America's Cup Hall of Fame induction ceremony brings together past and the future of the Cup

[Source: America's Cup Hall of Fame] On the night of April 30, 2009 the Herreshoff Marine Museum / America's Cup Hall of Fame inducted John Biddle, Thomas Ratsey, and John Longley AM into the America's Cup Hall of Fame at a spectacular evening at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan, presented by Rolex Watch USA. The evening's keynote speaker, Sir Keith Mills, provided a challenger's perspective on the current status of the Cup, and discussed the history of British challengers.

Presentations by Gary Jobson included a reel of Cup highlights, as well as vignettes on each inductee. John Rousmaniere spoke about the Cup's history, particularly as recorded at the New York Yacht Club and its collection of models and artwork.

The late John Biddle's son and daughter, Scott and Sophie, accepted his award on his behalf, and his wife Amy acknowledged how pleased John had been to be nominated.

The America's Cup Hall of Fame induction ceremony. New York, 30 April 2009. Photo copyright Daniel Forster / America's Cup Hall of Fame

Thomas Ratsey, founder of Ratsey & Lapthorn sailmakers, providers of sails to many of the classic America's Cup yachts, was next inducted; his award was accepted by his descendant Cynthia Ratsey Young and her husband Tom.

The third inductee, John Longley, AM, was introduced by Tom Schnackenberg. John regaled the crowd with stories of his Cup experiences on Southern Cross, Australia, and Australia II, as well as his work towards the creation of the IACC rule.

Guests included Brad Butterworth and Murray Jones of Alinghi, Stephen Barclay and Tom Ehman of BMW ORACLE Racing, Alan Brill, President of Rolex Watch USA, Alessandra Pandarese and Margherita Botini of Mascalzone Latino, Sotiris Buseas of Greek Challenge, Bruno Troublé and America's Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee chair, Dyer Jones.

President of the Herreshoff Marine Museum / America's Cup Hall of Fame, Halsey Herreshoff, served as master of ceremonies for the evening.

Sir Keith Mills (left), principal of Team Origin, and Sotiris Buseas, CEO of Greek Challenge. New York, 30 April 2009. Photo copyright Daniel Forster / America's Cup Hall of Fame

Greek Challenge scores 3rd consecutive win over Shosholoza

It was three out of three for Greek Challenge on Monday and a fantastic end to their participation in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. The America’s Cup newcomers from Greece met the South African team for the third time, and were victorious in the sail-off for 8th challenger spot in this prestigious event.

Similar to the other two races, the prestart was aggressive but again Brady got the upper hand, crossing the line with great style in what was described as one of the most convincing starts of the regatta. The Greeks stretched out a lead in the first beat, at times leaving Shosholoza 120 meters behind. The crew carried out an excellent spinnaker hoist after the mark and soon Brady put a lid on Cian’s ambitions in the run, rounding the leeward gate comfortably ahead.

Paolo Cian tries unsuccessfully to force a penalty at the 2nd weather mark. Auckland, 9 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Trying to play it safe, the Greeks sailed conservatively in the 2nd beat, giving Cian the opportunity to momentarily come back. Shosholoza then tried to get the umpires in the game by forcing a possible port-starboard incident at the second weather mark but didn’t succeed. The Greek boat was on the left layline powering on towards the mark while Shosholoza was slowing down on the right one. The two boats were on collision course but Brady had more than enough space to safely round the buoy ahead of the South African team.

Greek Challenge didn’t give their opponent any breathing space in the last run, making sure they matched them gybe for gybe. A good tactical call on the last stretch allowed the Greek boat to take advantage of a puff of wind on the right side of the course and gain an additional couple of boat lengths, crossing the finish line half a minute ahead of Shosholoza.

The Greek team leaves Auckland on a very positive note. The sailing team was formed a mere month ago, trained only one week in Valencia onboard the K-Challenge boats and then another few days in Auckland, prior to the start of official racing. The goal of sailing competitively has been achieved by the Greek team and the 3 wins are the icing on the cake. The foundations have been laid for more success in the future.

Greek Challenge rounds the 2nd weather mark ahead of Shosholoza. Auckland, 9 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Quotes of the day

Gavin Brady (NZL), helmsman of Greek Challenge: "It’s a pity the event ends here for us. The Greek crew has accomplished a dramatic improvement throughout the last couple of weeks and we are indeed impressed.

I can't sail aggressively without proper boat handling by the crew and everybody did a nice job at the start. We sailed very well, sometimes too conservatively, giving Paolo Cian the opportunity to come back but we kept our lead throughout the race.

Cian tried to put the umpires in the game in the 2nd weather mark but they didn’t have any chance. There was no way we could have gotten into trouble since we were accelerating towards the mark while they were slowing down. In addition, we once again carried out excellent gybes and were able to get a nice puff at the last stretch of 2nd run and gain a couple of boat lengths more."

Sotiris Buseas (GRE), aft grinder and Greek Challenge CEO: "For Greek Challenge it was the right decision to come to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. It is the right platform for world-class sailing and on any given day any team had its chance to win. We learned a lot from our Kiwi and South African crew, in fact, we learned a lot from any sailor that raced against us and we deeply thank them for that.

We will now return to Greece and transfer our knowledge and know-how to the rest of the Greek sailing community. This is not the end of our campaign, just the beginning".

Second victory for Greek Challenge in LV Pacific Series

On a beautiful day on Waitemata harbor, hundreds of spectator boats witnessed an exhilarating victory for Greek Challenge. Not only did the new America’s Cup team score their second victory in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, they beat the team that a mere two days past defeated the America’s Cup Defender, Alinghi. Greek Challenge nurtured a slight advantage at the start line into a huge lead of 1 minute 26 seconds at the finish.

The two aggressive match racers, Gavin Brady on the Greek boat and Paolo Cian for the South Africans, had a tight and close pre-start. The two boats hit the starting line on an equal footing, the Greeks on the left and the South Africans on the right, both powering towards the left side of the course. Nevertheless, Greek Challenge soon got a slight speed advantage over Shosholoza, allowing them to be ahead in the first cross. Brady’s astute match racing tactics forced Cian to do 2 additional tacks, slowing the South African boat even more. Greek Challenge rounded the first weather mark with a comfortable 35-second advantage.

Despite being the novice crew in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, Greek Challenge sailed with confidence in the first run, doing a fantastic job in gybing under tricky conditions, and increased their lead to 38 seconds in the leeward gate.

From there on, it was plain sailing for the Greek crew, their Kiwi teammates and the South African navigator onboard Greek Challenge. They did a magnificent job in covering their opponent, putting an excellent display of teamwork and realizing their motto of “sail with your heart, win with your mind”.

The two teams will now face each other again next Tuesday in a race that will decide the 8th and 9th positions in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

Greek Challenge score a convincing second victory over Shosholoza. Auckland, 7 February 2009. Photo copyright Konstantinos Tsigkaras / Greek Challenge

Quotes of the day

Gavin Brady (NZL), helmsman of Greek Challenge: "Everything came together very well today, from start to finish. We had a good start, our tacks and gybes were excellent but more importantly there was good communication on the boat. We were calm, relaxed and quiet, undoubtedly the quietest day so far. Boat handling is undoubtedly getting better by the day. After yesterday’s unfortunate chain of mishaps we rallied and won the race.

All Greek sailors that took part in this regatta are now in a position to impress anyone on a Cup boat, no matter what team they might end up with. They could very well crew any big boat and I urge them to do it this summer in the Med."

Marc Lagesse (RSA), navigator of Greek Challenge, on beating twice his former team: "…[Big smile]"

Sotiris Buseas (GRE), aft grinder and Greek Challenge CEO: "It was a great day and I have to thank the entire team for this very positive end to the Round Robins. Poseidon was on our side, as he always was. Our goal when we first arrived here was to sail correctly and participate. We finish the Round Robins with two victories under our belts but the most important thing is what we learned from the New Zealanders on the boat in two short weeks. We faced the world’s best sailing teams and we feel honored to take part in such an event".

H.E. Evangelos Damianakis, Greek Ambassador to New Zealand and 18th man today: "This is my first time on a sailing yacht and I’m exhilarated. I was also told this was the second victory of the team and Greek Challenge proved they were up to the challenge. I’m proud I was part of the crew even if as a simple spectator at the back. It was a wonderful experience and I was surprised by the coordination and teamwork required in order to sail these yachts, let alone win a race.

I have to congratulate Mr Buseas for accomplishing this Herculean endeavor, bring a team down here to New Zealand and achieve two victories. I wish him all the best and I really look forward to a continuation".

Greek Challenge sadly thwarted by gear failure

A gear failure beyond the control of the Greek Challenge crew cost them the race against China Team and their chance to move on to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series quarterfinals. In a day marked by breakages in almost all races, the first ever America’s Cup team from Greece suffered in the prestart when the crew was unable to hoist the jib due to gear failure.

Since the 10-minute prestart sequence had begun the Greeks were denied a postponement of the start and had to try to enter the start box with just their mainsail while at the same time trying to fix the problem. World match racing champion Ian Williams on China Team took advantage of the situation and pushed the Greek boat out of the start box. With 2 minutes to go Greek Challenge was given a penalty for failing to enter and 1 minute later another one. Unfortunately, the race was over before it even started for the Greeks as China Team sailed conservatively and crossed the finish line ahead.

In the day’s most thrilling match, Team Origin conceded defeat to BMW Oracle when a similar failure in their headfoil sent the British home halfway through the race.

In the other race of the Silver Fleet, Pataugas K-Challenge scored a convincing victory over South Africa’s Shosholoza. China Team and Pataugas K-Challenge will move to the quarterfinals, regardless of Saturday’s results while the Greeks and the South Africans will face each other for the final match of Round Robin 2 and in a second confrontation for 8th and 9th place overall, next week.

Quotes of the day

Gavin Brady (NZL), helmsman of Greek Challenge: “We had a gear failure on the boat. The jib wouldn’t go in the foil and as a result we had to pull our jib down for the start. We were then unable to pull the jib back up and tried to enter without a jib, something very hard. When we found out what the problem was we were not close to the start line and had to go to the start line with just the mainsail up.

The race committee wouldn’t postpone the start and we didn’t enter the start box because we were on port entry. If we were on starboard entry it would have been much easier. We would have just gone with the main and deal with the problem”.

The frustrated kiwi helmsman added that “there was nothing we could do; we couldn’t start the race properly. We got the jib up with two minutes to go and they gave us a penalty and then another one. With two penalties, one of which had to be done right away, there was nothing we could do.

We can’t protest because the umpires decision is final, which is good, because otherwise we would have endless protests and hearings and nobody wants that. That’s the way it is and we will have to accept it.”

Sotiris Buseas (GRE), aft grinder and Greek Challenge CEO: “You know, Greeks never give up and never abandon a race, regardless of the circumstances. Due to this gear failure, beyond our control, we were unable to race. Our helmsman asked me to abandon the race but that was not an option. I asked the crew to go ahead and sail until we crossed the finish line.

We came to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series to sail with our heart and that’s what we have done. We will win with our mind in future races.”

Greek Challenge loses to Pataugas K-Challenge in emotional and nail biting match

The pupils faced their mentors today on the waters of Auckland’s harbor. Greek Challenge raced France’s Pataugas K-Challenge in an emotional and nail biting match. It was doubly emotional, not only because of the very tight and close racing and the lead changes but also because K-Challenge were the instructors that the Greeks had in their very first contact with America’s Cup boats in Valencia only one month ago.

With only a smattering of foreigners on the Greek Challenge yacht, today’s result was a huge achievement and shows that bigger and better things could be realized in the future. As one local commentator put it, “the Greeks are learning and absorbing this experience like the famous sponges in their home waters”.

Greek Challenge and Pataugas K-Challenge race in the first day of Round Robin 1. Auckland, 5 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Greek Challenge held it tight and close and Gavin Brady together with the rest of the crew put extreme pressure on the French boat, steered by match racing top-ranked Sébastien Col. Brady clearly wanted the left and got it, hitting the starting line a bit slower then Col. The first beat turned into an intensive tacking duel with the French ahead in the first crossing. Greek Challenge then opted for the right side of the course and approached the top mark ahead of the French.

The two yachts faced a clash situation at the top mark. Brady managed to sneak inside the French and the two were practically side-by-side when they rounded the mark. Greek Challenge had the advantage and could have started the run in a leading position but the fledgling team suffered from a moment of miscommunication. Col grabbed the opportunity and passed the Greek boat.

Greek Challenge and Pataugas K-Challenge race in the first day of Round Robin 1. Auckland, 5 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Despite the very tidy gybes the Greeks threw at the French and the intense fight, they couldn’t find the right opportunity to pass and crossed the finish line a mere 27 seconds behind proving that even the slightest error can cost dearly in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

In the other match of the Silver Fleet, China Team scored a decisive victory over South Africa’s Shosholoza. As a result, the Greeks will have to beat the Chinese team in tomorrow’s match, if they are to keep their chances to advance in the event’s quarterfinals.

Greek Challenge and Pataugas K-Challenge race in the first day of Round Robin 1. Auckland, 5 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Quotes of the day

Mark Lagesse (RSA), navigator on Greek Challenge: “It was a good race and yet another step into the right direction. We just didn’t go out on the water to simply sail but to do proper match racing. We can position our yacht tactically and not just defend. The boat is sailing faster by the day.

We had a good start and got the left side, just like we wanted. The French got off the starting line slightly faster than us but in the first beat we were able to put pressure on them. We reached the top mark in a very aggressive match race situation, a true clash and sneaked inside them. We could have luffed harder on them and maybe cause damage but we followed the spirit of the event. This is about friendly sailing not about breaking the boats. The aim is not to win at all cost. Unfortunately, we had a split second of miscommunication aboard and gave up our advantage at the top mark. The French passed us and despite the pressure we put on them they didn’t commit any error.

Without any doubt, the Greeks have made massive improvement since I met them in Valencia for the first time, just a short month ago; massive improvement.”

Greek Challenge and Pataugas K-Challenge race in the first day of Round Robin 1. Auckland, 5 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Sotiris Buseas (GRE), aft grinder and Greek Challenge CEO: “Just like the rest of races this one was a learning experience but with an emotional angle for me. K-Challenge was the team that showed us the ropes in Valencia during a one-week crash course in America’s Cup sailing. It’s a joy for us they won. I wish them the best and look forward to facing them again in the quarterfinals.

We have already achieved our goal in this event. Despite our inexperience, we sailed very well, scored one victory and learned a lot. The aim is to now learn as much as possible in the few days left in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

I’m probably the smallest and least powerful grinder in the fleet but don’t forget that Greeks grind not only with their muscles but also their minds and guts. Still, for me it is the best place in order to observe the crew. I’m at the back of the boat and I can view the crew’s performance and behavior. I get much-needed first-hand experience.”

Terry Serepisos (GRE-NZL), 18th man and owner of the NZ football club Wellington Phoenix: “It was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Not only was it the first time ever I set foot on a sailing yacht, it had to be an America’s Cup boat.

I was surprised to see the amount of work put by the crew during a race. I would have never imagined the preparation and effort needed to sail these yachts in such a competitive race. They also sail much faster than I thought and being onboard is a great privilege.

I’m the owner of a football club and if I compare it to the sport I know, this is like driving a Ferrari car. In football you watch the match from a distance while here you right in the middle of the action.

Congratulations to Greek Challenge. They sailed very well and fought really hard.”

Greek Challenge and Pataugas K-Challenge race in the first day of Round Robin 1. Auckland, 5 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

First ever Greek helmsman on America’s Cup-level competition

After Saturday’s first ever victory, Greek Challenge wrote another page in the history of Greek sailing on Tuesday. For the first time ever, a Greek sailor took the helm of an America’s Cup yacht during a world-class event. Theodoros Tsoulfas, prominent offshore Greek sailor, helmed the Greek Challenge yacht in the team’s last race of Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Round Robin 1, against Team Origin from the UK.

Gavin Brady, the New Zealander that steered the yacht so far in the Series, switched positions with Tsoulfas on Tuesday and called tactics in what turned out to be a very tricky and shifty day. In addition, 11 out of the 17 crew were Greeks, marking another first. Never before in the Series, Greek sailors were the majority onboard.

The race was closer and tighter than what one would have expected, especially against an outstanding helmsman of the caliber of Ben Ainslie, 3-time gold Olympic medalist. Greek Challenge crossed the starting line on the right and Origin on the left, slightly ahead. During the first beat, the Greeks managed to stay on Origin’s trail, rounding the first weather mark a mere 14 seconds behind the British yacht. Despite being a novice, Tsoulfas was able to stay close in the run and round the leeward gate 17 seconds behind Ben Ainslie. In the second half of the race, Greek Challenge slipped back and crossed the finish line 58 seconds behind the British yacht.

Greek Challenge finishes Round Robin 1 with 1 win and 3 losses. Due to the penalty received in the race against Alinghi, Greek Challenge has no points and will now compete in the Silver Fleet, together with China Team, Shosholoza and Pataugas K-Challenge. There will be no racing on Wednesday and the Greek team will come back on the water of Waitemata harbor on Thursday, facing Pataugas K-Challenge.

For the first time ever a Greek sailor helms an America's Cup yacht in a world-class event. Auckland, 3 February 2009. Photo copyright Ian Roman / Team Origin

Quotes of the day

Theodoros Tsoulfas, helmsman on Greek Challenge: “Without any doubt, this has been an amazing experience. I have been helming boats up to 50ft and this is a quantum leap for me. I was very nervous but I managed to steer the boat thanks to Gavin’s help. We made a number of mistakes in the race but I think we corrected most of them and achieved a respectable result.

There is no comparison between ourselves and the other participants in this event; we have only been 12 times on these yachts while the rest of the teams have been taking part in the America’s Cup for years. In fact, we are honored to be here and stand against them. It’s a fantastic and unique opportunity. We are humbled by the talent around us in this event and it would have been ludicrous to come here and pretend we are equals with Ben Ainslie, Ian Percy, Andrew Simpson or Mike Sanderson. Winning a race is obviously a great feeling but our main goal in this event is to learn.

We are passionate about learning and the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series is just a stepping stone in a long process of building a Greek America’s Cup team.”

Gavin Brady, tactician on Greek Challenge: “Tsoulfas did a good job today, considering the fact it was the first time he steered an America’s Cup yacht. Don’t forget who we were racing against. Still, we sailed well and Origin beat us by less than a minute. The majority of the crew was Greek today and obviously had less experience but we are building here a team for the future, for the long term. So far we have achieved reasonable results and once again, I think that today Greek Challenge was better than yesterday. That’s our goal.”

Greek Challenge fights tough but loses to Luna Rossa

Auckland, NZ – Monday, fourth day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, was set from the beginning to be challenging for Greek Challenge. The first ever America’s Cup team from Greece faced Luna Rossa, the Louis Vuitton finalist in Valencia in 2007.

Both teams were set for a long wait before they started racing. The starting gun was scheduled to be fired at 11am but the waters of Auckland’s harbor were flat with hardly any sign of breeze. Only after waiting for almost 4 hours and moving further north were race organizers able to set a course.

Greek Challenge and Luna Rossa race on the 4th day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Auckland, 2 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

The start took place under a steady easterly breeze of around 10 knots. The right side of the course was slightly favored and both teams fought hard for the committee boat end of the starting line. Gavin Brady got it but had to pay the price of starting slowly. Luna Rossa was able to get ahead with an early advantage.

The first beat was initially a long drag race on port tack to the left side of the course. Greek Challenge was behind in the first cross and despite the ever-improving teamwork, the Greeks rounded the first weather mark 27 seconds behind the Italians. During the rest of the race, Greek Challenge stayed on Luna Rossa’s trail but, unfortunately, was unable to pass them, crossing the finish line only 54 seconds behind the Italian yacht.

Greek Challenge and Luna Rossa race on the 4th day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Auckland, 2 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

According to Gavin Brady, the New Zealander helmsman of the Greek team, “this was probably the best race of the team so far. Crew work was excellent; gybes were fantastic, even better than Luna Rossa’s. Unlike the first race against Alinghi, Luna Rossa was never able to distance itself and Greek Challenge was 1 or 2 errors away from winning. One bad spinnaker hoist or another crew fault could have allowed us to make headway on the deficit we had. It wasn’t impossible to get back on the game but Luna Rossa sailed flawlessly”.

Tuesday is the final day of Round Robin 1 and Greek Challenge will have to face Team Origin, unbeaten so far. With triple Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie on the helm and an Olympic and America’s roster on the British yacht, Greek Challenge will certainly have a very tough opponent.

Greek Challenge and Luna Rossa race on the 4th day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Auckland, 2 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Greek Challenge and Luna Rossa race on the 4th day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Auckland, 2 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Greek Challenge and Luna Rossa race on the 4th day of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Auckland, 2 February 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Barker Beats Coutts in Waitemata Racing

[Source: LV Pacific Series] Russell Coutts was gracious in defeat today after losing a race in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series to Dean Barker, his old crew mate from Emirates Team New Zealand. Sailing the BMW Oracle Racing boat USA 87, Barker beat the Coutts-led American crew in USA 98 by 28 seconds in the first race of the day.

At a press conference in the Race Village afterwards and in front of a big public gallery, Coutts was asked what it felt like when the apprentice beat the master. Coutts answered dryly and with a smile: “It’s happened before!” He added, “We would have been happier with a different result but they won that one pretty convincingly.”

After eight races over the first two days, Emirates Team New Zealand has two points in Pool A, while Pataugas K-Challenge from France and Damiani Italia Challenge each have one point. In Pool B, Switzerland’s Alinghi is the leader with two points while Britain’s TEAMORIGIN has one point.

A shifty, gusty southwest breeze averaging 16 knots delivered challenging racing conditions as the boats raced twice-around 1.7-mile legs from a start line off Rangitoto to a windward mark just off the Orakei Basin. The racers took a break after the third race while commercial ships and a barge moved through the area.

In the first race the promise inherent in the series was realized with a tough, tight race between old rivals Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle Racing. The Kiwis got the right after a pre-start battle and Coutts fought back, rounding the first leeward mark only two seconds behind. Coutts enjoyed a brief lead, only to see Barker use the leverage of the favored right hand side and kill any chances of an American victory.

The apprentice beats his master. In the second half of the race BMW Oracle committed a number of small errors that allowed Emirates Team NZ to hold on to their lead. Auckland, 31 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of the Greek Challenge, and his mixed Greco-Kiwi crew had something to prove after suffering a penalty from a collision yesterday that put them in minus scoring territory. In the second race Brady pounced on the South African boat Shosholoza in the pre-start and the umpires had landed a penalty on his opponents before the start gun had fired. Brady started in frront and worked to a clear 56 second win over South Africa’s Italian skipper and helmsman Paolo Cian.

It was without any doubt the upset of the day. Newcomers Greek Challenge had a convincing victory over Paolo Cian's Shosholoza. Auckland, 31 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

In similar fashion Francesco Bruni at the helm of the new Italian team Damiani Italia Challenge put his stamp early on the third race. He shut out two-time World Match Racing Tour champion Ian Williams aboard China Team, forcing him above the start boat just before the gun. The Italians won by 1 min 17 sec in a race when the deltas were never less than one minute and the lead at times as much as 500 metres.

In the last race of the day, Alinghi won handsomely by 50 seconds over Virgin Islands match racer Peter Holmberg at the wheel of the Italian boat Luna Rossa. Holmberg mis-timed his last minute manoeuvres approaching the start line and in an effort to win clear air he conceded 40 metres to Ed Baird on Alinghi as they crossed. The Swiss were never threatened again.

Ed Baird really nails down his former Alinghi teammate Peter Holmberg, now on the helm of Luna Rossa. It was impossible for the Italian team to overcome such a bad start. Auckland, 31 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Gusty, Shifty Conditions Test Crew Skills at LV Pacific Series

[Source: LV Pacific Series] The hint of upsets to come were in the air today off Auckland’s North Head as contestants in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series completed four races in building gusty, shifty conditions that tested the skills of crews.

The French team Pataugas K-Challenge won the opening match, defeating China Team by 1m 2s in a shifty and gusty 14-16 knot southwesterly breeze. Under gray skies K-Challenge made a strong start on port at the pin end of the line. China Team made a late start on starboard at the committee boat end but skipper Ian Williams made big gains up the first weather leg. A gybe early on the spinnaker run resulted in a broken spinnaker pole on the Chinese boat, a situation compounded by a penalty after a leeward mark incident. The Chinese did well to finish just over one minute astern after taking their penalty.

With the wind strength increasing, the new crew of the British TEAMORIGIN syndicate was in total control from the start of its encounter with Italian’s Luna Rossa. With two Olympic gold medallists in the afterguard - Ben Ainslie at the helm, and Iain Percy calling tactics - TEAMORIGIN won the start and after a spirited tacking duel up the middle of the course, established a 22s lead around the first mark. Despite efforts by Luna Rossa helmsman Peter Holmberg, the British team pulled away to win by 1m 11s.

Team Origin and Luna Rossa during their first race. Auckland, 30 January 2009. Photo copyright Paul Todd / www.outsideimages.co.nz

In the third race, sailing on home waters, Emirate Team New Zealand’s skipper/helmsman Dean Barker led from start to finish against Damiani Italia Challenge. Francesco Bruni on the helm of the Italian boat started in synch with the Kiwis with a safe leeward berth, only to see the home team boat inch slowly away. At the end the Kiwi margin was 19s.

In 18-20 knot gusts, Greek Challenge made their mark, literally, in their maiden appearance, racing against top seed Alinghi. Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of the Greek boat, had no hesitation in testing his mettle against Ed Baird, Alinghi’s skipper in the pre-start. He paid a heavy penalty when he lost control momentarily and his bow hit the stern of Alinghi. It cost the feisty Brady one penalty point for “hard contact.” Unperturbed, Brady made a good recovery and led Baird out towards the port layline before the Swiss boat settled down and began to sail steadily away. The umpires awarded the requisite one point to Alinghi for their victory and docked the Greek Challenge one point, leaving them in negative territory. The margin was 2m 2s.

Greek Challenge and Alinghi during their first race. Auckland, 30 January 2009. Photo copyright Paul Todd / www.outsideimages.co.nz

At a press conférence on the Village plaza in front of the big screen, the teams racing tomorrow drew for the boats they’ll sail. The first race of the day, starting at 11 AM, will see BMW Oracle Racing aboard USA 98, racing against Emirates Team New Zealand in USA 87. The second race features Shosholoza aboard NZL 84 versus Greek Challenge in NZL 92. China Team on USA 87 meets Damiani Italia Challenge sailing USA 98 while Luna Rossa will race NZL 84 against Alinghi in NZL 92.

Training concludes in Auckland; racing starts on Friday

It's been almost impossible to follow the action here in Auckland due to my obligations with Greek Challenge and unfortunately this is reflected on the quality of coverage by Valencia Sailing.

I'll take off my Greek Challenge hat and put the usual Valencia Sailing one, trying to report as fairly as possible. First of all, it's without any doubt nice and encouraging to see all America's Cup sailors back in action, engaged in high-level racing after more than 18 months. All 10 teams have been now practicing for a week and crews are vying for the real stuff, a little bit more than 15 hours away.

Wind conditions have been quite erratic in the last days. On Tuesday teams didn't practice because there was too much wind. As a result, Wednesday was not the closing practice day but and Thursday teams alternated aboard the BMW Oracle and Emirates Team NZ boats, trying to squeeze in as much training as possible. Unfortunately, there was no fresh breeze and, especially on Thursday, the crews had to make do with very little wind.

The only race I followed was Greek Challenge against BMW Oracle. Similarly to what has been taking place so far, the two teams had one test start and then a full race, both won by Greek Challenge. The Greeks were sailing on USA-87 while the Americans were on USA-98. How important are the results? Do they mean anything? As it can be seen by the pictures, conditions were at time excruciatingly light. The race course was set right off the Auckland harbor with the weather mark set almost off the harbor beach. Greek Challenge hit the starting line with a small advantage but lost it during the first beat as Gavin Brady opted for the left hand side of the course and helmed the boat close to the shoreline. BMW Oracle instead gained an advantage by staying in the center and rounded the top mark several boatlengths ahead of the Greeks.

Nevertheless, Greek Challenge staged a remarkable recovery in the first run by opting for the right side while Coutts helmed close to the shore. Greek Challenge rounded the leeward mark clearly in the lead but halfway up the second beat the two teams abandoned racing since the breeze had completely died.

I wasn't present when BMW Oracle and Team Origin practiced on Wednesday but according to the reports from that race, Ben Ainslie beat Russell Coutts convincingly. Is Coutts taking the practice races easy or has he lost his magical touch? We'll know in less than a week.

Greek challenge and BMW Oracle train together in the last practice day. Auckland, 29 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Greek challenge and BMW Oracle train together in the last practice day. Auckland, 29 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Greek challenge and BMW Oracle train together in the last practice day. Auckland, 29 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Video: TV New Zealand reports on the challenges teams face with the unknown boats

TV New Zealand's Martin Tasker sends another interesting report from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and the continuing preparations, especially of the 8 teams that will have to race on the BMW Oracle and Emirates Team NZ yachts.

Gavin Brady and Paolo Cian, helmsmen of Greek Challenge and Shosholoza respectively, talked about the feeling at sailing these boats. Brady, former BMW Oracle helmsman, pointed out that they had 5 years at the American team in order to get ready for the America's Cup while the Greek team has only 5 days. Despite the fact there are more medalists on the Greek team than BMW Oracle, the learning curve is extremely steep. On the other hand, for Cian it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn their secrets. A few months ago they would have paid a fortune to do it while now it's free, according to the Italian match racer.

Even Ben Ainslie, helmsman for Team Origin, has to take things slowly. The former second helmsman of Emirates Team NZ might know the boats and his kiwi opponents inside out, he will have to tame his aggressive sailing in order not to ruin the event by crashing the yachts on the first day.

Martin Tasker reports on the strange sights of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series . Auckland, 25 January 2009. Video copyright TV New Zealand

Greek Challenge training in Valencia

For the first time ever, a Greek crew sailed an America's Cup yacht. It is taking place throughout the week in Valencia aboard K-Challenge's FRA-93. Sébastien Col and four of his World Match Racing crew are coaching the 25-strong Greek crew, giving them a crash course on ACC yachts. The team will make its maiden appearance in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in two weeks.

Greek Challenge sailing for the first time. Valencia, 13 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Greek Challenge

Meanwhile in Valencia... Luna Rossa's STP65 is back on the water

Not all action in Valencia is related to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series or the America's Cup. Luna Rossa put their brand new STP65 back on the water, while the team is training on ITA-94. From what we understand, the maiden race of the new Italian yacht will be the Hublot Palmavela next April.

As we speak there are three teams today training on America's Cup yachts. Luna Rossa on ITA-94, Shosholoza on RSA-83 and Greek Challenge on the K-Challenge FRA-93. Vasco Vascotto's Damiani Italia put an end to their training here and SWE-73 is back in the Victory Challenge base.

The Luna Rossa STP65 yacht. Valencia, 15 January 2009. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Getting ready in Valencia

I would like to apologize for the scant updates in the last couple of days but I'm involved with one of the teams that will take part in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

They had their maiden test sail yesterday and Valencia Sailing will shortly have the news and the usual photos.

In the meantime, Tuesday was an interesting day, with Luna Rossa, Alinghi, Damiani Italia and Shosholoza carrying out practice match racing right in front of the Malvarosa beach. I'm again sorry, but I don't have any photos because of legal problems. Murphy and his law attacked Valencia Sailing and its tender broke down. Hopefully there will be pictures from today's action.

A competitors meeting is taking place right now in the Alinghi base where the 19 entered teams for the 33rd America's Cup are discussing the details of the next edition. We'll have more info as soon as possible.