America's Cup

Yesterday, there was no press conference about the next America's Cup as originally planned. Instead, a press release circulated that announced the announcement will now happen on September 13 at the BMWOracle base in Valencia ESP. But it won't be the tell-all announcement. The plan is to reveal “three of the four cornerstones of the next competition.” Date, boat and rules. No word about the place, except that ‘negotiations over the host city venue – the fourth cornerstone – continue, but organizers are confident of making an announcement ahead of the December 31 objective.”

San Francisco officials are moving quickly to acquire an exemption to state environmental law in time for a deadline to submit a proposal on hosting the next America's Cup, The Chronicle has learned. "Without this legislative action, it is likely that San Francisco will not be selected and the regatta will be held overseas," said a recent memo from Mayor Gavin Newsom's office that was used to brief environmentalists on the proposal, which would cover shoreside facilities for yachts, gear and support services. Some environmental groups, while appreciative that city officials sought their input, warn that an exemption would open the floodgates for wealthy interests to circumvent state-required environmental review. "We're not going to sit by idly and let that happen," said Tina Andolina, legislative director for the Planning and Conservation League, an environmental lobbying group. Read the full story.
[Ed. note: Are we alone with the hunch that the good folks in California could muck up the Cup's return to the US?]

Passion boiled over, a rare penalty for abuse was the result, but 'TeamOrigin' GBR beat the America's Cup holders 'BMWOracle Racing' USA by a score of 10-4 to win the 1851 Cup regatta in Cowes, Isle of Wight. 'Origin' after winning the start of the first of three races in Stokes Bay, was in a tight situation at the top turning mark and appealed to umpire Bill Edgerton, who waved them away. The ensuing cussing match netted the Brits a whistle and a penalty flag for 'dissent' and allowed 'BMWOracle' to even the series at 4-4 after getting three points for the win. But it was a mere hiccup on the road to victory for Ben Ainslie and his mates, as the next two races went to 'TeamOrigin' which recently added four-time Cup-winning Kiwi Simon Daubney as trimmer. The BMWOracle blog.

The World Sailing Teams Association, together with Louis Vuitton and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, will not develop the proposed Louis Vuitton Trophy Hong Kong any further. The proposed event, on Version 5 America’s Cup class boats, would have been scheduled for Victoria Harbour in January 2011. It has become clear however, that many of the teams involved are focusing their resources on their preparations for the 34th America’s Cup. The rest of the story.

In a race today marked with penalties, blown sails and broken equipment, 'BMW Oracle Racing' USA defeated 'TeamOrigin' GBR around the Isle of Wight by 1 minute and 55 seconds to win the Trafalgar Cup. The race re-enacted the famous race of 1851 that gave rise to the legend of the America’s Cup. Instead of a wooden schooner from America racing 14 British yachts, two America’s Cup Class sloops constructed of carbon fiber sailed the 53-nautical-mile course. But the outcome was similar: an American yacht won. More form the victorious team’s blog and the video

Racing in late day sunshine and a puffy northerly wind, America's Cup winner 'BMW Oracle Racing' got on the scoreboard today in The 1851 Cup versus 'Team Origin' GBR when the Brits broke down in the pre-start with a failed halyard lock on the mainsail. Prior to the mishap 'Team Origin' stretched its winning streak to four races. Details form 'BMWOracle’s perspective.

Under dramatic skies and with the wind at the upper end of the range permissible for sailing (Ed. note: Reported wind speed was 22-25 knots, a normal day in San Francisco), so the 1851 Cup got off to a fine start. After two races, quadruple Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie and his crew on TEAMORIGIN lead America’s Cup champions BMW ORACLE Racing, with James Spithill by a score of 2-0. In the first race BMWOracle led after the first lap but chose the starboard mark of the leeward gate which gave the trailing Bits a passing lane and in the second race they did themselves in by being over early at the start and never getting a chance to catch up on the shortened course. The report.

Two of sailing’s young top skippers, James Spithill AUS and Ben Ainslie GBR, will square off this week in The 1851 Cup, a one-off match racing regatta between America’s Cup winner BMW Oracle Racing USA and TeamOrigin GBR. While the two teams race each other on the Solent, the public will have an opportunity to view the America’s Cup. The trophy will be on display daily beginning at 10:00 am until early evening. Spithill, who skippered the 'BMW Oracle' trimaran to the Cup win last February also won the Melges 24 Worlds and the World match racing Championship in 2005, while Ainslie is best known for his three Olympic gold medals. Both sailors were teammates on the ‘OneWorld’ America’s Cup Challenge in 2003. Racing on 'BMW Oracle' Racing’s two vintage IACC sloops begins today at 3:30 pm GMT. The highlight of the regatta is Thursday’s race around the Isle of Wight, retracing the famous 53-nautical-mile course of 1851 that created the America’s Cup. The event Web site (still offline at press time).

In the America’s Cup Video Competition a panel of expert judges selected three “early winners,” which could mean that there might be "late winners" as well, because the competition remains open through September. Watch these three clips titled 'Ride It', 'A bit of Hawaii' and 'Seaweed' to judge for yourself. Only entrants under 28 years of age are invited to share production techniques “to energize the look of the competition for the world’s oldest sporting trophy.” This demographic was targeted because of its close association with extreme sports and social media.
Starting on Thursday of this week there will be on-the water tests in Valencia ESP with two pairs of monohulls and multihulls competing on modified courses to review the format of racing. The boats will be equipped with HD and 3D cameras to capture the on board action.

Sailing may not be as popular as football in this country, but hosting the world's premier regatta would pack at least three times the economic punch for San Francisco as a Super Bowl. That's the assessment of a new economic study obtained by The Chronicle that found that holding the next America's Cup here in either 2013 or 2014 would infuse $1.4 billion into the Bay Area's economy - the vast majority of it in San Francisco - and generate 8,800 jobs, from prep cooks to engineers. Hosting a Super Bowl generates between $300 million and $500million on average. All told, including statewide and national impacts like extended tourism, the series of yacht races in San Francisco Bay would generate $1.9 billion in economic activity and create about 12,000 jobs, according to a city-commissioned report by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Beacon Economics, which was released today. Read more about the what-ifs and the numbers that are being tossed around with great abandon.

Larry Ellison's hometown, San Francisco, has been named as the sole US Defense venue option for the 34th America's Cup by the Defender Golden Gate Yacht Club. In a just released statement, Golden Gate YC says that the West Coast city 'has put forward a strong, well-rounded venue proposal, and is now the only city in the USA under consideration to host the 34th America’s Cup match.' The decision excuses from further consideration other bids from San Diego, Long Beach and Newport, RI, however European options are still under consideration including the venue for the 32nd and 33rd America's Cup, the Spanish city of Valencia. However it is believed that all US venues will participate in future Louis Vuitton Trophy series in some future time. The report in the SF Chronicle with video.

The Defender of the America's Cup, Golden Gate Yacht Club, announced that US SAILING will author a multihull rule and the RORC’s Seahorse Rating a canting-keel monohull rule for the next generation of America’s Cup yacht. In response to feedback from potential teams, the original concepts for both types have been scaled back from 26m (82 feet) LOA to 22m (72 feet) for tangible cost reduction. An engine will be used to cant the keel on the monohull and move appendages on the multihull. The rule authors have been tasked to specify an environmentally friendly, smart, low-emission engine or power-pack.
General Features – High-performance and close racing; light to strong wind range capability; ease of shipping & transportation; 22m max LOA
Monohull Features: 1.0 x wind speed upwind performance, 1.4 x wind speed downwind performance, narrow displacement range; combination of bow and twin rudders allowed; bowsprit; unlimited gennaker area; 13 crew
Multihull Features: 1.2 x wind speed upwind performance, 1.6 x wind speed downwind performance; displacement 4000-4200kg; up to four moveable appendages; wing sails permitted; demountable assembly; 12 crew.
The choice of boat type will be made after the conclusion of these trials, the first round of which is scheduled for Valencia in late July. See the monohull concept (PDF) and that for multihulls (PDF).

Led by team owner Larry Ellison (USA) and representing San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, BMWOracle Racing won the America’s Cup in February – the first time an American team has won the Cup in 18 years. Now they showed the Auld Mug to President Obama during a White House reception. The America’s Cup has been to the White House on one other occasion - President Reagan welcomed Dennis Conner after his Stars & Stripes team won the trophy back from Australia in 1987. The visit to the White House marked the beginning of an East Coast tour for the BMW Oracle Racing team and the America’s Cup. Full story.

Patrizio Bertelli, the owner of Luna Rossa, decided to pull the plug on sailing in the 34th America's Cup, whenever, wherever that might be. The Louis Vuitton finalist of the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia reportedly appears to be out of the Cup, but the rest of its sailing program should continue. In other news: The Swedish Artemis team announced that team manager Jared Henderson won’t sail with the team, following the decision by team chairman Torbjorn Tornqvist to restructure the organization. Henderson was the longest serving team member and helped build the team, which competes on the TP52 and RC44 circuits, and the Louis Vuitton Trophy. The report.

In a joint initiative by the defender, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Challenger of Record, Italy’s Club Nautico di Roma, a draft of the Protocol rules for the 34th America’s Cup was sent to the challenging teams today. Foremost amongst numerous innovations is a forward-thinking structure that allows funds and assets to transfer from one America’s Cup to the next. Some key elements to be included the 34th America’s Cup Protocol: neutral race management body, wide-ranging powers for the jury, cost cutting measures; initiative to transform television media output; added-value to sponsors & business partners; sustainable, long-term business model and regular races leading up to the Cup. Lastly, the protocol will limit costs by reducing the number of racing crew, introducing no-sailing periods and limiting the numbers of hulls, masts, appendages and sails teams can build.The reportand the protocol (PDF).

‘Team New Zealand’ NZ came back from a 0-2 deficit to win three consecutive races and the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena ITA against ‘Synergy Sailing Team’ RUS. It was the first time in America’s Cup history that a Russian-flagged boat has reached the final as the international crew led by Polish skipper Karol Jablonski came very close to clinching the series. Especially Race 4 was close, which the Russians lost due to a penalty they incurred after making contact with the Kiwis downwind. In the last race they trailed and lost their gennaker. The report and the video clips of the final day including interviews with the finalists.

The semifinal between the two surprise ‘upstarts’ 'All4One' GER/FRA and 'Synergy Sailing Team' RUS was fought in light air and brought a Russian sweep. In the first race of the finals, which started late, they managed to pass favorites 'Team New Zealand' NZL and score the first point. Today they’ll race the rest. The report.

After two long weeks, the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena is slowly winding down. In the first semifinal yesterday, ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL eliminated ‘Artemis’ SWE with a 2-1 score and advanced to the finals where the Kiwis will meet the winner of ‘All4One’ FRA/GER and ‘Synergy Sailing Team’ RUS who’ll have their semifinal today. More on the event site.

In leftover round robin business, ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL was handed an easy win by ‘Mascalzone Latino’ ITA who were over early a the start. This gave the Kiwis third overall and a spot in the semis. Then 'All4One’ FRA/GER defeated ‘Artemis’ SWE win the round robin. Both also advanced to the semifinals. Next ‘Synergy Sailing Team’ RUS won a best-of three quarter finals series against ‘Mascalzone,’ which had a better record but the same points (5) due to a jury decision, which resulted in a points deduction. What about the other quarterfinals? It never was explained, but they were skipped (presumably due to the many delays in the schedule) so the round robin standings determined the other semifinalists. If all that sounds complicated, console yourself with the pairings for today’s semifinals. ‘Artemis’ vs. ‘’ETNZ’ and ‘All4One’ vs. ‘Synergy’ More on the Louis Vuitton site.

‘All4One’ FRA/GER moved up to second equal place at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena yesterday and will race ‘Artemis’ SWE today to decide the winner of the round robin. The match between ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL and ‘Mascalzone Latino’ ITA, who are tied for second, will further clarify the standings. Presently, these four boats are at the top of the standings with only one point separating them. Strong and gusty northwest winds allowed only two races yesterday: ‘Mascalzone Latino’ def. TemOrigin GBR. The Brits were pushing hard for the lead but a spinnaker takedown went bad and grinder Mike Mottl was hurt when his leg was caught in a sheet. The boat stopped to ease the sheets and attend to Mottl who stayed aboard to finish the race before getting medical attention. The diagnosis was no broken bones, but a deeply torn muscle. In the other race ‘All4One’ beat ‘Aleph' Sailing Team,’ FRA. The event Web site.

With a victory over ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL, ‘Artemis’ SWE yesterday claimed sole possession of the lead at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. America's Cup Defender, ‘BMW Oracle Racing’ USA however bowed out of the competition, along with ‘Aleph Sailing Team’ FRA', despite two race wins after failing to make the cut for the next round. After six races in winds ranging from 15 to 20, ‘Artemis’ is ahead with 6 points followed by the Kiwis and ‘Synergy’ RUS with 5 each. Yesterday's match results: ‘BMW Oracle Racing’ def. Mascalzone Latino ITA, ‘Artemis’ def. ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’, ‘Mascalzone Latino def. ‘Aleph’, ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA def ‘Aleph’, ‘BMW Oracle Racing def. ‘Azzurra’ ITA, ‘Azzurra’ def. ‘TeamOrigin’ GBR. Details on the event Web site.

Yesterday, the forecast mistral raged in La Maddalena. With gusts well over 30 knots, all racing was canceled. The forecast for Tuesday predicts the wind should return to 'sailable' strength with another wallop late in the afternoon. All this doesn't help as the event runs behind schedule and only has two boats, but no word on program revisions yet. Co-leaders are ‘Artemis’ SWE, and ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL at 5-2 followed by ‘Synergy’ RUS, with a 5-4 record. More info on the event Web site.

Last week the International Sailing Federation published their comments regarding the report of America’s Cup Race Officer Harold Bennett who conducted the races of America’s Cup 33 off Valencia ESP last February. Some might still remember the brouhaha caused by the mutiny of the Swiss representatives aboard the committee boat prior to the second race. Bennett recruited other helpers and got the race off, which BMWOracle Racing won in convincing fashion. ISAF more or less recognized that the race was run fairly, although they did find some nits to pick and they'll study what, if anything, needs to be changed. The ISAF release and a link to Bennett’s report.

Sardinia's famous Mistral, the strong and blustery wind from the northwest, is building in strength and only one race was sailed yesterday on flat water and foaming whitecaps. Racing was cancelled for the day. ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL def. ‘BMW Oracle Racing’ USA. A hard-fought battle between New Zealand’s Dean Barker and Oracle’s James Spithill went the Kiwis’ way when the American team lost a penalty call in an aggressive luffing match approaching the second weather mark. ‘ETNZ’ now is tied for the lead with ‘Artemis’ SWE and ‘Synergy Sailing team’ RUS at 5 points all. ‘BOR’ is ninth with one point. The event Web site, the video and the standings

One point separates the top five boats at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena after five races sailed in fresh breezes. ‘Synergy Racing Team’ RUS ‘Artemis’ SWE share the top of the point’s table, each with five points. ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL, TeamOrigin GBR and ‘All4One’ FRA/GER are all equal third on four points. strong ‘Artemis’ broke a pole and shredded a gennaker, and ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ ripped their jib. Both teams lost their respective races. The day’s results: ‘TeamOrigin’ def. ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA, ‘Azzurra’ ITA def. ‘Synergy,’ ‘Artemis def. ‘Azzurra’, ‘Synergy’ def. ‘Artemis,’ (DNF), ‘All 4One’ def. ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’. In other developments: Reversing the disqualification of ‘ETNZ’ in their race against ‘BMWOracle’ from Friday for some arcane rig-tension issue, the jury decided on a rematch. The event Web site.

Grant Simmer has been appointed as CEO of Team Origin, the British team currently competing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Simmer, most recently the managing director and design co-ordinator for Alinghi, takes on the new position with immediate effect. Simmer’s new role as CEO sees him take responsibility for the sporting and technical activities of the team as well as overseeing the commercial operations. He first competed in the America’s Cup in 1983 at the age of 27 as navigator on board Australia II. The report.

‘Synergy Racing Team’ RUS joined ‘Artemis’ SWE and ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL on top of the points table at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena ITA today as unstable wind conditions limited the schedule to just two races. The Russians beat the America’s Cup champion ‘BMW Oracle Racing’ USA and ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ went down to ‘BOR’ on an umpire-initiated penalty for failing to maintain adequate rig tension on the last spinnaker run. It was a break for the US team that is near the bottom of the standings with just two points, including a loss against ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA on Thursday, despite a man-overboard situation on the Italian boat. The best win-loss record is still owned by Artemis’ with 4-1. More on the event Web site.

‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL won two races today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena to end the day in first with a 4-1 record and tied with ‘Artemis’ SWE, who lost for the first time yesterday. There was wind all day from the west, shifty and with big speed changes on different parts of the course with gusts up to 20 knots near the weather mark. The Kiwis, third yesterday with two points, deftly dispatched ‘Azzurra’ ITA and then ‘Aleph Sailing Team’ FRA. Later ‘Mascalzone Latino’ ITA beat ‘Artemis’ which dropped the Swedes into the tie with ETNZ. In the other races, ‘TeamOrigin’ GBR beat ‘Synergy’ RUS, ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA beat ‘BMWOracle’ USA and ‘Synergy’ defeated ‘Aleph.’ More on the event Web site.

Team ‘Artemis’ SWE, skippered by Paul Cayard and steered by Terry Hutchinson USA, remains unbeaten after the first half of round robin racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. They are 4-0 followed by the French/German 'All4One' team with three points but also three losses. Five teams are tied for third, each with two points. And 'BMWOracle' USA finally got on the board. Yesterday's results: ‘Mascalzone Latino’ ITA def. ‘Synergy’ RUS, ‘BMWOracle’ USA def. 'All4One', ‘Emirates Team new Zealand’ NZL def. ‘Synergy’, ‘Artemis’ def. ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA, and ‘All4One’ def. Luna Rossa.’ More on the event Web site.

The fresh 18-knot breeze made for better racing and for some carbon carnage at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena yesterday. A major start line collision seriously damaged both leased BMWOracle boats and led to the disqualification and a three-point penalty for the ‘Aleph Sailing Team’ FRA. The French struck the stern of ‘Azzurra’ ITA as the boats sped down the starting line 35 seconds before the gun. No personal injuries were reported, but both boats had to be retired, so the event will continue with the two boats for the time being. The other results: ‘Team Synergy’ RUS beat ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA, ‘Artemis’ SWE (featuring Paul Cayard and Terry Hutchinson USA in the afterguard) defeated winless ‘BMWOracle Racing’ USA, ‘TeamOrigin’ GBR edged 'All4One' FRA/GER by 5 seconds, and ‘Luna Rossa’ ITA defeated ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL. The overall lead belongs to undefeated ‘Artemis’ with 3 points, followed by four teams with 2. At the bottom of the standings ‘BMWOracle’ with 0 points, and ‘Aleph’ with –2. The event Web site with the carefully edited Day 4 video that does not show the collision.

Racing continued in light and shifty air at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena on the Italian island of Sardinia. ‘Mascalzone Latino’ ITA first lost their race to ‘All4One’ FRA/GER and in addition, the ‘rascals’ also got docked one point in the jury room for not giving enough room at the first mark rounding and causing contact. ‘TeamOrigin’ GBR got their first point off 'BMWOracle Racing', which fell to 0-2. In the standings, 'Artemis' is on top, still undefeated, with a 2-0 record, ahead of ‘Aleph Sailing Team’ FRA and ‘All4One’ also with two points, but also one loss. The reports, the standings and the gallery.

After knocking off ‘Azzurra’ on Saturday, ‘Mascalzone Latino’ won a cliffhanger over their other Italian rivals, ‘Luna Rossa,’ by five seconds on Sunday in light north-easterly winds on the Golfo di Arzachena off La Maddalena. It was first time in seven years of racing in America’s Cup boats, that the Latin Rascals defeated Luna Rossa. In the other pairings ‘All4One’ FRA/GER defeated ‘Azzurra’ ITA by 20 seconds, 'Aleph Sailing Team' FRA got the better of def America’s Cup champions BMW Oracle Racing by 28 seconds in a close contest and ‘TeamOrigin’ GBR went down in another defeat, this time to ‘Artemis’ SWE. After Saturday’s chute comedy, the Brits hooked a crab pot in the pre-start and went head-to-wind so one crew could jump in and slash the ropes. In the interim standings, ‘Aleph’ and ‘Mascalzone’ share the lead with 2-0 records, followed by ‘All4One’ and ‘Artemis’ at 1-0. Due to the long delay in racing on Sunday, ‘Emirates Team New Zealand’ NZL and ‘Synergy Russian Sailing Team’ RUS have yet to race. See the video on the event Web site.

Yesterday, only the first two matches were sailed in light conditions at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena ITA. Aleph Sailing Team FRA defeated TeamOrigin GBR by a margin of 01:06coming from behind to overtake the Brits after they messed up their chute in a disaster gybe. In Race Two, the Italian duel, ‘Mascalzone Latino’ beat ‘Azzurra’ by 2:27, after ‘Azzurra’, racing under the colors of Sardinia’s Yacht Club Costa Smerelda took an ‘Ernesto penalty’ for entering the start box early. They trailed ‘Mascalzone’ around the course and never bothered to execute their penalty turn. The sting of the loss was somewhat softened by Inter Milan’s win over the German squad of Bayern Munich in then Champions Leage soccer final. The postponed matches will be sailed today. More on the event Web site.

Yesterday, 19 yacht designers met in Valencia to discuss the next type of Cup yacht. Two different multihulls (20m and 25m LOA) and one monohull (up to 27m LOA, both conceived by Californian designers Bruce Nelson and Morelli/Melvin, were subject of this conference, which was chaired by BMWOracle Racing’s design coordinator, Ian Burns. 'The America’s Cup is the pinnacle of our sport, so the boats should be physically demanding to race well and produce fast, competitive racing to engage new fans,' said Burns. 'America’s Cup boats shouldn’t be the last to start racing and the first to quit whilst other classes are still racing,” commented BMWOracle’s Russell Coutts. “They also need to be designed from the outset to unleash the full potential of television.” Teams will have the chance to review the new rule before it is finalized and published before September 30. The report.

The controversy about their origin and their losing performance at the last Cup match are all history for Alinghi's sails. Their future is dedicated to a noble cause as they are en route to Haiti for use as tents by the victims of January's earthquake. The Spanish daily, El Mundo, reported that the shipment, which also includes 65 boxes of Alinghi team clothing, left Madrid airport as part of a wider Messengers of Peace charity arrangement. The Alinghi carbon-fiber sails are strong, light and waterproof and will be re-cut and made in to tents at the camps through an on-site work program. With hundreds of thousands still living in the island's temporary camps, the resulting 1,000 shelters will be shared as widely and equally as possible among survivors. Chapeau, Alinghi.

TeamOrigin GBR yesterday announced “that Mike Sanderson has left the team following the decision by Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal, to restructure the organization. This decision has been taken to ensure that the team functions as effectively and efficiently as possible, in order to improve the team's performance and ultimately win the America's Cup.” Sanderson who has been with the team since it was formed in 2007, might have taken the fall for the rather mediocre results the squad around Ben Ainslie turned in at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland in March and last week at the TP 52 MedCup in Cascais POR, despite being the only team with a brand new boat. A report in YW.

It was a nasty pickle in the America’s Cup jar three years ago, when Simon Daubney NZL was found guilty of a doping violation during the Cup in Valencia when he sailed for 'Alinghi' and was suspended for two years by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). This year however, the eight-time world champion, three-time Olympian and seven-time America’s Cup participant is one of five 'Team New Zealand' inductees into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. It is a delicate matter, but also one that needs to be seen in perspective, given the hypocrisy in many other professional sports where doping still is endemic. Other inductees are Warwick Fleury (NZL), Murray Jones (NZL), Dean Phipps (NZL), Mike Drummond (NZL), and Halsey Herreshoff (USA). Full release (PDF) .

Yesterday’s America’s Cup 34 press conference in Rome might generate a lot of ink but no real news about the event: No venue, no date and certainly no boat design were announced by the two front men, Russell Coutts for Defender Golden Gate Yacht Club/BMWOracle USA and Vincenzo Onorato of Club Nautico di Roma/Mascalzone Latino ITA, the Challenger of Record. Design work is done on a mono- and a multihull with details to be released by 30 September, one month after the protocol for the next Cup is to be published to specify regatta format and rules. The venue to be announced by December 31, one month before the challenge period closes. So, there are no real news to report, but the party was good and the neckties were nice. Read the rest.

Few sailors have won as many important titles as John Kostecki. The two-time winner of US Sailing's Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award got a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in the Soling class, a win at the 2001-02 Volvo Ocean Race as the skipper for Illbruck Challenge, and last February he won the America’s Cup as tactician of BMW Oracle. Here’s an excerpt of US Sailing’s interview with JK:
What is your favorite sailing achievement and why?
Each of those achievements was very important to me at the time. They're all very hard to do and take a lot of time, energy and focus. It's satisfying now to have won the America’s Cup, won the Volvo Ocean Race and to have an Olympic medal. As far as we know, not too many people have done that. So certainly, that's a point of pride.
How important was it for the U.S. to re-claim the America’s Cup?
Hopefully it will mean a lot. I know it is part of Larry's (Ellison) vision to elevate the profile of the sport. If it's done the right way, I think it could really improve and energize the sport in the U.S.
Read the entire interview.

The tiny town of La Maddalena in Sardinia prepares to host 10 teams at the Louis Vuitton Trophy from 22nd May through 6th June. Three Italian entries, including the host ‘Mascalzone Latino’, ‘Azzurra’ and ‘Luna Rossa’ will be battling others such as 'BMW/Oracle Racing' and ‘Team New Zealand’. Each team will sail every other team once in a single round robin. The top eight teams will advance to the next stage and the round robin seeding will continue to be used in later stages. In the elimination rounds, top-ranked teams are matched against the lower ranked teams. The IACC boats for this event will be ITA 90, ITA 99, USA 87 and USA 98. See the entire story and the list of entries.

The Media Conference by Larry Ellison USA, Cup-Holder 'BMW-Oracle', and Vincenzo Onorato ITA, team-boss of the Challenger of Record 'Mascalzone Latino', next Thursday in Rome, is now expected to set the timelines and procedure for the consultative process, which will be a forerunner to the Protocol and opening of the entry window for the 34th America's Cup. That probably points to a Match date in 2014, venue will likely be San Francisco, as the mood seems to favor this option. Boat design probably will be a box-rule monohull in the 70 to 80-foot range. The report.

One month from now, the Louis Vuitton Trophy will be in La Maddalena on the Italian island of Sardinia, with 10 elite teams set to race in the Mediterranean Sea. The Louis Vuitton Trophy - La Maddalena follows two events in Auckland (February 2010) and Nice (November 2009). More races are planned in Dubai in November and Hong Kong in January of 2011. For La Maddalena, two additional teams will join the eight that competed in Auckland. America’s Cup Defender BMW ORACLE Racing will rejoin the circuit after missing Auckland and Luna Rossa, which has competed for the America’s Cup three times, winning the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000, will race for the Louis Vuitton Trophy for the very first time. Luna Rossa’s crew includes skipper Ed Baird, winner of the 32nd America’s Cup with Alinghi and tactician Torben Grael, who skippered Ericsson to a win in the last Volvo Ocean Race. Read the entire reportwith the entry list.

Italian fashion house Prada signalled its return to the America's Cup scene when it announced today that it will compete in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta in La Maddalena, Sardinia, next month. Racing under the name Luna Rossa, Patrizio Bertelli, a three-time America's Cup campaigner and chairman of the Prada group, has asked the American Ed Baird to skipper the Louis Vuitton crew and, it is thought, the team will go on to contest the third Lous Vuitton regatta this year, in Dubai, and the first in 2010 in Hong Kong. He will have two Brazilians with nearly two handsful of Olympic medals, Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael, alongside him but will not be with them on the parallel TP52 which joins the Audi MedCup circuit in Cascais, Lisbon, next month. The report in the Independent.

The BMW ORACLE Racing team, winners of the America’s Cup in February, will bring the oldest trophy in international sport to the Strictly Sail Pacific sail boat show on its opening day, Thursday, April 15, 2010. The America’s Cup will be on display at the West Coast’s largest all-sail show at the East Bay’s Jack London Square from noon until 6 pm, after which there will be a BMW ORACLE Racing team presentation from 6 to 7 pm. The team presentation is open to the public at no charge and features sailing and design team members in an open and interactive Q+A session, as well as video highlights from the team during its winning campaign for the 33rd America’s Cup. Participating BMW ORACLE Racing Team members include Brad Webb (NZL), bowman on the winning race crew; Ian Burns (AUS), design coordinator; and Tom Ehman (USA), head of External Affairs. Read the entire release.

The new America's Cup holder Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) announced that an agreement has been reached with the previous America’s Cup Trustee, Société Nautique de Genève, that all outstanding litigation in the New York courts concerning the recent 33rd match will be dropped by both sides. This includes GGYC’s Breach of Fiduciary Duty (“BFD”) claim against SNG, as well as all other claims over the design and construction of yachts Alinghi 5 and USA. GGYC’s representatives have started a consultative process with regard to the venue, timing, format and type of boat for the 34th America’s Cup.

The America’s Cup is back in the US after 15 years. The man who won it back, software mogul Larry Ellison, has big plans to make sailing more of a prime-time sports event, bringing more teams to the table by lowering the cost of entry and getting kids hooked on sailing again through better TV coverage. ‘We think we can make this extremely attractive and comprehensible. We want some 15-year-old watching this thing, saying, ‘Wow, that's cool. I'd love to do that.’’ But first Ellison has to do some homework because he has yet to sign two key players to his plans, Russell Coutts and James Spithill. Read the full interview. with Fortune's Adam Lashinsky.

For our readers who missed our weekend coverage of the new Jules Verne record and the Louis Vuitton Trophy, here's the recap of the essentials: Franck Cammas FRA and his warriors on 'Groupama 3' set a new world record for nonstop circumnavigations with a time of 48 days, 07 hours and 44 minutes that represents an average speed of 18.76 knots. After falling more than 500 miles behind after Cape Horn, ‘Groupama 3’ took only 6 days 10 h and 35' to cross the Northern Atlantic. All told, the trimaran took 2 days, 08 hours and 35 minutes off the old record time for the fastest circumnavigation under sail, which was held by 'Orange 2' since 2005.
Meanwhile on the other side of the world, host Team New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta by beating Mascalzone Latino ITA, the Challenger of Record for the 34th America’s Cup, with a 2-0 score. Race officials shortened the contest to a best-of-three series due to light and uncertain winds. On their way to the finals,TNZ beat Azzurra ITA 2-1 and Mascalzone beat Artemis SWE 2-1. Azzurra won the Petit Final against Artemis 1-0.

It's been quiet around Alinghi's (former) helmsman Ed Baird before and during the 33rd America's Cup, as his employer opted to sail without one of the world's best match racers. It was a decision that in many commentators' opinion hurt the Alinghi Team in their failed defense against BMWOracle. In an long-ish interview, Baird talks about getting on a Melges 32 as tactician, the future of Alinghi and his main job these days, coaching of his Opti-sailing kids. Read the interview.

Winning the only race of the day - the race management decided to reduce the final to a best-of-three match because of the uncertain weather conditions - Emirates Team NZL with Dean Barker NZL at the helm defeated the surprisingly strong 'Mascalzone Latino' (Gavin Brady NZL) team with 2-0, taking home the Louis Vuitton Tropjy on their home waters, as expected. The report. The next round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy follows in May off Sardinia.
Whereas the 'old' America's Cup is still celebrated on different occasions, the future of this event is not at all clear, as the responsibles of BMW-Oracle did not yet reveal whether mono- or multhills will be used. This decision will without doubt have an influence on the number of participants.
Re the still pending Court decisions between the new Cupholder BMW-Oracle and Alinghi, due for early March, the situation remains quiet. It seems that negotiations for an out-of-court settlement are underway.

After staving off elimination by a hair yesterday, Team New Zealand and Dean Barker changed character over night and re-established themselves as favorites here. First they defeated ‘Azzurra, and Francesco Bruni ITA in the third and decisive semifinal. After this warm-up they did a number on ‘Mascalzone Latino’ and skipper Gavin Brady NZL in the first race of the finals, by blocking the Italians outside the committee boat at the start. But ‘Mascalzone’ stormed back to lead at the end of the first lap only to surrender the slim lead again by splitting tacks with the Kiwis who ferociously defended and went on to win.
In the petit final that pitted ‘Artemis’ SWE against ‘Azzurra’ the Swedes picked up two penalties, which sealed their fate. First during the dial-up in the pre-start phase and later as the leading boat in a windward-leeward luffing incident. ‘Artemis’ had to take the turn for the second penalty immediately, forcing to douse the gennaker, complete the turn before continuing to sail the downwind leg. ‘Azzurra’ won, but a protest filed by Artemis over the Italians’ use of a second spinnaker was pending. In an interview, Artemis skipper Paul Cayard expressed disappointment about the rulings. Racing resumes tomorrow with the rest of the finals. Check the reports, videos and images.

It took three races, but the America’s Cup Challenger of Record, ‘Mascalzone Latino’ and skipper Gavin Brady NZL, pulled it off. After a fairly easy win in the first of their semifinal races against ‘Artemis’, they were over early in the second, essentially handing the win to the Swedish team. In race three, ‘Mascalzone’ held ‘Artemis’ in check to advance to the finals. In the other pairing ‘Azzurra’ with Francesco Bruni ITA incurred a penalty on the first beat in their race against ‘Team New Zealand’ but they got two breaks. First TNZ had problems with a sheet under the bow, which kept them from gybing on the first downwind, then they caught a shift and better pressure on the second beat which but them ahead far enough to wipe off their penalty and win the race to go up 1-0. In the second race, ‘Azzurra’ hung a pre-start penalty on ‘TNZ,' but the Kiwis, holding a 135-meter lead, managed to do their penalty turn at the finish line, winning by a whisker and evening the series at 1-1. Decision on Saturday. See all the results and the videos.

After a postponement due to lack of wind, the second elimination round was sailed at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand. Conditions forced the race management to replace the best-of-three format with a knockout system. 'Artemis' skippered by Paul Cayard USA eliminated 'Team Origin' with Ben Ainslie GBR, which was a fitting end for the Brits after a rather disappointing performance here. In the second match of the day, 'Azzurra' with Francisco Bruni ITA at the helm, took care of 'All4One' with Sébastien Col FRA and Jochen Schümann GER, who dug themselves into a deep hole with a penalty.
The pairings for tomorrow's semifinals are 'Team New Zealand' vs 'Azzurra' and 'Mascalzone Latino' vs 'Artemis'. The event-website with photos and the videos of the day.

Correction: At the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand, 'Team Aleph' FRA and Synergy' RUS were eliminated after losing to the teams with the best records, 'Mascalzone Latino' ITA and 'Team New Zealand' NZL respectively. In the other pairings, 'Artemis' SWE beat 'Azzurra' ITA while 'TeamOrigin' GBR beat 'ALL4One' GER/FRA. We regret this error in yesterday's edition.
TNZ and Mascalzone have advanced while the others sail another elimination round. ALL4One will battle 'Azzurra' and 'TeamOrigin is up against 'Artemis' to determine the other two semifinalists. The format is best of three, meaning the first to win two races will advance. Reports and live viewing.

Today, the Round Robin at the Louis Vuitton Trophy finished on a high note. In the all-Italian showdown 'Mascalzone Latino' (Gavin Brady NZL) kept the upper hand over 'Azzurra' (Francesco Bruni ITA), to secure a spot in the semifinals with a 5-2 score. There they are joining Team New Zealand' (Dean Barker NZL) who were already qualified with a 6-1 record. 'Team Aleph' (Bertrand Pacé FRA), 1-6, and 'Synergy' (Karol Jablonski POL), 0-7 are excused from competition. The remaining four teams with a 4-3 score, 'All4One GER/FRA, 'Azzurra' ITA, 'Artemis' SWE and 'TeamOrigin' GBR will sail a Repechage to determine the other semifinalists. The results and the event-website.

The Cup, which was won one month ago by the American team BMW ORACLE Racing, has been residing in its new home at the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco. Now it is in Auckland to be put on display for public viewing at Voyager, the New Zealand Maritime Museum, at the Viaduct Harbour, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week from 1100 until 1600 (1530 on Thursday). The Museum is putting on special rates of just $5 per adult, with free admission for children 14 and under. 'It’s appropriate that we bring the trophy to Auckland this week,' Russell Coutts, the CEO of BMWOracle Racing said. Helming Team New Zealand, he lifted the Cup from the US in 1995, defended it for the Kiwis in 2000 and he also took it with him to Switzerland when he skippered Cup winner Alinghi in 2003. See the press release.

Too much wind again for the intrepid match racers at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand. After only one race in Flight 6, the RC pulled the plug, but the only match they got in brought a hefty surprise, as previously unbeaten 'Team New Zealand' lost to the lowly 'Aleph' Team FRA. Regardless, the Kiwis are guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, while the French will have their final race tomorrow. The report.

Although San Francisco is the clear front runner as the venue for the next America’s Cup, Newport, Rhode Island, and San Diego, Calif. have not given up. Newport wants to www.pbn.com/detail/48553.html]host[/url] the event, hoping to return to the glory of the past, while San Diego has formed a committee to consider various scenarios. All this, because San Francisco does not have a lot of suitable venues at this point that would lend themselves to the development of an America’s Cup village with team bases and the associated facilities.

Taking advantage of home field and prevailing against co-favorite 'Azzura' (Francesco Bruni ITA), 'Team New Zealand' (Dean Barker NZL) remains unbeaten, while 'Artemis' (Paul Cayard SWE) lost a vital match on a penalty call to' Mascalzone Latino' (Gavin Brady ITA) during the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland. With just two days of racing remaining before the end of the round robin, four teams are tied for second place, each with three points: 'All4One' (GER/FRA), 'Azzurra' and 'Mascalzone Latino' ITA and 'TeamOrigin' GBR. Winless 'Synergy' (Karol Jablonski POL) and 'Aleph' (Bertrand Pacé FRA) are excused from competition. The standings and the event-website with reports, videos and photos.

Four of seven flights have been sailed and the standings are now more representative with two dominating teams, viz. the undefeated 'Emirates Team NZL' (Dean Barker NZL), 4-0 and 'Azzurra' (Francesco Bruni ITA), 3-1. The first two teams will be qualified directly for the semi-finals, the last two - at present 'Aleph' (Bertrand Pacé FRA) and 'Synergy' (Karol Jablonski POL), both without win - will be eliminated. The other teams will sail a repechage to select the two other semi-finalists. Much excitement will be guaranteed with 'Team Origin', 'All4One', 'Mascalzone Latino' and 'Artemis' all with a 2-2 score for the moment. The official website with reports, photos and videos of the day.

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful, or just plain too much. The latter was the case yesterday when the proceedings at the Louis Vuitton Trophy came to a screetching halt because winds from the southwest were gusting well above 20 knots. Blustery conditions are expected to stick around for a few days, so there might be some hard sailing, perhaps some breakage, and a great show for spectators in Waitemata Harbor. Racing for Saturday looks possible, with lighter air in the morning, picking up as the day goes on – to 15 knots early afternoon, then 20 later in the day. The image gallery,

For anyone involved in the America's Cup, the ups and downs constitute a fact of life. If you happen to be the winning team, then the moment your yacht crosses the finish line victorious, a brand new cycle starts. On the other hand, if you are any of the remaining teams, an uncertain future lies ahead of you. It has always been like that and this time it isn't any different. Yet one thing is to wind down in an orderly fashion and a completely different story is what we saw on Thursday morning in Port America's Cup. To our great surprise, the main entrance of the South African base has been sealed by the Spanish police and the team has been ordered to empty it and vacate it. The boat shed is open and, most probably, the shore crew will have to start packing very soon and try to find a temporary storage somewhere else. Whatever the reason might be, this is a truly sad end for the first ever America's Cup team from the African continent.

Whitewater on the deck, whitecaps on the Waitemata and warning whistles on the onboard overload alarms characterized the sailing today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta. Racing moved closer to the city front today as the Sou’wester funneled down the harbor, with puffs into the low 20-knot range. After three days of competition, ''Emirates Team New Zealand' is still undefeated (three wins) while three teams each have a 2-1 record. They are the German/French team 'All4One', the Swedish team 'Artemis' and 'Azzurra' from Italy. 'TeamOrigin' GBR lost to the host 'ETNZ' and is seventh with only one point. Browse the image gallery..

The San Francisco Examiner reported that the Port Commission voted to do “everything possible” to bring the 34th America’s Cup race to town. It doesn’t appear that any site north of the Bay Bridge — including future cruise terminal Pier 27 and Fort Mason — is large enough to host the international race, said Michael Cohen, director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. But the 13-acre site at piers 30 and 32, in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, may have a jump on other southern waterfront sites. But piers 30 and 32 are not without obstacles. In September, the tire of a heavily loaded truck punched through the aging piers’ deteriorating concrete slab.

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand, brought four matches of Flight 2 in the first round robin. Waitemata Harbor dished out some fine conditions with moderate breeze and flat water. 'Emirates Team NZL' (Dean Barker NZL) against 'Mascalzone Latino' and 'Azzurra' (Francesco Bruni ITA) against 'Synergy' (Karol Jablonski POL) scored their second wins. With this, the two most cited favorites are already on top, followed by 'TeamOrigin', 'Artemis' and 'All4One' with 1 victory each. The results, photos und video.

After the mega multihulls had their day in the sun at America’s Cup 33 a few weeks ago, it’s back to good-ol’ lead-mine matchracing. The eight teams that entered in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Series in Auckland NZL (without BMW-Oracle and Alinghi) sail on the old IACC boats provided by Emirates Team New Zealand. There’s one round robin with each team meeting all other teams once and a one-race knockout that sends two teams to the semi finals and two teams packing. A round robin with the remaining four teams determines the other two semifinalists. The semifinal will be sailed as best-of-three series while the final will be best of five.
In todays firs flight ALL4ONE FRA/GER defeated Mascalzone Latino by 44 seconds, Azzurra ITA came form behind to beat Team Origin GBR and emirates Team New Zealand NZL defeated Artemis by 1 in 40 seconds. The french ALEPH Sailing Team won against Synergy Russian Sailing Team. Results and live coverage.

Two reports in the New Zealand daily ‘NZ Herald’ caused some concern among Cup aficionados. One suggests Russell Coutts could be planning a raid on Alinghi: ‘There's a few of the Alinghi guys, quite a few of them, that any team will target. Murray Jones is certainly one of the guys who has got plenty of skills, his record speaks for itself,’ Coutts said. "There are others as well. It will be interesting to see what happens there over the next six to 12 months with the teams and these people. I think there will be some shuffling.’ According to the Herald, Coutts also confirmed San Francisco's pole position to become the venue for America's Cup 34 in 2013. But there is more, the Herald
hints at the possibility that Russell Coutts might consider walking away from the America’s Cup undefeated, after winning the trophy with teams from three different countries for family reasons. Does that mean he’s leaving Larry in the lurch? ‘I'm still deciding what to do in the future. I don't want to rush things on that,’ Coutts was quoted.

Sail World reports that the Breach of Fiduciary Duty action leveled by the former America’s Cup Challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club against the former defender Societe Nautique de Geneve, is due by March 8. The second action relating to the Constructed in Country issue about Alinghi’s sails built by North Sails in the US, is due back in the New York Supreme Court on March 10. Alinghi executives Ernesto Bertarelli and skipper Brad Butterworth indicated they would not be entering the 34th America's Cup while they were being sued by BMWOracle and the new Defender has not announced that they would let these issues slide.
Then there’s the mutiny: According to a letter published on Sailing Anarchy, Societe Nautique de Geneve’s vice commodore Fred Meyer justified the action of SNG’s race committee before the start of the second race with concern about spectator boats in the area, improper sea state (the waves were too high) and the possibility of the race finishing after dark. When PRO Harold Bennett decided to start anyway the SNG committee members quit and retired to the cabin ‘[rather] than enforcing the Race Committee decision by physical means…' No word yet from ISAF who appointed Bennett.

Now that the painful proceedings before and at the 33rd America's Cup are history, the powers are working behind the scenes to reinvigorate the event. To that end, the Louis Vuitton Trophy that is to be sailed in Auckland, New Zealand soon could become an important step on the road to recovery for the Cup. That’s at least what Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton believes. "I think having some level of clarity with the America's Cup absolutely gives [this event] more teeth. It is the first regatta of the next America's Cup, and it just happens to be in Auckland, which is great," said Dalton. Story in the NZ Herald.

State leaders have established an America’s Cup 2013 Planning Committee to create a pitch to lure the America’s Cup challenge back to Rhode Island. The governor’s office along with Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed and House Speaker Gordon D. Fox, announced Friday that it has formed the committee, to be coordinated through the Economic Development Corporation.
The group, which will include a combination of yachting experts, Newport administrators and state officials, will meet for the first time next week, said EDC Executive Director Keith Stokes.
“The goal is to assess the existing marine assets and facilities we have so we can create a formal proposal for the America’s Cup races,” Stokes said in an interview Friday.
Read the report in the Providence Journal.

The Italian Mascalzone Latino Team has confirmed the participation as the 8th entrant at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, which has become a must-do event for the new America's Cup Challenger of Record. The Auckland series begins on March 9 and lasts 12 days. The matches will take place on the old version 5 IACC boats of the Emirates Team NZL. Check out the report.