Meanwhile in Valencia... James Spithill and Torvar Mirsky train on SM40's

If only I could get closer... It's not every day that you have the final of the Australian Match Racing Championship a few hundred meters off the Malvarosa beach, especially when it's the youngest ever skipper to win the America's Cup, James Spithill, facing one of the young up-and-comers, Torvar Mirsky.

Mirsky and Spithill are in Valencia practicing match racing on SM40's. Mirsky certainly needs some lessons from the world's best match racer as his performance so far this year in the World Match Racing Tour has been substandard while Spithill can always use some monohull training ahead of the upcoming Louis Vuitton regatta in Dubai.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get any closer to the action so I had to rely on photos from the breakwater. The entire Mirsky Racing Team crew is here in Valencia while on the BMW Oracle boat I could spot, in addition to Spithill, Dirk de Ridder and Pieter van Nieuwenhuyzen. The umpire boat was driven by Richard Slater while Philippe Presti was coaching the team(s?).

Does this joint training session mean anything for the 34th America's Cup? Kyle Langford, Mirsky's mainsail trimmer, is also a member of the "17" RC44 crew since a couple of events now. Langford was in Puerto Calero last week when 17, helmed by Spithill in match racing, was crowned RC44 World Champion

I know it's too far but trust me, the final of the Australian match racing championship was taking place on Wednesday afternoon off the Malvarosa beach. Valencia, 20 October 2010. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing