Mirsky Racing Team cruise into semifinals of Open de España

With fickle winds MRT hit the water this morning with 3 races remaining in the round robin. They dominated the prestart to win the first two races.

The third race of the day saw MRT face Frenchman Damien Iehl. MRT lost the prestart but attacked up the first windward leg to force a penalty on Iehl at the top mark. MRT remained on the Frenchman’s tail all around the course until Iehl luffed MRT around the finish mark, rather than sailing directly to the finish as required. An unorthodox call saw MRT awarded a penalty and the match was given to Iehl.

After the race with Iehl, MRT was placed 2nd in the round robin, meaning they would face Michele Perris of Monaco in the quarter final.

MRT regained their composure and went to defeat Perris 3-0 to advance to the semi final.

Tomorrow MRT will race the semi final against an opponent still to be decided.



Results:
MRT Torvar Mirsky def Michele Perris 3-0
Damien Iehl def. Ian Ainslie 3-1
PA Morvan def. Manu Weiller 3-1
Bjorn Hansen def. Peter Wibroe 3-1
9th Mads Ebler
10th Alvaro Marinho
11th William Tiller
12th Eugeny Neugodnikov

The day's only glitch for Torvar Mirsky and his team. Damien Iehl gets them a penalty a few meters before the finish line of the last race of the round robins. Calpe, 30 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Video: Ken Read, Puma skipper, talks to Valencia Sailing

Ken Read, PUMA skipper, talks about the newly-announced crew and designer of Puma Ocean Racing, moments before boarding "Il Mostro" on the way to Newport, RI. Alicante, 29 April 2010. Video copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Unprecedented TV coverage for the 2010 AUDI Medcup

[Source: AUDI Medcup] Year-on-year, season-by-season the Audi MedCup Circuit, through regular investment in cutting edge technology and innovation continues to improve access to the exciting action from each of the season's regattas. In 2010, www.medcup.org will stream a daily 4 hours programme with live action from the battle field. The first Aui MedCup TV programme, to start on May the 12th.

The Circuit has been very successful to date in attracting a worldwide following. For the remote viewer, the investment in recent years has produced incremental improvements, first in 2006 with live mark by mark ticker text updates, then in 2008 and 2009 live, from the race course, audio commentary to support Virtual Eye real time tracking all setting new and consistently high standards.

Throughout the imminent 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit the live action images from the race tracks will be streamed direct to internet viewers, as part of 4 hours of daily programming, including dockside interviews, pre and post race analysis on www.medcup.org, through SailTV which will also stream to the most watched websites worldwide.


The live TV production is an extension of the established excellent output from Sunset+Vine|APP, who have created and distributed some of the most evocative, entertaining and informative TV packages for the Audi MedCup over the last three years.

Live action will be beamed from the stabilised camera on the TV catamaran which has unrivalled access to the fleets with continuous commentary in two languages and expert comment. There will wilso be specialised camera operators filming from on board the racing yachts in the thick of the action and from the air. The action will be mixed at the venue broadcast centre, cut with supporting Virtual Eye 3-D animation and tracking, including a replay facility and broadcast live.

To ensure a high level of interest is maintained, there will be regular short interviews and information, with highlights packages utilised when there are natural breaks in the racing.

"We are looking to really be able to drill into what is going on on the race course and highlight and explain in simple terms what is happening and why, what is interesting about each race." Explains Andrew Preece, Sunset+Vine|APP Audi MedCup executive television producer, "It will be essentially a sporting programme, but we aim to unravel the action, so that the action become more easily understood and accessible to a new sailing audience."

"We are excited about the Audi MedCup TV package. There is certainly already an established audience, but a lot of how the audience develops and grows will be about people getting used to and trusting the technology. And of course as more sailing becomes available on the internet, so the audience is growing all." Says SailTV's CEO Mark David, who says he is confident the audience for the Circuit will develop over time to 'six figures'.

All this programming will be streamed live both on www.medcup.org and on the Public Village giant screen, for the visitors to follow the action as it happens.

The Portugal Trophy, Cascais (May, 11-16) will be the first event running this new, ambitious and exciting feature. The first Audi MedCup TV programme will start at 1250 CET on May the 12th.

Puma Ocean Racing announces crew

[Source: Puma Ocean Racing] Today Ken Read, skipper of PUMA Ocean Racing, announced his core crew and management team for the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. The team departs Alicante, Spain today to bring il mostro, PUMA Ocean Racing’s boat that secured a 2nd place finish in the last Volvo Ocean Race, back to Newport, Rhode Island where the team will immediately start training for the next race. il mostro will serve as the team’s training boat until a new boat, which will compete in the 2011-12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, is completed.

PUMA has named Juan Yacht Design, of Valencia, Spain as the lead boat designer of the new PUMA Ocean Racing yacht. Juan Kouyoumdjian’s designs have a perfect record in the VOR since the inception of the Volvo Open 70 Rule. They are credited with designing the 2006 VOR winner, ABN AMRO 1 and the 2009 VOR winner, Ericsson 4.

“The decision to go with Juan to design PUMA’s new boat was a major step forward for the program, and set in motion a number of key hires that have formed the nucleus of the team,” said Skipper Ken Read.

Two new key members of the team include multiple Volvo Ocean Race winners, Brad Jackson and Tony Mutter. Each sailor was integral to the winning teams in both the 2006 and 2009 races. Jackson is a three-time winner of the VOR and will serve as design coordinator for PUMA Ocean Racing, mixing the sailing team’s input with Juan Kouyoumdjian’s creative and technical expertise. Mutter is a two-time VOR winner and will run the aero program, working closely with Steve Calder of North Sails and mast designer, Scott Ferguson. While sailing, Tony and Brad will also serve as watch captains. Returning from PUMA’s 2009 campaign is bowman and systems manager Casey Smith. “When the boat breaks offshore Casey has to fix it, so having him be part of design process with the build team early on will save us a lot with durability down the road,” explained Read. Rob Greenhalgh also rejoins the PUMA crew after being a late but welcomed addition in the last race. Returning shore-team members include: Kimo Worthington, General Manager, and Tim Hacket, who will serve as the Shore Team Manager.

New sailing team members include navigator Tom Addis (Telefonica Blue co-navigator), Jono Swain (Telefonica Blue watch captain) and Andrew Lewis (Rambler trimmer and ABN AMRO 2 tactician). “The decisions we make now are the ones that will create success in this race, and having this team of veterans involved early certainly increases our chances to make proper decisions,” said Read of the team assembled so far. “Not only do we have a team that can sail a boat fast, but we have a team that understands what it takes to compete in a race like the Volvo. Great attitudes, great skills, which hopefully increases our chances for success.”

Cumulatively, the management and sailing team for PUMA Ocean Racing shares a level of success difficult to match with 20 Volvo Ocean Race entries and 14 America’s Cup editions. Collectively, the core team holds eight 24-hour mono hull speed records.The Volvo Ocean Race begins October 2011 in Alicante, Spain and ends in Galway, Ireland in June 2012. The eight stopovers in between include: Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya (China), Auckland, Itajaí (Brazil), Miami, Lisbon and Lorient (France). PUMA continues to produce and expand their line of sailing performance gear and remains the first Sportlifestyle company to participate in a venture of this kind. PUMA will also be the official supplier of all Volvo Ocean Race merchandise.

Puma's "Il Mostro" starts her journey to Newport, RI. Alicante, 29 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Puma Ocean Racing Sailing Team:

Ken Read, 48 (Rhode Island, United States)
Skipper
Considered to be one of the world’s most accomplished racers, Read was in charge of PUMA Ocean Racing and at the helm of PUMA’s il mostro throughout the entire Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. The U.S.-born Read has twice helmed America’s Cup programs in 2000 and 2003 and was named “United States Rolex Yachtsman of the Year” twice and has 46 World, North American and National Championships to his credit.

Tom Addis, 40 (Sydney, Australia)
Navigator
Addis, a trained meteorologist, joins PUMA as a navigator after sailing with Telefonica Blue during the Volvo, taking two leg wins. Tom has sailed thousands of offshore miles onboard Maxi Alfa Romero, winning both Sydney-Hobart and Transpac races. Addis also sailed with America’s Cup Team New Zealand in 2007.

Rob Greenhalgh, 32 (Hamble, United Kingdom)
Helmsman & Trimmer
2009 18’ Skiff World Champion, Greenhalgh is back with PUMA after joining the crew during the 08/09 race. Greenhalgh was a vital part of PUMA’s last campaign and served as tactician for Ken Read during in port racing and watch captain offshore. Rob has sailed two previous Volvo Ocean Races and was part of the crew, along with Tony Mutter and Brad Jackson, who won the race with ABN AMRO 1 during the 05/06 edition of the race.

Brad Jackson: 42 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Design Coordinator & Watch Captain
Named New Zealand Sailor of the Year in 2009, Jackson has sailed the Volvo Ocean Race five times, numerous Sydney-Hobarts, Fastnets and Trans-Atlantics. Jackson was a member of the Ericsson 4 boat that won the VOR 2008-2009 and has been part of three 24-hour monohull speed records. In addition to his role as watch captain, Jackson will serve as design coordinator for the PUMA program, mixing the sailors’ input with Juan K’s creative and technical expertise.

Andrew “Junior” Lewis: 27 (Honolulu, United States)
Trimmer & Driver
Lewis will be one of the three under-30 sailors onboard PUMA’s new boat. Lewis has logged thousands of offshore miles, sailing onboard ABN AMRO 2 during the VOR 05/06 race and on Rambler during the record breaking Transatlantic Race and Middle Sea races. Lewis also has a long list of honors for inshore racing ranging from the Laser Class and America’s Cup. He was part of the monohull record-breaking crew of ABN AMRO 2 during the 05/06 race.

Tony Mutter, 41 (Auckland, New Zealand)
Aerodynamics Coordinator & Watch Captain
Mutter joins PUMA after sailing onboard Volvo Ocean Race 08/09 winner Ericsson 4. Mutter has sailed five Volvos, five Fastnet Races and five Maxi Worlds. He has been part of three Volvo crews where the 24-hour monohull record has been broken. As aerodynamics coordinator, he will work closely with North Sails to design the next generation of VO70 sails. Tony will sail onboard for PUMA as watch captain.

Casey Smith, 31 (Brisbane, Australia)
Systems Manager & Bowman
Smith joined the crew of PUMA’s il mostro for the Volvo Ocean Race 08/09 as one of the under 30’s. Smith was instrumental in repairing structural damages to il mostro during the last race. And was honored for the sportsmanship award for his efforts in replacing il mostro’s rudder during the Leg 7 Trans-Atlantic crossing. Smith has sailed the 08/09 Volvo Ocean Race and numerous Sydney-Hobart races and Trans-Atlantic crossings.

Jonathan “Jono” Swain, 43 (Durban, South Africa)
Helmsman & Trimmer
Jono Swain comes to PUMA with experience in four Volvo Ocean Races, most recently as watch captain onboard Telefonica Blue. Swain is considered an “all around sailor,” mixing offshore experience with an impressive inshore resume which includes and America’s Cup campaign, Louis Vuitton Series and trimming on Mean Machine.

PUMA Ocean Racing Shore Team Management:

Kimo Worthington, 50 (California, United States)
General Manager
Kimo Worthington has a rare combination of management expertise onshore and leadership on the water. His professional sailing career includes competing in six America’s Cups, including a win with America3 in 1992, and numerous offshore miles. In the 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, Worthington was watch captain and sailing team manager for the winning EF Language team. In the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 edition he served as General Manager for second place Pirates of the Caribbean and in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 he was general manager for PUMA Ocean Racing.

Tim Hacket, 38 (Sydney, Australia)
Shore Team Manager
Tim Hacket has been building racing yachts for over 20 years. A native Australian, Tim is now based in Newport, Rhode Island. Tim’s experience includes four America’s Cup boat builds and two Volvo Ocean Race shore teams, mostly recently as part of PUMA’s Volvo 2008/09 campaign.

Update from Alicante and Calpe

Greetings from Calpe where Torvar Mirsky and Damien Iehl have been knocking their opponents down like flies in the 1st two days of Open de España Match Race, the sole World Match Racing tour qualifier event in Spain.

The young Australian and the less young French match racers are sharing the top spot of the round robins with a perfect 8-0 score so far. Friday promises to be interesting as the match between them will take place in the last flight, probably deciding who's going to move to the quarter finals at the top. Unfortunately, I arrived late, and as a result, our report today will just be what Mirsky and his team are sending.

Nevertheless, it has been a very fruitful morning in Alicante with two quite interesting interviews. We first talked to Ken Read, Puma skipper, moments before he boarded "Il Mostro" for their trip back to Newport. Unfortunately, my video is embargoed as Ken talked about what will be officially announced from the team very soon, probably on Friday.... At least, there are a couple of shots.

The second interview was with Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, and touched all aspects of the world's premier offshore race. It will be published on Sunday, after the end of Open de España.

Puma's "Il Mostro" is ready for a 12-day trip back to Newport, Rhode Island. Alicante, 29 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Puma's "Il Mostro" is ready for a 12-day trip back to Newport, Rhode Island. Alicante, 29 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Torvar Mirsky sweeps Open de España Match Race

[Source: Mirsky Racing Team] MRT remain unbeaten on the second day of the Open de España Match Race, with a scorecard reading 8-0.

Racing got underway in a stable 10knot breeze. MRT got off to a rough start against Peter Wibroe of Denmark. MRT received a red flag penalty off the starting line, handing the lead to the Danes.

The team attacked hard around the course to close in on Wibroes lead, the final top mark saw MRT edge out Wibroe and narrowly pass and go on to take victory.

The remaining 5 races of the day saw MRT find their rhythm to go on and defeat their opponents comfortably.

“We had a momentum on our side today which was helpful, all of the races were close but we stuck to our game plan and managed to come out on top today” commented Torvar Mirsky.

Results after day 2
MRT – Torvar Mirsky AUS 8-0
French Match Racing Team – Damien Iehl FRA 8-0
Team Proximo – Ian Ainslie RSA 3-6
Team Onboard – Bjorn Hansen SWE 6-2
Team Synergy – E. Neugodnikov RUS 1-8
Seth Sailing Team – Alvaro Marinho POR 2-8
Wibroe Sailing Team – Peter Wibroe DEN 6-3
Dangerous But Fun – Michele Perris MON 4-5
Full Metal Jacket Racing – William Tiller NZL 2-8
Team Iberola – Manu Weiller ESP 4.5-5
Mads Ebler DEN 2-8
PA Morvan FRA 9-2

Mirsky Racing Team are unstoppable. Calpe, 29 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mirsky Racing Team starts Open de España with 2 wins

After a long morning ashore, the Mirsky Racing Team finished the day with a clean scorecard with 2 from 2.

The forecast for the whole week is predicting light winds, and Calpe delivered today with only four races of the round robin being completed in a light sea breeze, which soon died and the teams were sent ashore.

The Mirsky Racing Team raced Michelle Perris of Monaco, who despite being one of the lowest ranked skippers here has a hot shot crew with world number one Adam Minoprio calling the shots, Dave Swete from Minoprio's BlackMatch Racing trimming and Pietro Mantovani from Team Azzura on the bow. Although the race turned out in MRT's favour with a strong prestart giving them the early advantage, Perris is not one to be taken lightly.

"It was a good day in light conditions, we managed to put together the shifts to take 2 wins." says Kyle Langford, MRT's tactician. "There is still a long way to go so we are going to keep on building on today's performance."

Tomorrow's forecast is similar to today's, with light winds in the morning, dying off in the afternoon.

Audi contests MedCup with its own TP52 team

[Source: AUDI Media Info]
• “Audi A1 Team powered by ALL4ONE” is ready for season opener
• International team from seven countries on board
• Stéphane Kandler and Jochen Schümann head the crew

Ingolstadt, April 28, 2010 – Audi is giving its name to and acting as title sponsor of the world’s most popular regatta series for as much as the third year and now a boat of its own sporting the colors of the brand with the Four Rings will compete in the series as well: the “Audi A1 Team powered by ALL4ONE” is making its debut at the MedCup season opener in Portugal from May 11 to 16.

Audi thus not only causes a sensation on the roads but also on water: the newcomer’s logo shines together with the Four Rings on the more than 200-square-meter spinnaker sail. The boat of the TP52-class is almost 16 meters long and weighs merely 7,500 kilograms thanks to its lightweight design which gives it particularly dynamic sailing properties. The boat will not only contest the five regattas of the Audi MedCup between May and September but also the TP52 World Championships in Sicily in October.

“We’ve been partnering with the Audi MedCup for several years now and are equally thrilled with the top-caliber sporting competition and the possibilities for presentations on water and along the coast,” says Lothar Korn, Head of Marketing Communications. “The additional support of the Franco-German boat now provides us with close links to the team and enables us to offer our guests and customers an unforgettable sporting experience.”


The Franco-German “ALL4ONE” squad formed by Stéphane Kandler and Jochen Schümann in September of 2009 comprises a large number of international pros: in addition to seven members from France and Germany, there are sailors from Spain, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands and Switzerland on board. The composition of the crew reflects numerous participations in the Audi MedCup in recent years.

The boat represents the Kieler Yacht Club and the Cercle de la Voile de Paris and is currently located at its home yacht harbor in Valencia. From there, the yacht will be taken directly to the Audi MedCup season opener to be staged in Cascais (Portugal) from May 11 to 16. The opening event will be followed by regattas in Marseille (France, June 15 to 20), Barcelona (Spain, July 20 to 25), Cartagena (Spain, August 24 to 29) and Cagliari (Italy, September 20 to 25).

The brand new AUDI - ALL4One (the 2008 Mean Machine - 2009 Valars) ready to get her red AUDI colors. Valencia, 28 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The brand new AUDI - ALL4One (the 2008 Mean Machine - 2009 Valars) ready to get her red AUDI colors. Valencia, 28 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The brand new AUDI - ALL4One (the 2008 Mean Machine - 2009 Valars) ready to get her red AUDI colors. Valencia, 28 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Mirsky Racing Team updates from Calpe

The late inclusion of the Mirsky Racing Team into the Open de España Match Race in Calpe, Spain will provide the team with invaluable training for the upcoming World Tour season.

The team finished a disappointing 8th place in the opening event of the WMRT, Match Race France. They will look to this event to train for the upcoming series of events which include; Match Race Germany, Korea Match Cup, Portugal Match Cup and Match Cup Sweden.

The Spanish event promises to be tough with fellow tour card holder Bjorn Hansen using the same opportunity to train.

This week MRT will have Torvar Mirsky, Kyle Langford, Kinley Fowler and newcomer Jakob Gustafsson from Black Swan Racing on the bow.

"The event will be sailed in Tom28 class yachts, which are quite small and manoeuvrable, this will surely sharpen out our boat handling and we are looking forward to getting back out on the water after a week off since France" said Trimmer Kinley Fowler.

Racing gets underway tomorrow at 11am local time, Predict Wind is forecasting light winds for the next few days which will test the teams strategically.

Volvo Ocean Race & America's Cup: Ask your questions

Starting Thursday, and for three days, Valencia sailing will be in Calpe in order to cover yet another edition of Open Match Race España, the ISAF Grade 1 match racing event organized by the Royal Calpe Yacht Club. The Open España is also a World Match Racing Tour Qualifier event and its winner gets a slot at St Moritz Match Race.

This year's lineup includes Torvar Mirsky, the world's #2 match racer, while Adam Minoprio, the world's top match racer, is calling tactics on Michlle Perris' yacht. Another young kiwi match racer will be keeping a close eye upon is William Tiller, recent winner of the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta in Perth.

Given the proximity of Calpe and Alicante, I will take the opportunity to first visit the start port of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race and interview the CEO of the race, Knut Frostad. So, if there is anything in particular you would like to ask, feel free to comment or send an email.

As for the America's Cup, I was referring to the press conference BMW Oracle and Mascalzone Latino will hold next week in Rome, where they will outline the key dates for the 34th America's Cup. We will do our best to be there, so if you want Russell Coutts to, potentially, answer your question just write it.

Torvar Mirsky and his Mirsky Racing Team during the practice session of the Open Match Race España. Calpe, 27 April 2010. Photo copyright Jesús Renedo

Ten teams and ten favourites ready to compete for the RC 44 Austria Cup

[Source: RC44 Class Association] The RC 44 Austria Cup will take place on April 29 – May 4. The level of the Tour is such that it is impossible to name a favourite.

The second regatta of the RC 44 Championship Tour 2010 will begin on Thursday, April 29, on Lake Traunsee, in Austria. James Spithill, Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison make their come back on the circuit; they will sail against Ray Davies, Paul Cayard, Rod Davis, Markus Wieser, Terry Hutchinson, Cameron Appleton, Christian Binder and many more of the world’s best sailors… Tough job for the bookmakers!

Recent winner of the America’s Cup at the helm of BMW ORACLE Racing, James « Jimmy » Spithill is the skipper of a new team called RC 44 Challenge. His crew is made up of a combination of America’s Cup sailors - such as John Kostecki - and genuine amateurs, as required by the Class rules. RC 44 Challenge will with no doubt immediately become one of the favourites of the event. “I am really looking forward to returning to the RC 44 Class”, says Spithill. “It attracts the world’s best sailors from both match racing and fleet racing, plus the boats are incredibly rewarding to sail and certainly one of the reasons I’m back. We have a fantastic team. John Kostecki will be tactician and Joey Newton trimming, both who raced on the BOR 90 trimaran.”

Other new faces involved in the RC 44 Austria Cup include Harm Müller Spreer, who will be Team Sea Dubai’s fleet race helmsman. Owner of the well known TP 52 Platoon, Harm Müller Spreer is a successful Dragon sailor; he became European champion in 2004, finished second at the 2005 worlds and is a triple Gold Cup winner.

Russell Coutts is also back on the circuit for the first time since last year’s Portoroz Cup. Larry Ellison will steer BMW ORACLE Racing during the fleet races whilst Coutts will be at the helm on Thursday and Friday for the match race.

Finally, Team Austria, the local team headed by René Mangold, will be keen to perform in front of its public. The Austrians managed to win two fleet races in Dubai earlier in the season. “We have improved a lot but we need more continuity”, comments Christian Binder, the team’s match race helmsman and tactician.

The teams involved in the RC 44 Austria Cup (fleet race / match race helmsman):

Team No Way Back (Pieter Heerema / Ray Davies)
Artemis (Torbjorn Tornqvist / Terry Hutchinson)
CEEREF (Igor Lah / Rod Davis)
BMW ORACLE Racing (Larry Ellison / Russell Coutts)
Team Aqua (Chris Bake / Cameron Appleton)
Team Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Daniel Calero / José Maria Ponce)
Katusha (Paul Cayard)
Team Sea Dubai (Harm Muller Spreer / Markus Wieser)
Team Austria (René Mangold / Christian Binder)
RC 44 Challenge (Ian Vickers / James Spithill)

The North Sails 3Di revealed

I would like to thank the Swedish website Blur and its editor Peter Gustafsson for allowing us to republish this very interesting article on the 3Di sails from North Sails.


We’re seeing those very distinctive grey sails showing up on some of the TP52’s, on a few RC44 and soon on both VO70 Puma and our J/109 Blur. It’s the new 3Di technology from North Sails, that slowly is turning into a commercial product.


I was invited to Minden, NV, to have a closer look and to talk to Dan and Jeff Neri. Here’s a short report.

You might recall the "black sails" that Alinghi tested in 2007? They didn’t have enough time to get them up to speed, but the swiss understood the technology to spread individual fibers of PBO and how to make a sails out of that.

At the same time the guys at Cuben Fiber figured out how to do this with Dyneema, but had difficulties with carbon. When North Sails bought the two technologies, they could be used to combine carbon and Dyneema fibers in tapes like the one above. Those tapes are now the the basic component of 3Di.


The whole process begins with untwisted yarns of carbon, aramid and Dyneema.


They’re run through a machine, dubbed the “Pregger”, which spreads the individual fibers. Here Dyneema yarns are fed into the machine.


Carbon fibers apparently spreads itself by means of a physical effect called “double vortex”. The machine have different paths and technologies for different materials. Josh Marhevka ensures that the fibers are coated with a thin coat of thermoset adhesive to hold them together, both as a tape to build the sail and to consolidate all the parts forming the final sail.


The fibers are placed on a backing paper, dried, rolled up and cut into narrower-widht rolls. Depending on the mix of fibers, the tapes can be run two or three times through the machine.


Here we see the entire machine.


Holly Jensen continuously check the weight of the material. As a sails are built of many layers of tape, the tolerances are very small in order to keep the overall weight down.


The tape-laying heads goes back and forth over at flat floor to lay out all the tapes according to the design. It collects the backing paper and cuts the tapes.


Here is a completely new version of the tape-laying head that were taken into production when I was there. Small adjustments are made continously and both engineers and software developer sit on the second floor of the 3Di building.


Here’s the top section of a main to a Swan 601. North have chosen to produce several smaller parts that are easier to handle when moved to the mould. They also get better utilization of the equipment by having several smaller areas rather than few large ones. The layout software makes it easy to seamlessly connect the different layers of tape on the mould.

Tapes are sticky enough to stay together when the sail is being handled, but not so sticky that they can not move when it’s shaped on the mould.


Here’s a good view of the different layers of tape. At the bottom an outer grey layer, then internal layers of tape before the upper layer on the other side. There are 20 different tapes, each with a different set of characteristics.

The sail above seems to be very similar to our new sails:

• The grey outer layer: polyester non-woven outer surface over dyneema bonded with thermoset polyester adhesive with UV absorbers and colorant.
• Black tape with aramid: Carbon and Dyneema filaments bonded to X-Aramid scrim with Polyester thermoset adhesive and UV absorbents.
• Black tape: Carbon and Dyneema filaments bonded with thermoset polyester adhesive and UV absorbents

Let’s look at the components.

• Carbon fibers are stiff and resists both tension and compression very well, but they are fragile and individual fibers can not be folded
• Aramid fibers are strong and resists both tension and compression. Not as fragile as carbon fibers, but UV-sensitive.
• Dyneema fibers are resists tension, but not compression. Dyneema is very durable and flexible

So, by combining these fibers, the material can get exactly the characteristics needed. 100% Dyneema was soft and easy to handle, but crumpled without tension. 100% carbon was nice and strong but delicate and difficult to handle. Right now there seems to be an optimal mix of between 50/50 and 70/30 carbon/Dyneema or aramid/Dyneema. But this changes continuously based on feedback from the real world.

The picture also shows that some of the tapes have a scrim with aramid at -45/90/45 degrees. It gives structure stability to the tape itself, and reduces the number of tapes needed.


Overall there are about 20 different tapes in production, and the sail design software uses them in different layers to build the sail. Above is a part of our new jib.

While it’s a good thing to be able to build sails with just the characteristics you want, it might be difficult to explain to customers. So North has divided 3Di into categories (might change over time):

• 3Di 870 Carbon/Dyneema, club racing
• 3Di 880 Carbon/Carbon, TP52 or Melges 32 (containing less Dyneema)
• 3Di 670 Aramid/Dyneema, VOR or Open 60 who can’t use carbon.

(6 = aramid, 7 = Dyneema , 8 = carbon)

Read the rest of the article here.

BMW Oracle and Mascalzone Latino to hold press conference on May 6th

So, the joint press conference Russell Coutts promised us last week, will finally be taking place next week in Rome, more precisely on the 6th of May.

St. Moritz Match Race welcomes Volvo as co-sponsor

[Source: St Moritz Match Race] Volvo joins main partner AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding and Badrutt’s Palace Hotel as co-sponsor. Volvo also becomes title partner of the Swiss qualifying regatta Volvo Match Race Zug.

Volvo cars Switzerland supports match racing in Switzerland, and becomes a co-sponsor of the prestigious St.Moritz Match Race. Volvo also becomes the title-partner of the Volvo Match Race Zoug, a qualifying regatta that will give the opportunity to a Swiss team to qualify directly for St.Moritz Match Race. The eighth edition of St Moritz match Race will take place on August 31 – September 5 and the Volvo Match Race Zug on May 28 - 30.

Volvo has been supporting the sport of sailing for over a decade. Its main involvement is with the Volvo Ocean Race, the race around the world for crews with stopovers.

Volvo Cars Switzerland now also supports match racing in Switzerland through St. Moritz Match Race and Volvo Match Race Zug. “We are pleased to support these events at the highest level”, commented Anouk Poelmann, the President of Volvo Cars Switzerland. “The possibility given to a Swiss team to qualify directly for St. Moritz Match Race gives us the opportunity to also support the sport on a national scale.”

Volvo Match Race Zug

St. Moritz Match Race’s qualifying regatta, Volvo Match Race Zug, will reassemble the who’s who of match racing in Switzerland. Team Monnin, who regularly competes in international events at the highest level will sail against some teams who have never raced abroad. Amongst the teams registered, Jerôme Clerc, from Société Nautique de Genève or Nathalie Brugger, who finished 6th in the last Olympic Games in Beijing and will try to show her qualities on another boat than her usual Laser.

“I am very pleased to see a car manufacturer involved in sailing at the highest level also supporting the sport in Switzerland”, comments Christian Scherrer, President of the Organising Committee. “The Volvo Match Race Zug gives us the opportunity to help promote new talented teams and to give them the chance to compete in an international regatta at the highest level.”

Provisional list of participants - Volvo Match Race Zug (28.-30.05.2010)
Eric Monnin, YCI, Swiss Match Race Team (3rd St. Moritz Match Race 2008)
Jerome Clerc, SNG
Roger Stocker, ZYC
Marcel Walser, ZYC
Lukas Erni, RCO
Nathalie Brugger, CVE (6th Olympic Games, Beijing)
Alexa Bezel, SVT
Nathalie Keller, TYC

Newport's America's Cup ambitions

The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has established the America’s Cup Rhode Island 2013 Planning Committee in order to coordinate the state's bid to host the 34th America's Cup. The consultant hired by the RI Economic Development Corporation is called the Newport Collaborative. Their job is to assess the 6 possible sites in the state concerning their existing condition and services (water, electrical, Sewage, etc.), and then look at the feasibility of a "Cup Village" being put on one of them.

The leading candidate site is Fort Adams State Park. It is public land owned by the State of RI and the closest location to the best race area. Click on this link and then click on the aerial picture of Fort Adams:

The introduction picture is taken looking from North to South over the Fort. Other pictures show parts of the interior Musem spaces inside the walls of the Fort.

In the intro picture, part of Newport Harbor is to the left with the Ida Lewis YC and New York YC club houses. The prospective race area would be at the very top right of the picture (beyond that is Bermuda, 634nm away).

If the 34th America's Cup were to be held in Newport, RI, the Fort Adams State Park would most probably be the site where the Cup Village would be located

The area that is being considered for use by the teams is along the parking area on the left side of the Fort starting at the North dock and extending South to the very South (Admiral's) Dock. This area would have to be partly dredged and partly filled to create space for about 10 team bases along with the existing land.

To the South of the Admirals Dock is a public sailing facility called Sail Newport, and they do not want to encroach on their space or programs and the water depth gets pretty shallow there anyway.

Inside the Fort is a 6 acre Parade Ground, and along the South Wall including the red building on top of the wall is about 400,000 sq ft. of interior space that could be used for administrative offices, Media Centre & Broadcast Centre, etc. Pretty solidly built too - the stone walls are between 1 and 2 metres thick. Inside the North Wall of the Fort is the Fort Adams Trust Museum.

Just to the South of the wall of the Fort is an area still owned by the U.S. Navy and used for housing. Some of the houses are beautiful 130 year old Victorian-style homes; others are apartment blocks. In all there are 125 housing units, some with fantastic views over the harbor or ocean. This housing is only about 30% occupied by Navy families at present since the Navy is moving them to new housing closer to the Navy Base in nearby Middletown. Best news of all is that the US Navy is de-accessioning this land and housing, and first must offer it to the State of RI before anyone else.

At the bottom of the picture there is a small boat basin. Between that basin and the North Wall of the Fort is a large area of grass where the Newport Jazz Festival is held every summer. Easily holds an audience of 20,000 people.

The America’s Cup Rhode Island 2013 Planning Committee held a special meeting on Friday at the Newport City Hall and we will report as soon as we have all the relevant information.

Alameda Urges Ellison to Bring America's Cup Races to San Francisco Bay

[Source: City of Alameda] In a letter dated March 3, 2010 signed by the mayor and all members of the Alameda City Council, the City of Alameda has congratulated America's Cup winner Larry Ellison on his spectacular win over the Italian [Alinghi is, obviously, Swiss, but it seems they mixed it up at the City of Alameda. This introductory text is copied as is from the release sent by the City of Alameda] contender, Alinghi 5, in the 2010 America's Cup races last February. The City also urged Ellison to bring the next series of America's Cup races to San Francisco.

Read the full text of the City's letter below:

First glimpse of radically-modified Hugo Boss

[Source: Hugo Boss] The latest incarnation of the HUGO BOSS IMOCA 60 was given a brief airing on Friday as it was transferred from the Green Marine shed at Spitfire Quay, Southampton to Alex Thomson Racing’s base in Gosport.

Over the last 4 months the boat has been undergoing a dramatic modification and re-fit under the guidance of boat designer Juan Kouyoumdjian that will provide Alex Thomson with the most powerful IMOCA 60 in the World.

The boat, now virtually unrecognisable from the original Kouyoumdjian designed Pindar, features a number of radical changes that sets the boat apart from the IMOCA 60 fleet but, under the new grandfathering rule, keeps the boat within the restrictions set down by IMOCA. Alex Thomson Racing is confident that the results will lead to some exciting sailing.

“We’ve worked closely with Juan to create something that’s a bit special and we’re all really pleased with the result”, said Alex Thomson. “We’re in the process of fitting the rig and then we’ll be able to try her out. I’ve been looking forward to that moment for quite a while now”.

HUGO BOSS is due to be officially unveiled in all its glory at a high profile launch event in May. Alex Thomson will then embark on a six-month sailing programme that will take him up to the start of the Barcelona World Race in December where he hopes to go one better having finished second in the 2007/8 race.

The radically-modified Hugo Boss leaves the Green Marine boatyard. Southampton, 23 April 2010. Photo copyright Hugo Boss

The radically-modified Hugo Boss leaves the Green Marine boatyard. Southampton, 23 April 2010. Photo copyright Hugo Boss

The radically-modified Hugo Boss leaves the Green Marine boatyard. Southampton, 23 April 2010. Photo copyright Hugo Boss

Match Race France, the Mediterranean's top match racing event

The 2010 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) started with a big upset as the world's number one and two match racers didn't even make it to the semifinals and Match Race France, the season's curtain raiser for the second consecutive year, and only WMRT event in France and the entire Mediterranean, was a success on and off the water. Valencia Sailing talked to Dimitri Deruelle, event director, about the present and future of the regatta.

This was the 8th edition of France's flagship match racing event and is organized by YCPR (Yachting Club de la Pointe Rouge), Marseille's biggest yacht club, with more than 1,200 members and a 80-year history. It started its life in 2003 as a Grade 2 regatta called Marseille International Match Race and changed its name into Match Race France this year. Having entered the World Match Racing Tour in 2009, the organizers sought a more international name for their event.

Nevertheless, the changes carried out this year were much more than a purely cosmetic name change. According to Deruelle, the Marseille public is a great fan of football and it is a tough job trying to lure them into sailing in general and match racing in particular. Nevertheless, the decision to move the races much closer to the city and in an area which traditionally has lots of foot traffic during the weekend proved highly successful. If you want the general public to approach the sport you have to reach to them rather than expect them to come to the yacht club, as Deruelle states. It would be ludicrous to expect a great affluence of spectators in the yacht club, apart from the limited sailing enthusiasts that in any case would watch the event.

Local crowds push to have an autograph from Ben Ainslie and Mathieu Richard. Marseille, 11 April 2010. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / World Match Racing Tour

The radical shift in strategy didn't solely consist on moving the venue in a popular area of the city. First of all, the race area was brought as close to the beach as possible, with the yachts at times a mere 5 meters away from the shore. Ironically, this is also one of the main reasons it would be practically impossible to move the event's date to summertime since the area is a very popular bathing spot and holding races in such a short distance from the beach would mean closing it to the general public, something the city would never agree to.

Not only could locals almost touch the competing yachts, for the first time ever there was a giant screen with live images from the races, but also, most importantly, live commentary from a professional sailor that talked about the technical aspects while explaining the race for the non-sailing spectators. In addition, in the general public area there was a number of activities related to sailing while finally, after the end of every day's races, the public had the opportunity to meet the skippers, talk to them and have them sign autographs. The local organizers embraced the vision of the new WMRT ownership and successfully implemented it.

A major effort was also done in communication with billboards placed throughout the city. The event's poster was on display in the main streets of Marseille, the airport, the train station as well as the motorway exits. According to Deruelle, this has been a very significant improvement from the previous years in a move to bring the event much closer to the public.

The final result was very positive. As Deruelle puts it, "there is simply no comparison" between the numbers of public in this edition with the ones from the previous years. While in the past only sailors and sailing fans went to the YCPR to watch the races, this year "Mr & Mrs Everybody" were there to watch Mathieu Richard win the trophy. Obviously, this was no football game and the thousands of spectators weren't chanting or getting crazy when Minoprio tacked ahead of Gilmour but for Deruelle this is part of the process. For him the goal is to have the general public repeat next year, to have them set Match Race France in their calendars and say "it was an interesting event, let's come back next year and watch it".

Without any doubt, the fact that five of the twelve skippers as well as the winner were French helped create more interest in the local public but for Deruelle the event's success goes beyond the nationality factor. For example a novelty that seemed to catch on with the local crowds was the prize-giving ceremony. Instead of setting a fixed time for it, the moment the winner crossed the finish line, the four finalist crews were rushed to the podium, just like in Formula 1.

The best seats in the house were actually on the beach. What other sailing event can offer that? Marseille, 11 April 2010. Photo copyright Brendon O'Hagan / World Match Racing Tour

The YCPR has found a very good and valuable ally in the city of Marseille as it provides approximately two thirds of the budget with the remaining third coming from private sponsors. This is certainly an area that YCPR will need to work on in order to further promote and improve Match Race France. Since a few years now the French city has been actively promoting itself in the sailing scene by sponsoring the organization of major international events. In fact, Deruelle thinks that one of his event's main assetsis that it is the only WMRT taking place in a big city (2nd biggest overall and biggest coastal city in France).

Deruelle doesn't see the other events as a threat but rather as complimentary. The big-boat races might be attractive onshore because the moored yachts are beautiful but it is impossible for the general public to watch the races from the shore. On the other hand, especially this year, the Match Race France might be using the much smaller J80's but the races take place right in front of the spectator eyes. The date of Match Race France plays to its advantage, according to Deruelle, since it is the opening event of the World Match Racing Tour and probably the most anticipated, so it gets proportionally more publicity.

New WMRT management
When asked about the new WMRT management, one of the things Deruelle appreciated was Patrick Lim's idea to get all the event organizers together in December 2009 so that they could exchange their ideas and present the way they organize their events. It was a first, never done before and it proved to be a great learning opportunity. Instead of each organizer being isolated from the rest, the meeting allowed Deruelle to see the different event management styles and adopt the best ideas in Match Race France.

Another aspect of Patrick Lim's management that Deruelle finds very positive is his hands-on approach with the events. In fact, Lim visited Marseille three weeks prior to this year's event and held intensive talks with the YCPR President and the event management. According to Deruelle, the meetings were "very positive" and the two parties agreed on the main issues.

Deruelle is confident that the combination of his event's irrefutable sport qualities (key location, excellent wind conditions) and the synergies achieved through the WMRT will guarantee a bright future for Match Race France.

BMW Oracle and Mascalzone Latino to outline 34AC schedule in May

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Russell Coutts talks about the 34th America's Cup during the presentation of the Valencia RC44 Cup

It was supposed to be a press conference where the local Valencia authorities and Russell Coutts would strictly talk about the "Valencia RC44 Cup", to be held from July 27 to August 1, but when you have the CEO of the current America's Cup Defender sitting in front of you it's obvious that the questions about the world's foremost sailing event would start to fly.

After praising the city that successfully played host to two editions of the America's Cup, Russell Coutts started answering, very diplomatically, the questions about the future of the event. Well, apart from the headline of this article, we didn't get out of the press room any wiser.

Coutts' replies were vague and left most of the questions unanswered. The key words in his talk were always "plan", "discussions", "options" and "consensus" and always in the future tense. BMW Oracle for example is "discussing all options", there is an "ongoing discussion process", they are "planning a meeting to start refining some of the boat design issues", etc. According to Coutts, nothing has been decided yet regarding the venue, the calendar, the format or the boat to be used. He also added that no decision has been taken yet as to what is NOT possible.

Nevertheless, Coutts confirmed that sometime in May, BMW Oracle and Mascalzone Latino will hold a joint press conference in order to "outline the key dates for when things will be announced", because, as Coutts stated, they "recognized the time was coming near to advise and update the public on what has been happening up to date". It's not sure yet where the press conference will be held, although I was told that I won't be able to go there by bike, so it will be somewhere that suits both parties.

At least, we were told that in approximately one month from now, we will be told when we will be told the venue, format and dates of the 34th America's Cup.

Russell Coutts during the presentation of the Valencia RC44 Cup. Valencia, 22 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Emirates Team NZ names VOR skipper

[Source: Emirates Team New Zealand] Emirates Team New Zealand has appointed Olympic and round-the-world yachtsman Chris Nicholson to skipper Campers’ entry in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

Nicholson is a veteran of three VORs, his first as a watch captain in 2001-02 on Amer Sports 1 which was skippered by Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton.

In 2005-06 he was a watch captain on board Spanish entry movistar and in 200-09 he was co-skipper of Puma, which finished second.

Nicholson, aged 40, represented Australia at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004. He was 49er world champion in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and world champion in the 505 class in 1992, 1994 and 2002.

Nicholson will be joined by the current world match racing champion, Adam Minoprio, of New Zealand.

Chris Nicholson (left) with Adam Minoprio

Minoprio’s young BlackMatch team has had a meteoric rise up the world match racing standings. After only two years on the professional circuit the team won the season championship and was first in the world match racing standings.

Minoprio has returned to the circuit in 2010, with every intention of defending his hard-won title.

Emirates Team New Zealand operations manager Kevin Shoebridge, who will manage the Camper project, said the appointment of Nicholson and Minoprio brought together veteran ocean racing experience and up-and-coming talent.

“Chris Nicholson is well-known to the team and brings the experience from a long and successful racing career to Camper. Adam Minoprio is a young yachtsman with drive, determination and skill who will be an asset to Camper. His BlackMatch racing team already has a close association with Emirates Team Zealand and we have supported him on the match racing circuit.”

Volvo Ocean Race crews number 10 plus a media/camera person who plays no part in sailing the yacht. “We are working with Camper on recruiting other members of the crew,” Shoebridge said.

The Emirates Team New Zealand design team, headed by principal designer Marcelino Botin, is well advanced on the yacht’s design. Building will start in Auckland in August. It will be launched early next year and undergo sea trials before being shipped to Spain.

Camper, the Spanish-based international footwear manufacturer, announced its decision to enter the Volvo Ocean Race on April 12. Camper is a family-owned company which started making shoes on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1877. Today Camper operates directly 320 stores and “shop-in-shop” locations in 42 countries and distributes its products through 2800 independent retailers.

The Volvo Ocean Race starts at Alicante, Spain, in October 2011 and will finish at Galway, Ireland, in June 2012.

Stopover ports are Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajai (Brazil), Miami (USA), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France).

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in Valencia (part II)

When one reads a press release from almost any race in any part of the world racing is always "close", "exciting", "breathtaking" or "thrilling" while conditions are always "beautiful", "glorious" or "near perfect" even when there is 5-6 knots of wind.

Today I had the opportunity and pleasure to follow from very close (aboard the umpire tender) the 3rd day of training between Azzurra and Luna Rossa. The two Italian teams are here for the week, preparing for the upcoming Louis Vuitton regatta in La Maddalena, Italy. I have to admit that racing, even if it was only practice, was indeed "exciting" but wind and weather conditions ranged from bad to nearly decent.

The weather really threw everything at the two teams today: Light winds (5-6 knots), sun, clouds, dense fog (or was it the volcanic ash from Iceland) that turned the committee boat invisible from the pin end before finally rewarding them with a nearly decent breeze of about 10 knots at 4pm.

Nevertheless, the two crews had a full day with so many pre-starts that I lost count after the 9th one and three full races. Racing was indeed so close that all 6 upwind legs were endless tacking duel and at no time did any of the teams get ahead by more than a boatlength, at most.

There is no doubt that the LV Trophy in La Maddalena will indeed provide "thrilling" races with BMW Oracle, Origin, Luna Rossa, Azzurra and Emirates Team NZ vying for the top spot.

Our coverage of the Italian training sessions will continue throughout the week.

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Azzurra and Luna Rossa train in view of the upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy. Valencia, 21 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

PredictWind Announces Partnership With the Mirsky Racing Team

[Source: Mirsky Racing Team] As the level of the World Match Racing Tour steps up, the Mirsky Racing Team needs all the help they can get to take out this year's title.

Thats why the team at PredictWind have come on board with the Mirsky Racing Team to give them the winning edge no matter where they are in the world. PredictWind offers very accurate forecasts at a much higher resolution than other weather agents, giving hourly predictions in localised areas of up to one square kilometre.

"The accuracy of PredictWind's forecasts is going to help us get on top of our competitors" says the Mirsky Racing Team's tactician Kyle Langford "because we sail in some fairly obscure locations where the wind changes regularly, and having them onboard is going to keep us one step ahead of the other teams out there. We couldn't be happier with PredictWind behind us this year."

With its ease of use and proven track record, PredictWind is the choice of Mirsky Racing Team, and many other champion sailors. To learn more about their product, please visit www.predictwind.com

Luna Rossa and Azzurra train in Valencia

In a clear sign of Patrizio Bertelli's intentions for the 34th America's, Luna Rossa announced yesterday its participation in the forthcoming LV Trophy in La Maddalena, Italy, as well as the next two LV events in Dubai and Hong Kong, with a renewed crew, skippered and helmed by former Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird. The American sailor will also be joined by 4 of his former teammates from the two-time America's Cup winners, Rodney Arden, Lorenzo Mazza, Claudio Celon and Cicco Rapetti.

Robert Scheidt, helmsman of Luna Rossa's TP52 yacht, will hold the role of strategist aboard the ACC boat while Torben Grael will be calling tactics, just like he did on the same yacht 3 years ago with James Spithill at the helm.

Luna Rossa is currently in Valencia, training together with Azzurra. The two Italian sparing partners started their training on Monday and will continue match racing off the Malvarosa beach until Sunday. We got the usual "reconnaissance" photos of the Luna Rossa yacht on her way out of the canal but stay tuned for a more extensive coverage with photos, videos as well as interviews during the rest of the week.

Luna Rossa trains in view of the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. Valencia, 20 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Luna Rossa trains in view of the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. Valencia, 20 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Luna Rossa trains in view of the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. Valencia, 20 April 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Luna Rossa announces crew for the LV Trophy La Maddalena

[Source: Team Luna Rossa] Team Luna Rossa announces its participation to the races of the Louis Vuitton Trophy WSTA which will take place from May 22nd to June 6th in La Maddalena.

Luna Rossa's afterguard will include helmsman Ed Baird, tactician Torben Grael and strategist Robert Scheidt.

The revised Team will include Luna Rossa's core group of sailors, as follows:

Patrizio Bertelli	Team Principal
Ed Baird	Skipper and helmsman
Torben Grael	Tactician
Robert Scheidt	Strategist
Matteo Plazzi	Navigator
Manuel Modena	Runners
Max Sirena	Runners
Benjamin Durham	Mainsail trimmer
Claudio Celon	Trimmer
Lorenzo Mazza	Trimmer
Romolo Ranieri	Grinder
Emanuele Marino	Grinder
Marco Montis	Grinder
Wade Morgan	Grinder
Rodney Ardern	Jolly / Grinder
Simone de Mari	Pitman
Cicco Rapetti	Mast
Greg Gendell	Bowman / Mid-bowman
Sofuku Kazuhiko	Bowman
Antonio Marrai	Team manager
Max Sirena	Head of the Technical and Sailing Programme

The Team Luna Rossa has also foreseen to participate in the Louis Vuitton Trophy WSTA rounds of Dubai (13th – 28th November) and Hong Kong (9th – 24th of January 2011).

The Team Luna Rossa will fly the Yacht Club Punta Ala burgee.