lost the AC...
do you have a good cake recipe that you can recommend ?
Is your main sponsor BMW satisfied with your campaign. How does it work for them how is the relationshipbetween these two "teams"
@Anonymous: According to your opinion the whole American Cup is a cheat from the very first race, because in fact *almost everyone* was using foreign-made sails.^^
Estimado Larry:
Si perdes esta 33 edicion en tu tercera participacion de la AC te retiras definitivamente en el intento de ganar la AC o sigues en la 34 ?
P.D.: A recordar que Sir Thomas Lipton perdio 5 veces durante 30 años con los Shamrock.
Is Mr Ellison prepeared that in the bad event of a defeat he has to challenge EB again?
Off course all the best for BOR
Nils
Netherlands
¿Es posible que el publico en Valencia pueda ver el barco de BMOR dentro de la Darsena antes o despues de la competicion?.
Solo lo hemos visto en fotos,video en la web,pero nunca de cerca!
What's his feeling about the quantity of litigation with regards to this challenge and what is his feeling going forward with regard to off-water battles?
i.e. does he think that many issues have been finally put to bed or does he feel like precendents are being set to continually seek redress with one or several bodies
basically are things more clear or less clear (in his opinion)
If BMWOR win will they compete in the Challenger selection series for the 34th AC as this was one of the teams main objetions to the format Alinghi developed with the majority of challengers for the 33rd AC?
Is it possible to explain why did you rename youre RC44 to "Dealbreaker"?
Has this anything to do with EB?
Are you prepared to signed a contract with the city of Valencia to run AC34 and if not why not before the end of AC 33. As you keep talking about Valenica as the only real place to hold AC 34 in 2011.... Sign now.....if you dont win then they can rip it up....
BORAMA Link : http://www.vplp.fr/flash/index_vplp-3.html
Is it true you used a French recipe for your cake?
Is it true you used a French recipe for your cake?
Will the lawer give the answer after 25 of Feb?
Will you be selling USA 17 after these two or three races? What is the asking price?
Cant believe you are blatantly an Oracle supporter now - the live stream is available from their web site - it is not necessary for you to put this in the face of everybody including Alinghi supporters Sorry I no longer visit your page
Ruedi,
But it was with MUTUAL CONSENT, How difficult is that to understand?
Goodmorning Vietnam!! Just opted out of the BMWOR conference as the last few minutes are so orcherstrated it's totally unbelievable. Sailing Anarchy, Cam, Tom, planting the wing issue, the measurer etc. This is America and Coutts at it's worst, Sailors really need these guys to lose.
A big fan of the US.
Just saw a part of the BOR Press Conference; its funny how normal these guys look after all the trash that they seem to have thrown around (against A5) and how they spoiled the Cup. Still have to see the Alinghi one too...
Same can be said from Alinghi I guess
Just go out Sail this Thing guy's (and forget about CIC issue, it's IRRELEVANT in sailing terms)
Wow, sure can find all the Alinghi whinners here. Bad enough that you don't know what's going on here and that most of the people asking the questions know whats going on.
Alinghi supporter have yet to deal with any facts about the legal or Basic Principle of sailing. But another chance ---
How does EB justify the Trustee banning RC from the Owners press conference and another press conference? As a fan how do you feel about that? Do you understand that LE is now refusing to attend & that goes for anyone from BOR & GGYC. This is just like Alinghi not hosting ETNZ in the final press conference in 2007. Talk about trashing tradition and being a spoilt sportsman, it's really sad.
Pierre, please ask EB why they have banned RC from the joint team pressers? The world wants to know.
Great work Pierre.
@ 11:46 PM
"forget about CIC issue, it's IRRELEVANT in sailing terms"
sorry buddy, but rules ARE relevant in sailing
Larry on the boat? No because of weight limits ! Russell on the boat ? Not decided yet ? Go back to court for CIC ? No answer, fully focussed on race ! 34th Cup in Valencia ? No answer, fully focussed on race ? A very informative Press Conference indeed. lol ... No real value conference. And it's a shame, that Larry does not attend the Owners (not CEO) press conference today, according to his statement. That's very bad manners and no sportsmanship !!
However, the Internet live stream, including audio, was just perfect ! Congratulations ! (And Tom Ehman should loose some weight ... Hope the running around with the mike helped !)
Well, weather we like it or not - this is "The Americas Cup"!
This is what´s it about. One guy (yacht club) challenges the current trustee, who then has to reply (defend or forfeit).
Take a look further back to the beginning of the 1900th when the really big boats fought if of. Always one challenger against one defender. Nothing else.
It was never about LVC, or any challenger series. That part evolved a lot later by commercial interest and by the growing interest in AC in general. Simply put - more sailors(clubs/sponsors where interested in challenging and more clubs/sailors where allowed to participate.
Personally I like that, the challenger series, and the way the whole event has grown around the concept. But please, do not "trash" this event. Something good will eventually/hopefully come out of it. At least I hope so.
Litigations = boring, I totally agree. We have had enough of them by now. But again; please... LE has thrown in a lot of complaints to the NY Supreme Court, yes.
And EB has given him every reason to do so by submitting a number of quite ridiculous rules/statement in an attempt to control the event and make it more one-sided.
Sure enough, DOG allows him to do that, those are the rules. But, as NYSC has stated several times, only within certain limits.
Remenber, DOG still talks about fair play / fair rules, even though the defender do have some leverage, and even if "mutual consent" is impossible to reach.
I´m looking forward to seeing these boats race against each other and to the next event that will most certainly follow.
Hopefully it will be an event based on the "mutually consent" clause.
Wish you all good sailing.
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