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Latest News Links Americas Cup - No Multihulls - Sir Keith Mills draws a line in the sand . . . Americas Cup - TeamOrigin win 1851 Cup series at Cowes . . . Americas Cup - Incident packed race around the IOW for America's Cup boats . . . Americas Cup - TeamOrigin v BMW Oracle around Isle of Wight today . . . Americas Cup - USA and GBR Teams prepare for America's Cup racing at Cowes . . . Americas Cup - TeamOrigin drop design partner for 34th America's Cup . . . Americas Cup - UK and USA Rating Authorities to draft America's Cup rule . . . Americas Cup - First reaction of TeamOrign to Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup . . . Americas Cup - America's Cup 34 Multihull or Monohull choice . . . Americas Cup - Team Origin v BMW Oracle confirmed . . . Americas Cup - Team Origin v BMW Oracle around the Isle of Wight . . . Americas Cup - Prada return to AC competition at Louis Vuitton Trophy . . . Back to latest Sailing News reports here . . . No Multihulls - Sir Keith Mills draws a line in the sand . . . Sir Keith Mills, owner of TeamOrigin, has effectivly drawn 'a line in the sand' when he voiced his fears that the new rules for the 34th America's Cup would not provide 'a level playing field' for the defender and challengers. Specifically Mills targets the choice of a multihull as being unfair to the challengers.  In an article by Andrew Longmore for the Sunday Times, Mills reveals that he and the other challenging syndicates fear that BMW Oracle will attempt to weight the rules for the next challenge in their favour, by using multihulls rather than the traditional monohulls as used at the recent 1851 series in Cowes. The problem for the challengers is that BMW Oracle have considerable experience of multihulls following their win in the last Cup event, when they developed a huge 90ft trimaran. To gain that amount of development and racing experience of a new area of the sport would cost the challengers millions. Mills has said on several occasions, that if BMW Oracle do not deliver a suitable protocol and design rules - due end of September - he will not compete.  The racing at Cowes for the 1851 Cup series showed that match racing in monohulls still provides close tacticle racing, while the racing in the multihull America's Cup, tended to be a straight line speed contest. To see some multihull racing at the top design development level you could take a look at the 2010 Little America’s Cup, set for August 22-28 off Newport. Seven highly developed multihulls from four nations will take part, including an entry from Britain, Invictus II, which features a new wing. Paul Larsen of Sail Rocket will take the helm while Gordon Kaiser is the crewman. TeamOrigin win 1851 Cup series at Cowes . . . BMW ORACLE Racing claimed the first race of the day at the 1851 Cup to draw even with TeamOrigin. The three scheduled races today scored triple points and after race one the two teams had drawn level on 4-4 with two more triple points races left to sail, followed, if necessary, by a single point scoring decider.  But, in race 8 and 9 of the series, TeamOrigin took the second race with some very aggressive match racing between the two teams, Ainslie defended well and eventually the two boats crossed the finish line together, but with BMW ORACLE Racing still to complete their penalty turn, TeamOrigin took the win to go ahead. In the third race it was straight into the first beat and the two boats wasted no time in engaging in a tacking duel, with BMW ORACLE Racing behind and only managing to shake TeamOrigin’s cover by successfully pulling off a dummy tack. This saw the American team heading off to the left and the British to the right. However the right side benefitted TeamOrigin which further up the beat crossing ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing to take the left. Heading into the weather mark on the port layline they rounded 18 seconds ahead. Rounding the top mark for the final time in the strong wind TEAMORIGIN set their spinnaker successfully but seconds later when BMW ORACLE Racing tried this same manoeuvre they didn’t manage to get the halyard fully up and when the spinnaker set its foot dropped into the water pulling the sail down with it and causing them to sail over it. Following this disaster for the American team it was game over and Ben Ainslie and the TeamOrigin crew cruised to victory both in the race, also winning them the 1851 Cup with a 10-4 score. Full story at http://www.sailweb.co.uk/sail_viewer.asp Incident packed race around the IOW for America's Cup boats . . . BMW ORACLE Racing claimed victory in the re-enactment of the 1851 race around the Isle of Wight that spawned sailing’s greatest competition, the America’s Cup, defending the honour of the Stars and Stripes, just as America had 159 years before. As James Spithill said: “Coming down the Solent it was like everyone on the Isle of Wight had come out to view it. I think it meant a lot to the people and it meant a lot to the guys on the boat. It was a real battle out on the water and I enjoyed every minute of it.”  The re-enactment of the 1851 race got off to a phenomenal start between BMW ORACLE Racing, the present America’s Cup champions and Sir Keith Mills’ TeamOrigin as their two yachts blasted east down the Solent. The stage was set when the two boats engaged around seven minutes prior to the start. As BMW ORACLE Racing skipper James Spithill pointed out: “It was pretty cool. It was great how we just ripped straight into it from the start. You could see how seriously both teams were taking it.” With a downwind start the powerful, heavy ACC boats, under their giant spinnakers, sailing so close they appeared to be somehow attached, carved their way down the eastern Solent, creating a magnificent spectacle for those out on the water as well as the thousands following the racing over the internet. TeamOrigin skipper and helmsman Ben Ainslie commented: “We were expecting a softer race than we’ve had the previous couple of days, but from the start and for the next hour and half we were overlapped the whole way around, luffing each other. It was fantastic. These guys are a great team to race against. It is great for us to be out there racing the America’s Cup holders around the Isle of Wight.” The racing remained tight down the Solent as the boats headed towards Portsmouth and after the first gybe round the eastern side of the island there were two major luffs. In the second TeamOrigin came out ahead but picked up a second penalty and match racing rules obliged them to carry out their 360deg penalty turn immediately. Meanwhile the Americans were nursing a damaged spinnaker and had to drop it losing precious ground. This kept TeamOrigin ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing as they rounded the No Man’s Land Fort but during the subsequent spinnaker drop as they hardened up, most of the spinnaker was down when the foot fell overboard, dragging the whole sail into the water and it promptly wrapped itself around the keel. Rapidly Anthony Nossiter dived over the side to clear the kite but by the time it was cleared and the British crew was underway again, BMW ORACLE Racing had overtaken and pulled out an 800m lead. It was far from without incident on board BMW ORACLE Racing. In addition to their spinnaker issues they also managed to destroy their jockey poles through trying to sail high angles under spinnaker as they reached down the eastern end of the Solent. As James Spithill pointed out: “There was a bit of seamanship involved to try and look after the boat and get through it all. The boats are on the limit in that stuff.”  En route to the Needles TeamOrigin’s yacht developed a technical problem when the metal fitting holding the jib to the halyard parted company. As David Carr pointed out: “It might not have been up to the job, but it was a pretty big sea state at the time sailing upwind in fairly big seas in 20 knots for two hours - it is just one of those things.” This being an exhibition race, the organisers were keen to lay on a show coming back down the Solent so once round the Needles and into Hurst Narrows, BMW ORACLE Racing stopped and the race was restarted, the American team given a one minute head start with the hope that the two boats would match race their way back to Cowes in the same spectacular style as they had left in the morning. Sadly this wasn’t to be when on their first gybe following the restart TeamOrigin blew up their second spinnaker. By this time the wind had piped up to 24 knots and the British team did a safe outside gybe and centred the main but as the spinnaker refilled it exploded. So BMW ORACLE Racing, the US team, claimed victory. Friday for the final day of the 1851 Cup there is a return to windward-leewards with four races scheduled. TeamOrigin v BMW Oracle around Isle of Wight today . . . TeamOrigin suffered gear breakage before start of race 5, when their main halyard let go, and BMW ORACLE Racing started and were awarded the race to make it 4 to 1 in favour of TeamOrigin. Thursday starting at 11:30 BST is the race around the Isle of Wight, re-enacting the course sailed in 1851 for the first running of what has become known as the America’s Cup.  Despite a 180 degree wind shift prior to proceedings getting underway at the 1851 Cup today, causing the race committee to move the course just to the east of Cowes, fans were treated to one of the most spectacular displays of match racing with protests galore and a large chunk of each team’s play books being enacted, in winds that built to over 20 knots. In the first race TeamOrigin held the favoured starboard entry and the key moment came when mid pre-start the British team afterguard made the call to go for the left side. TeamOrigin extended through being on the left of the first beat to round the top mark 46 seconds ahead and from there James Spithill and his crew on BMW ORACLE RACING were unable to get back into the race. 3-0 to TeamOrigin. The second race of the day Ben Ainslie described as being one of the most exciting in his whole sailing career. “It had everything. I guess the reason why it is so close is that the courses are relatively small and there are two really good teams who are fighting really hard and handling their boats really well.” BMW ORACLE RACING appeared to get the upper hand in the pre-start shovelling TeamOrigin across to the wrong side of the start line, but the British team managed to recover successful to start just ahead. On the first beat the advantage line swung back and forth between the boats and at the top mark with both boats on port and heading for the starboard layline, TeamOrigin to weather was close enough to BMW ORACLE Racing to prevent them from tacking for the mark. The British team led around the mark with their opponents on their transom. TeamOrigin led around the top mark. Despite Spithill keeping it close on the run Ben Ainslie and his crew managed to hang on to the lead, British fans breathing a sigh of relief as TeamOrigin crossed the finish line just five seconds ahead. Unfortunatly in today’s third race, TeamOrigin were doing well in the pre-start when a pin within the tripping mechanism for the main halyard lock came undone causing the mainsail to fall down. The British team were unable to fix the problem and they were forced to concede the race. Today, Thursday, starting at 11:30 BST is the race around the Isle of Wight, re-enacting the course sailed in 1851 for the first running of what has become known as the America’s Cup. “It is going to be very interesting to sail these boats at sea,” commented Ben Ainslie. “They are not really designed for it, so we might have to be backing off a little bit to make sure we don’t break the boats. Strategically it is going to be quite tough with the tides and what the wind is doing, but it will be great to re-enact the race where it all started in 1851.” USA and GBR Teams prepare for America's Cup racing at Cowes . . . Crew members from TeamOrigin and Americas Cup winner BMW Oracle took out USA-87 and USA-98 at Cowes over the weekend. On Monday they start a a four race 1851 Cup series, including a re-enactment of the round the Isle of Wight race - fore-runner of the America's Cup series. The 1851 Cup sees TeamOrigin challenge the current America's Cup holders, BMW Oracle, during a series of match races in the Solent. On Thursday 5 August, the teams will race clock-wise around the Isle of White following the original course of the America's Cup in 1851.  Included in the TeamOrigin crew are three time Olympic Gold sailor Ben Ainslie, two time Olympic Gold sailor Iain Percy and Gold medalist Andrew Simpson. “We have a few more legends this week!” explains TeamOrigin Skipper and Helmsman, Ben Ainslie. “It was a great opportunity for us to try a few different people for a number of different reasons, eg there have been a few injuries such as Mike Mottl [injured during a spinnaker drop in La Maddalena]. So it is fantastic to have Warwick and Simon trimming, Rodney in the pit and Will McCarthy coming in as another grinder.” Five of the BMW ORACLE Racing crew – strategist Rodney Daniel, trimmer Ross Halcrow, grinders Brian MacInnes and Joe Spooner, mid-bowman Brad Webb – raced on board in 2007, but the rest of the 17 man crew are new, including helmsman James Spithill who leads the USA team, was with the Italian Luna Rossa team three years ago. “It’s been harder than I thought it would be,” says Spithill on making the transition back from multihulls. “You expect to come back to the same level quite fast, but it takes time. It’s the small details that matter. It’s why this 1851 Cup series is so good for us. TeamOrigin is a fantastic team with some of the best sailors in the world, and I have no doubt that they will be right up there challenging when the next America’s Cup comes around.” Principal Race Officer for the 1851 Cup will be the New Zealander Harold Bennett, the man who was also PRO for the 33rd America's Cup Match in Valencia last February. TeamOrigin drop design partner for 34th America's Cup . . . TeamOrigin decide to terminate discussions with Juan (Kouyoumdjian) Yacht design (JYD) on a new design for the 34th America's Cup. TeamOrigin have announced that they have decided to take an alternative approach than the one offered by JYD and, as a result, terminated discussions with JYD. Grant Simmer, who joined TeamOrigin in June after 10 years with Alinghi in various senior roles, including design coordinator, has been undertaking a review of the team's design options. Simmer holds a strong view that with a new design rule soon to be announced, teams need to be in a position to be able to build their design capabilities to reflect the new rule. As preparations for the next America's Cup gather momentum, several weeks of discussions have taken place between TeamOrigin and JYD. Last week however, TeamOrigin decided to take an alternative approach than the one offered by JYD and, as a result, terminated discussions with JYD. UK and USA Rating Authorities to draft America's Cup rule . . . BMW ORACLE Racing and Golden Gate Yacht Club have commissioned rating rule authorities in America and Britain to draft the rules for the next generation of America’s Cup yacht. In a twin-track process, US SAILING will author a multihull rule and the RORC’s Seahorse Rating a canting-keel monohull rule. The choice between monohull and multihull will be made after the conclusion of these trials, the first round of which is scheduled for Valencia in late July. Versatile performance in light and strong winds is considered essential to minimize delayed or postponed racing. 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. To ensure fairness, all teams will simultaneously receive updates and information from the authors with regards to progress. The briefs to the rule authors outline parameters for both types of boat to give base-line dimensions. This ‘box rule’ method should ensure boats designed by different teams are similar in style to guarantee the close racing the America’s Cup thrives on. Otherwise, the instructions to the rule writers are deliberately open to afford them full creative freedom. Seahorse Rating has asked Nick Nicholson and James Dadd, with their wide experience of previous America’s Cup class rules, to lead the monohull development. The multihull rule is under the purview of multihull designer Pete Melvin, a two-time A Class catamaran world champion, and US SAILNG. Full story at http://www.americascup.com First reaction of TeamOrign to Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup . . .  Grant Simmer, CEO of TeamOrigin has commented on the draft Protocol document for the 34th America's Cup just received. "We are very pleased to have received the draft form of the Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup last night. It is a very detailed document and so will take us some days to digest and discuss internally. TeamOrigin very much wants to be involved in the process of moving this draft forward into a final Protocol document by the 31 August 2010 and therefore we will collate our thoughts and feedback over the next week and input our comments. The document has been based in some areas on the AC32 Protocol, with some new additions. We do have some concerns but will voice them directly to GGYC. We are very encouraged to see that GGYC and Club Nautico di Roma are keen to empower and include the future potential challengers in this process as we move forward." 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 Wednesday. Teams have been invited to comment and contribute to its final form. America's Cup 34 Multihull or Monohull choice . . . The America's Cup press conference in Rome has concluded with America's Cup 34 pencilled in for 2013 - 2014 with a a choice of yacht designs being prepared - a monohull and a multihull. Among the main points are: New design of yacht - choice of yacht designs being prepared - a monohull and a multihull, with decision to be taken by competitors. Design rule to be released by 30 September. The Yacht design to have media equipment on-board and television friendly Seems that the World Sailing Teams Association who run the Louis Vuitton Cup is to provide annual racing series. Choice of Venue is wide open - Venue to be confirmed by 31 December. The Protocol to be published by the end of August and NoR and SIs by end of December with entry open until January 2011. Defence is open to other USA teams and BMW Oracle will not race in Challenger Selection Series. Team Origin v BMW Oracle confirmed . . . The Team Origin v BMW Oracle in America's Cup boats we reported earlier has been confirmed for Cowes Week. The America's Cup holders, BMW ORACLE Racing, will compete in a match race tournament that will also involve a race clockwise around the Island over the historic original of the America's Cup in 1851 - for the 1851 Cup.  This is a considerable coup for Cowes Week, which still does not have a main sponsor for this year, and will pit Team Origin, headed by Ben Ainslie, against the newly crowned Defender, led by four times America's Cup winner Russell Coutts, and crewed by many of the winning team that sailed the radical wing-sailed trimaran against Alinghi in February for the America's Cup off Valencia. The event is a sure-fire crowd pleaser and will give a major media boost to Cowes Week. Ainslie commented: "We relish the idea of taking on the Defenders in our home waters. The complex tides and winds of the Solent are always challenging even to a team that has raced here a thousand times before. But the opportunity to show our home crowds what we are up to and what we are about is fantastic. We have a busy season in 2010 but The 1851 Cup will surely be the jewel in the crown for us," This year the British and American teams will use their own ACC Version 4 boats, GBR-75 and USA-76. Both are currently being prepared for shipping from Valencia, Spain to the UK. Meanwhile an announcement on the future of the next America's Cup competition is expected on Thursday. Team Origin v BMW Oracle around the Isle of Wight . . . In an article in the Sunday Times by Andrew Longmore, Sir Keith Mills explains the proposed 1851 Cup, a rerun of the first America's Cup race in 1851. His Team Origin will race against a similar AC class yacht of Larry Ellison's during Cowes Week in August. The event is to comprise five days of of head-to-head America's Cup match racing followed by a race around the Isle of Wight in a re-enactment of the original race between America and 14 British yachts. Ben Ainslie is expected to skipper the Team Origin boat against James Spithill, the Australian who skippered the BMW Oracle trimaran to victory over the catamaran of Ernesto Bertarelli in Valencia. An announcement on the future of the next America's Cup competition is expected on Thursday. Full story at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/sailing/article7114090.ece Prada return to AC competition at Louis Vuitton Trophy . . . Italian fashion house Prada signal a return to America's Cup racing - After sailing in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in 2009, the precursor event to the Louis Vuitton Trophy, Luna Rossa will return to competition in La Maddalena (22 May), becoming the third Italian entry. Luna Rossa's afterguard will include skipper and helmsman Ed Baird, who won the 32nd America's Cup with Alinghi, along with tactician Torben Grael, the winner of the last Volvo Ocean Race, and strategist Robert Scheidt, the Brazilian Olympic legend. Max Sirena, who just won the 33rd America's Cup with BMW ORACLE Racing will head up the sailing and technical programme for the team, as well as sailing on the boat. Patrizio Bertelli remains the Principal of a team that won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000, and reached the finals in 2007. The team says it is planning to race in the following two Louis Vuitton Trophy events in Dubai in November and Hong Kong early in 2011. Luna Rossa will fly the burgee of the Yacht Club Punta Ala. |
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