America's Cup: The End of the Beginning - January 2013

Home
Subscribe

30 Jan 2013

America's Cup: The End of the Beginning

Welcome to Sail-World.com's sixth America's Cup Newsletter for the 34th America's Cup.

We are now in the Year of Cup - in fact, in just over five months, the first racing will be under way in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The end of January also marks the end of the first limited sailing period - where test sailing and racing by the AC72's is limited to just 30 days.

If you are in the school that regards this limit as some sort of a report card then click here to see the days left for each team.
Only one, Emirates Team NZ used their full quota of 30 days allowed. Luna Rossa will go close, and the two San Francisco domociled teams will be well short of the mark.

Using this same scale, it will be interesting to see how the two Auckland based Challengers, Luna Rossa and Emirates Team NZ, fare in the next phase - which starts February 1, 2013 and runs through to May 1, 2013. In this period, the Protocol governing the America's Cup, permits the teams to sail for 45 days per boat.

With just one AC72 commissioned each, Luna Rossa and Emirates Team NZ will not doubt sail all they can. To get through their allowed days, the teams will have to sail, on average, every other day, for the three months. On current sailing rates that is unlikely to be achieved. Then the Auckland teams will have to pack base and head for San Francisco at the end of April, while the San Francisco teams continue uninterrupted - save for Oracle Team USA's Int Jury imposed time-out.

So both Oracle Team USA and Artemis Racing, have the ability to catch up some time - but will it be enough?

Historically time has been the one commodity you can't buy in the America's Cup, and whether the teams are variously ahead or behind, won't become apparent until July.

The clear theme coming through from Emirates Team NZ is that the time for boat development is fast running out, and the emphasis must turn to achieving day to day racing reliability. At this juncture, the same mantra applies to all teams.

Mike Drummond - involved in every America's Cup since 1987, and with three Cup winners Herreshoff Marine Museum .
Next week, the new phase of this year's America's Cup begins with the launch in Auckland of Emirates Team NZ's second AC72. They are expected to be sailing by February 7, 2013, local time or February 6 on the West Coast of USA.

That timeline is expected to be similar for the re-launch of the ill-fated USA-17 for Oracle Team USA. A key question will be the degree of rebuild versus redevelopment of the Defender's 72ft catamaran. Within the scope allowed by the rules for hull and wingsail modification, Oracle Team USA may have taken the opportunity to jump half a generation, in AC72 design. Or maybe not.

Guessing who is ahead in the America's Cup game has been one of the fascinations of the aficionados, who examine every photo and video frame to garner that last glimmer of insight. We admit to being guilty as charged on this count, but also are well aware that one more fact can change an impression completely. Cup-watching is a great pastime, but the only real benchmark is on the race course.

Understanding how the America's Cup AC72's work is beyond the ken of most sailing fans. To try and give Sail-World readers an understanding of the issues and thinking, we sat down with former Oracle Racing Technical Director, Mike Drummond - and got his views, over the course of an hour. We have the interview split into two parts in this edition of Sail-World.com's America's Cup newsletter.

Emirates Team NZ have been particularly open with their campaign, allowing the New Zealand media inside the building hangar during the build of both their first and second AC72's. In this edition we have the story, images and video of the second of these 'Open-Homes', along with video interviews with Technical Director, Nick Holroyd and team boss, Grant Dalton. For the train spotters what is happening in the background is almost as interesting as what is being said in the interview.

But certainly it is a view we have never seen before, in almost 30 years of Cup reporting.

For the other teams we are a little light on content. With the the America's Cup in the situation where it desperately needs to build a fan base, and with just four teams operating, one would have expected a lot more open approach. More hard hitting behind the scenes stories about the boats and the challenges of the moment. Even if things are not going that well, or there is added pressure.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it, Grant Dalton being interviewed for prime time TV news - Emirates Team NZ - Media Day January 17, 2012 Richard Gladwell

Sadly that hasn't happened. Whether the entertainment theme changes in the months to come, remains to be seen. America's Cups aren't for the happy clappers. It's a tough, high pressure game.

Professional sport is a study of people, and teams under stress. In this America's Cup, there has been stress by the sackful. Aside from the Oracle capsize, the fans have been shown too little of it, and teams' reaction under pressure. The Event is much the poorer for that.

Other sports maintain a high visibility and empathy with their fans by letting them inside the roller doors, and speaking frankly about the lows as well as the highs. It's a lesson those running this America's Cup need to learn, and fast.

We will be publishing further America's Cup newsletters, when there is sufficient content and/or on milestone occasions - we expect this to be once a month, until the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

In the meantime stay tuned to www.sail-world.com - next week in particular - for the latest on the two AC72 launches.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
Sail-World's America's Cup News Editor

America's Cup: Kouyoumojian and Cayard on the new wingsail
America's Cup Media,
Artemis Racing, the Swedish Challenger for the 34th America's Cup, trained with its second wing sail for the first time earlier this week. Principal Designer Juan Kouyoumojian calls the new wing an evolution from wing one. 'The general concept is very much the same. I would define it as a refinement of the first wing,' he said.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Time running out for Emirates Team New Zealand
Emirates Team NZ,
Emirates Team New Zealand's America's Cup skipper, Dean Barker, talks about the task ahead, as the realisation hits home that 2013 is the year of the America's Cup. There is no next year. And for the longest running America's Cup team, the options are running out, with some hard decisions yet to be made.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA makes final preparations for sailing
Sail-World,
Following months of repair work and delivery and assembly of the second wing, the boat is nearing completion and is on track to be sailing in the San Francisco Bay, again. Following the launch it is expected the AC72 will undergo the usual towing trial, before the wingsail is stepped and USA-17 sails once again.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Olympic Rowing Gold medalist on the AC72's physicality
ETNZblog.com,
2000 Olympic Rowing Gold medalist in the Single Sculls, Rob Waddell well remembers the day he first set foot on the AC72. 'I remember thinking the boat was about as big as it could be and still be sailed by people power. If it was any bigger it would need an engine rather than grinders alone. 'The first day sailing was pretty tough physically and sailing the AC72 is still tough.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Iker Martinez splits from Italian Challenger
Richard Gladwell,
In a tightly worded statement on their website, Luna Rossa Challenge have announced the departure of one of their helmsmen, Iker Martinez from the team. Chris Draper who placed ninth in the last America's Cup World Series, is expected to assume the duties of principal helmsman, for the team's only AC72, with team boss, Max Sirena as backup.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Horsepower from Yamaha backs up AC72 on the water
Emirates Team NZ,
Emirates Team New Zealand's sailing crew relies on the wind to win races. Raw horsepower is needed to back them up and make it possible for them to do their job. Since 1988 Yamaha engines have provided the power and that's how long Hugh Stewart has been looking after them.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: New wingsail for Artemis Racing?
Sail-World,
San Francisco based website pressure-drop.us is reporting that the Challenger of Record for the 34th America's Cup, Artemis racing (SWE) has fitted a new wingsail at their base in Alemeda, San Francisco. They expect the AC72 to be sailing next week, with the new wingsail. The team has sailed on just 14 of their allowed 30 sailing days, before the first cut-off of January 31, 2013.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Nick Holroyd on Emirates Team NZ's design gains + Video
Richard Gladwell,
'These boats have a long gestation', explains Nick Holroyd, Design Director for Emirates Team NZ. 'The designs for the tooling up at Cookson Boats, were delivered after just four or five days sailing in Boat 1.'... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Inside the AC72 hangar with Grant Dalton + Video
Richard Gladwell,
'Two years ago, we were pretty well gone for all money. We were basically broke and trying to stay alive', says Emirates Team NZ's Grant Dalton, reflecting on the team's then dire situation, back in early 2011. 'We managed to get some good people on board, but they all knew that if we didn't have the money by April 2011, then we were gone. But it's moved a huge distance since then', he adds.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: The Wing is the Thing for Emirates Team NZ's next AC72
Richard Gladwell,
Emirates Team New Zealand are on target to launch their second AC72 catamaran, around February 4, with their Challenger for the 34th America's Cup having her first sail on February 7. Doors at the teams base were thrown open for the New Zealand media today, showing the 72ft catamaran, with hulls in place, beams fitted and in an advanced state of preparation.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Designer Mike Drummond looks at foiling and pitchpoling
Richard Gladwell,
Sail-World talks with Mike Drummond, former Design Director for Oracle Racing in the 2010 America's Cup. In this second part of the interview the issues of foiling and the trade-offs are discussed, along with the factors that led to the pitchpoling of Oracle's USA-17, and what is expected to be seen in the second generation of AC72 catamarans... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: First look at Emirates Team NZ's second AC72 + Video
Sail-World,
Emirates Team NZ have moved their second AC72 from the Cookson Boatbuilders yard in Glenfield, on Auckland's North Shore to the Hangar at the team base in Halsey Street. The hulls have been put in place, and beams will be fitted along with the rest of the infrastructure, after which the wingsail will be fitted.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Ex-Oracle design chief looks at the Class of 2013
Richard Gladwell,
Sail-World caught up with Mike Drummond, former Design Director for Oracle Racing in the 2010 America's Cup and asked his overall impression of the four designs currently working up towards the 2013 America's Cup regatta. 'From the design point of view there are three and a half groups,' he counters.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup Discovered: Episode 72 - Passion to Excel
ACM,
This week on America's Cup Discovered Cup veteran and America's Cup World Series commentator Gary Jobson take us on a journey through the oldest trophy in sport. Features a lot of historical footage of previous America's Cups including J-Boats and the 12 Metre era, plus the sailors and characters of that era.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa '45ing + Video
Sail-World.com,
Emirates Team New Zealand has started back on the final push of the 2013 America's Cup with the re-commissioning of the team's AC45 and a work-out against fellow Challenger Luna Rossa (Italy). With the ETNZ AC72 decommissioned and stored in the boat shed and the second AC72 yet to be delivered to the base for assembly, the sailing crew took to the water to sharpen up and practice for the next... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Luna Rossa skipper updates from Auckland
Americas Cup.com,
Just before his team stopped sailing for a short break over the Christmas holidays in December, Luna Rossa Challenge skipper Max Sirena sat down at the team base on Auckland's waterfront to answer some questions from americascup.com. Here are the highlights.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Luna Rossa crew return to Auckland for final training
Sail-World,
America's Cup Challenger, Luna Ross's (ITA) sailing and shore crew have all returned to the team's Auckland base to resume the training and development program. The plan for January is to make the most of the 13 remaining days allowed by the Protocol to sail the AC72 prior to the January 31st deadline.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA's second wingsail arrives in San Fran
Sail-World,
The new wing sail for Oracle Team USA arrived to San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon, completing a journey from New Zealand and around the South Bay before pulling into the team base at Pier 80. The wing is the second built by the team and will be fitted into the Defender's first AC72 to begin sailing again in the coming weeks. See video of the arrival and unloading... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Top designer still rates Oracle's chances of success
Sail-World,
Top America's Cup designer, Duncan MacLane rates Oracle Team USA's chances at better than 60% of mounting a successful Defence of the America's Cup in September 2013, despite the capsize in October which ripped four months out of their development program. 'I think it is possible, Oracle have an incredibly strong team and with tons of experience. At the early stages I would have said that the c... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: US events in America's Cup World Series cancelled
Richard Gladwell,
In a media conference just concluded the America's Cup Events Authority have announced that the two America's Cup World Series events scheduled for USA have been cancelled. The events were set down from May 28-30, and May 31 - June 2, 2013. Although no venue was nominated on www.americascup.com, the official website, it was advised that they were to have been held in New York.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle expect second wingsail to arrive on Tuesday
Richard Gladwell,
America's Cup Defender Oracle team USA have are expecting their second wingsail to arrive in San Francisco on Tuesday. The 40 metre wingsail which has been shipped in sections, was constructed by Core Builders Composites in Warkworth, near Auckland, New Zealand.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Tony Rae picks up 500kg of WeetBix + Video
Emirates Team NZ,
Long time Emirates Team NZ America's Cup campaigner and Round the World sailor, Tony Rae, is one of many in the AC72 crew who are WeetBix fans. In this video Tony sets off in the team pick-up to collect almost 500kg of WeetBix from Sanitarium, makers of WeetBix.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Conditioning for the Cup - a look inside + Video
Emirates Team NZ,
Emirates Team NZ trainer David Slyfield updates on the team's training program, the demands on AC72 sailors, and where it will go from here in the final eight months of the 34th America's Cup. There's also some comparisons between crewing on the monohull America's Cuppers and the new AC72 catamarans. Features new onboard video, plus a look at the team in the gym.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle let off lightly on spying penalty
Richard Gladwell,
Oracle Team USA have been left off lightly by the International Jury, who have announced their penalty for spying within the 200 metre radius permitted in the Protocol governing the 34th America's Cup. Despite some strong words in the Discussion leading to the Penalty, the Int Jury prescribed that Oracle Team USA will be prohibited from sailing either of their boats for a period of five days... [more]
Share this story

Brewing Partnership - America's Cup gets sponsorship from Nespresso
Anna Lundstrom,
Nespresso will join the 2013 America's Cup as the Official Coffee of the event, continuing a strong relationship between the premium portioned coffee pioneer and the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport.... [more]
Share this story

Youth America's Cup 2013 - Stage set for Selection Series
Irene Corosu,
The Red Bull Youth America's Cup Selection Series will feature 11 national teams battling in two qualifying sessions in San Francisco from 9-24 February.... [more]
Share this story

American Youth Sailing Force ready for battle at Youth America's Cup
Vince Casalaina,
The American Youth Sailing Force (AYSF), representing the City of San Francisco in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup (RBYAC), is determined to beat Team America and the 10 competing international youth teams this September. AYSF's single-minded focus to win includes training with Oracle Team USA (OTUSA), sailing and racing various high-performance yachts and pursuing an ambitious fundraising effort... [more]
Share this story

ENDS

© Scoop Media