Americas Cup AC Uncovered | Artemis |AC72 | Naples

Uploaded by AmericasCup on Mar 23, 2012 This week we are in Naples, Italy with Mayor Luigi de Magistris to uncover the next stop on the America's Cup World Series tour starting in just two weeks time. Then we meet with former America's Cup designer, Jo Richards, to hear his insight and insider secrets into what the new AC72 multihull monster could look like. Then we take a trip around Europe with Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing; visiting Chairman Torbjorn Tornqvist at his office in Switzerland, checking in on the hull manufacturer in Sweden, followed up by a trip to the design and sailing team office in Spain.

Americas Cup News : CEO ACRM Ian Murray In Sydney to Hobart Today

Little has changed with regard to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race forecast as this year’s blue water classic looks set to favour the mid-fleet for the coveted Tattersall’s Cup win.



“It doesn’t look like a big boat race to me,” saidWild Oats XI tactician, Iain Murray, of the super maxi’s handicap chances following this morning’s official race briefing.

“We’ll barrel out of Sydney and get some leverage to the east,” said Murray, referring to the nor’easterly breeze that is meant to follow the fleet for the first six to 12 hours after the 1pm start prior to the front runners striking the weak edge of a southerly change.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s regional director NSW, Rob Webb, reaffirmed the fleet will run into a forgiving southerly off the NSW south coast, but not before the wind backs off in between the two systems where “you might get more time to know each other,” he mused to competitors.

Southerly winds are expected to build into Tuesday to 20-25 knots, possibly stronger the further south the yachts travel into Bass Strait where waves from opposing directions will join together and where “you are going to have some fairly erratic sea conditions” suggested Webb this morning.

By day two, Wednesday 28 December, winds are forecast to ease as they swing left from the south east back to the north east, creating what Murray calls “sketchy” conditions off the east Tasmanian coast.

“It will come down to what happens in Bass Strait, it could turn into a big parking lot,” he warns.

While a race record is not a talking point this year, Murray affirmed today that “Wild Oats XI has never been in better shape”. The crew are estimating a race time of 2 days 4-5 hours for the 628 nautical mile sprint across the Tasman Sea.

Loki’s navigator, Michael Bellingham, is predicting the overall winner will come from the 40 to 60 foot range. At 63 feet, the Reichel Pugh design owned by Stephen Ainsworth that has won every other major trophy on the Australian east coast, bar this race, is hoping to sneak into that window of opportunity and finally claim the overall win.

“I’m buoyed by the forecast I’ve seen this morning,” said Bellingham. “Half way across [the Strait] to the finish will be interesting....”

Loki’s crew hope to be in Hobart early on the 29th December, before the light and patchy winds plague the Tassie east coast, adding an element of pot luck to the closing stages, which is where the overall win has slipped out of the hands of so many over the race’s 66 year history.




Michael Bellingham Loki's navigator at the post race briefing press conference
ROLEX/Daniel Forster

Rolex Sydney Hobart debutante, Leander Klohs, crew boss of Damien Parkes’ JV52 Duende, was in esteemed company when she sat between Hugo Boss skipper Alex Thomson and Iain Murray at this morning’s press conference. Leander is one of 77 women from 1008 crew contesting this year’s race, including three women skippers and at least nine navigators.



Santa will visit some of the international competitors at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia tomorrow. On race day, Monday 26 December, at least two crew from each of the 88 yachts rearing to go will attend the final compulsory weather briefing at 8.30am at the host club.

By Lisa Ratcliff/Rolex Sydney Hobart media

America's Cup News: TWO iconic pieces of Australia's sporting folklore will sail from Mackay Marina next week.

TWO iconic pieces of Australia's sporting folklore will sail from Mackay Marina next week. The America's Cup 12 metre yachts Australia and Steak N Kidney have been undergoing a refit at Mackay Marina and are headed for Sydney Harbour, where they will help revive memories of one of Australia's greatest sporting triumphs. Sydney yachtsman and Australian 12m Historic

Trust president Ben Morgan said on Thursday the yachts were a link with an era of pride for all Australians. The KA-5 Australia was tycoon Alan Bond's second 12m yacht. It was built in 1976 and unsuccessfully challenged for the America's Cup at Rhode Island in 1977. Bond's third 12m, the revolutionary winged-keeled Australia II won the trophy in 1983, breaking a 132-year winning streak by American yachtsmen and forever changing the series which is now dominated by multi-hulls. His first yacht, Southern Cross, is still operating as a charter vessel at Airlie Beach.

 Sid Fischer challenged for the America's Cup in 1985 at Fremantle, Western Australia, with the KA-14 Steak N Kidney. "Twelve metre yachting and the America's Cup racing form an era that is just iconic to Australians," Morgan said. "There is really nowhere you can go to experience 12m yachting from that era so the decision was made that it was best to form a voluntary organisation allowing people to participate in the restoration, operation and events surrounding these yachts." Morgan said he was sure Alan Bond, the man most remembered for Australia II's famous victory, would be happy. "There is no doubt that he was involved in something that created history," he said. "For Australians this was a huge cultural high point.

 "It needs to be remembered and preserved for what it was, and that was an unbelievable financial and personal commitment by Alan and his crews. 

"It was a win that paid enormous dividends for Australia as a country and culturally, all power to him. "He must be proud to know that part of that era is being preserved." Both yachts were taken to Airlie Beach about 10 years ago as tourist attractions, but the failure of the operating company left them mouldering at a pier before they were bought recently by the trust operators. Steak N Kidney joined Australia in the water yesterday after their refits at the Mackay Marina, and after sea trials over the next few days they are expected to leave for Sydney next week, stopping off at many ports along the way. "We're still searching for crews who want to join as we take the boats south," Morgan said. Anyone interested can contact him on 0415 577 724.

Volvo Ocean Race News:Drifting conditions force Legends race abandonment

"When wind conditions had failed to improve by 1530 local time, the race committee were finally forced to admit defeat and signaled to the fleet that the race had been abandoned."

Conditions were already very light when the 16 boat fleet, which includes boats from the first 10 round the world races, assembled at the start area off Postiguet Beach at 1300 local time.

To accommodate the fleet's wide range of age, size and performance, a pursuit race format was used, with the smaller boats setting off first to be chased by the larger faster yachts. To compensate for the light airs, the course had been reduced from 22 to just 12 miles.

The Italian Swan 55 Tauranga from the very first Whitbread Race in 1973-74 and the Nicholson 55 Dasher, sistership to Advenure from the 1973-74 and 1977-78 races were the first to start, with Tauranga making the better of the early drifting conditions.

The breeze had increased a fraction by the time the fastest boats, the two Volvo Open 70s Green Dragon and Telefónica Black joined in the race almost two hours later, by which time the bulk of the fleet had rounded the first two turning marks and started the long leg out to sea.

The two equally matched IOR Maxi Ketches, Steinlager 2 and Fisher & Paykel, who were racing together for the first time since their continuous round the world battle in the 1989-90 race, were once more locked together in their own private match race for supremacy.

Sailing on board Steinlager 2 was Lady Pippa Blake, wife of the late Sir Peter Blake, who competed in five round the world races and skippered Steinlager 2 to victory in 1989-90 edition.

When wind conditions had failed to improve by 1530 local time, the race committee were finally forced to admit defeat and signaled to the fleet that the race had been abandoned.

Leading the fleet at this point was the beautifully restored IOR Mini Maxi Charles Jourdan from the 1989-90 race. On board as part of the crew for the race was Alain Gabbay, Charles Jourdain's original skipper and a Legends Ambassador.

Happily, much breezier conditions expected for tomorrow's Legends race which will start at 1300 local time.

Tonight the crews and reunion guests will enjoy a party at the Legends Bar in the race village.

Legends Race 1 Start Times:

Tauranga Swan 65 1.069 13:00:00

Adventure/Dasher Nicholson 55 1.069 13:00:00

Berge Viking Swan 57 1.110 13:08:52

King's Legend Swan 65 1.140 13:14:57

Galuoises III Holland IOR 62 1.204 13:26:55

L'Esprit d'Equipe IOR 58 Sloop 1.224 13:30:24

GB II / Whitbread Heritage IOR Maxi Sloop 1.350 13:49:57

Heineken / Cuba Libre '93 Whitbread 60 1.420 13:59:19

Assa Abloy /Ambersail '01 Volvo Ocean 60 1.420 13:59:19

Tyco / Team Heiner '01 Volvo Ocean 60 1.420 13:59:19

Rothmans IOR Maxi Sloop 1.428 14:00:20

Steinlager 2 IOR Maxi Ketch 1.432 14:00:50

Fisher & Paykel IOR Maxi Ketch 1.432 14:03:50

Charles Jourdan IOR Mini Maxi 1.450 14:03:04

Telefónica Black '08 Volvo Open 70 1.680 14:27:17

Green Dragon '08 Volvo Open 70 1.680 14:27:17

Volvo Ocean Race : Legendary duel reborn

@iSailmedia.com

Yachting: Legendary duel reborn
By Paul Lewis

Orginal Story on NZherald, 

One of the oldest and keenest rivalries in New Zealand sport - the Peter Blake vs Grant Dalton duel around the world in Steinlager 2 and Fisher & Paykel - could be reprised in part at the beginning of the current Volvo ocean race in Alicante this week.

The two maxi ketches produced a thrilling duel around the globe in the 1989-90 version of the race, known then as the Whitbread, with their clash becoming New Zealand sailing legend. It was the precursor to New Zealand's America's Cup interests, awakening many Kiwis not already bitten by the sailing bug to the drama that can be played out on the high seas.

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race

Dalton skippered Fisher & Paykel, Blake (later Sir Peter) Steinlager 2 and both yachts have been refitted and will take part in the Volvo Ocean Race Legends regatta - the first of its kind for veterans of the first 10 Whitbread and Volvo races. The regatta will be raced from Tuesday night (NZT) to Saturday on in-shore courses and includes other well-known round-the-world racers like Heineken, Charles Jourdan, Rothmans, Berge Viking, Great Britain II (skippered by the great Chay Blyth again) and Kings Legend.

Blake, who died in 2001, will be represented on Steinlager by Dalton's current right-hand-man in the New Zealand Camper campaign - the highly respected Kevin Shoebridge.

Dalton is not sure what sort of shape Fisher & Paykel is in and said he'd check it out when he got to Alicante. "I have had to suffer 22 years of Kevin Shoebridge giving it to me about the Whitbread," said Dalton. "I don't want to cop it for another 22 years - not after we (F&P) led the Whitbread almost all the way round the world for most of that race.

"It'll be good to rekindle old rivalries although I'm a bit nervous about what state Fisher & Paykel is in. I won't know until I see her but some of the pictures I have seen of her made her look as though she has been more of a charter boat lately."

The 25m Farr-designed ketch is currently owned by Spain's Kino Quiroga and will be sailed by a mostly Spanish crew drawn from veterans who competed on Licor 43 (1981-82), Galicia 93 Pescanova (1993-94) and movistar (2005-6). Steinlager 2, however, sounds as if it is back in racing trim. After the Whitbread race in 1989-90, she was sold to Italian interests, then sold again to Belgian owners until, in 2003, a group of sailing philanthropists from Lugano in Switzerland decided to do up "Big Red" which had fallen into disrepair.

"The yacht was in poor condition but, even so, her fascination was unbeatable," said current owner Stefan Detjen in a previous interview. "We decided to save her from a sad end."

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race

The project cost vast amounts of money and many of the original group of 10 co-owners left as the bills mounted. Detjen carried most of the load and there are apparently now plans to return Steinlager 2 to New Zealand - although it is not clear whether she has a new owner here or whether it will be a visit only.

The duel between F&P and Steinlager 2 made sailing history - with Fisher & Paykel leading most of the time, only to be hauled in time and again by Blake as each port neared. On the second leg, Fisher & Paykel led for 26 days only to be overtaken by Steinlager 2 which handled the light air patches better and went on to win by 34 minutes. It was the same in the next leg - to Auckland - where the close finish lives long in memory and the final leg to Southampton was again a thrilling duel before Blake found a way to separate the two boats and win by 38 minutes.   Volvo Ocean Race site .

Americas Cup Sustainability News : Sir Peters Blakes Old Vessel arrives in San diego .

Research Vessel Arrives In San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- Area civic leaders welcomed to San Diego Thursday the crew of a research vessel on a three-year global expedition to study biodiversity in the oceans.
The 118-foot schooner with the Tara Oceans Expedition will remain in San Diego for three weeks to undergo repairs to its sails and replace one of its two engines. Scientists aboard the vessel will also spend time with colleagues at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla.

"San Diego cares deeply for the health of the ocean and San Diegans understand more than people in most other cities the role a healthy ocean can play in the environment," Mayor Jerry Sanders said.

Scott Peters, chairman of the Port Commission, issued the crew a proclamation.
The Tara, once owned by the late yachtsman Sir Peter Blake -- who won the America's Cup in 1995 in San Diego -- has been at sea since 2009 collecting data about the world's oceans and marine life.
Chief scientist Eric Karsenti said researchers have been collecting organisms and sending them to land to have their genomes mapped, and 70 percent of what they find are not included in their DNA database, a sign of the rich biological diversity in the oceans.

Researchers are also on a quest to find out what effect climate change is having on plankton.
"Plankton may be the base of the food chain, but they affect everything on top of them, and produce as much as 50 percent of the air we breathe," said Dr. Chris Bowler, one of the researchers on the Tara Oceans.
The crew has collected plankton samples from all over the world and about every month or so ships the samples back to labs in France.
The expedition, which is sponsored in part by the French National Center for Scientific Research, has a goal to map the various changes plankton are facing in the world's oceans which are being affected by climate change.

"One disturbing thing we found which we did not expect to find was plastic particles in the Antarctic. It's so far from human intervention and yet we're finding plastic particles there," Bowler said.
Tara scientists plan to use their time to promote future collaboration with Scripps Oceanography, Karsenti said.
They also will make presentations in local schools before departing Nov. 23 for Panama.
After their Panama stop, the ship will head for New York and then across the Atlantic Ocean to France in March 2012.
Tara oceans Blog . http://oceans-taraexpeditions-es.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

Americas Cup News :Drastic Changes To Race Format,.

@iSailmedia.com

Streamlining The Americas Cup World Series 

In a Competitors forum held last week . It was agreed upon to limit the actual racing days to five at a venue.

This does not change the amount days the boats have access to the water for practice though .

That will still be the same . What it does change is that cost of the event running the TV and media parts , media boats , Course Marshalls, and the time a venues harbor is shut down , helicopter days,. race committee days needed on the water etc.

The AC Tv staff alone employs some 140 to 150 people to capture the event .That with three helicopters needed to be up  medical boats two umpires on Jet skis . The committee boat the two TV cats . Several VIP ribs provided to the teams for guest racers , Anywhere from ten to twelve photo boats , this all starts to add up . Nine days of racing is a long time and this move will allow the teams much needed practice time.

@isailmedia.com

 It also comes at a time im sure some teams are blessing, with at least three boats a board the USS Constitution needing extensive  repair work from damages in Plymouth on the final Super Sunday we all now call it . Artemis racing as well as Green com have major damage .Alpeh as well not as critical .

@iSailmedia.com

Having basically cleaned out the ACRM spare parts trailer in Plymouth as well as a one complete boats hulls and wings were borrowed . That being boat eight of the Venetian challenge that was in its container .Core Builders have shipped at least one complete new wing and team China's wing is believed to have been sent back to NZL for repairs .Though San Diego not known for there high winds like the sound in Plymouth . ACRM will need to restock .

Also new is the team patch and templates this probably a move to standardize the using of the America's Cup logo by teams on there team gear and team merchandise.

All in a responsible and corporate event management descion these changes will insure a more efficient and cost efficient way for Venues to control the cost this great Venue has proved to be.

Only ten months well almost a year old in inception. The first two events Cascais And Plymouth were the test beds. Having proved there Global plan the Americas Cup World series has 14 events left . Im sure these wont be the last changes made. With the Announcement last week from Lunna Rossa That they will be trying to field a boat its not sure if they attended the Forum . No official announcement  has been made yet from The Golden Gate Yacht club .  Defending Host club . A application has to be made from and accepted as well as. The fees and purchase of a Ac45 . Like all the current competitors have fulfilled  . Luna Rossa  are a late entry .

San Diego next stop all aboard. Links to Virtual Note board .

http://noticeboard.americascup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Sailing-Instructions-ACWS-San-Diego-.pdf

Source America's Cup Virtual Notice Board .

34th America’s Cup Regatta Notice 2011/71

From: Iain Murray, Regatta Director

To: Competitors for the 34th America's Cup

Date: 25 October 2011

RE: Protocol Amendment No. 10

Attached is a signed copy of Protocol Amendment No. 10, agreed during the

Competitor Forum Monday 17 October via conference call regarding:

1.1. Article 4.3(b): To more accurately reflect ACRM’s structure after tax

advice and incorporation since the Protocol was first signed.

1.2. Article 15.4(j): Confers a power on the Jury to mediate a dispute.

1.3. Article 22.2: ACWS regattas do not have 9 days of racing, but a mixture

of racing practice days and speed trials.

1.4. 41.8(b): Removes the requirement to provide projections, but retains the

requirement to provide normal six monthly financial reporting.

1.5. Article 43.10(b) and Article 54.6: Allows ACEA to proceed with a new

Event Logo for both the ACWS, LVC and the AC (refer to the draft ACEA

Event Memorandum issued to competitors by email dated 3 October 2011)

reconnaissance during an ACWS regatta.

The Protocol including Amendment No. 10 has been posted to the Virtual

Notice Board. The Virtual Notice Board can be accessed here:

http://noticeboard.americascup.com

Iain Murray

Regatta Director

OFFICIAL SITE HERE @AMERICASCUP.COM