Maybe things aren't quite so bad as they seem

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24 Apr 2007

Editorial: Maybe things aren't quite so bad as they seem

Welcome to Sail-World.Com’s America’s Cup newsletter

We are now on Day 8 of the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup and with the cancellation of racing again yesterday/last night, we have seen only one full day of racing in the event. And another where one flight out of two was sailed.

Most have given up on banging away about the wind, and like a condemned man seem increasingly resigned to their fate.

From a race organisation perspective things are not quite as bad as they seem.

By our count there are 14 days left available for racing to the end of Round Robin 2 (includes reserve days), without encroaching on the sacrosanct time between the end of the Round Robins and start of the Semi-Finals.

So in those 14 days there needs to be conducted 17 flights of racing – a total of 8.5 days required out of the 14. By normal standards this is quite achievable. At the current rate of progress it seems rather marginal, however we will not dwell on that.

The story of Day 8 of the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup  BMW Oracle Racing ©Photo - Gilles Martin-Raget

Once we get to the point where say there are just nine days left available, which by our reckoning is the 29th April, then we a reach a point where some very hard decisions have to be made. That point is just five days away.

The options will then be to cut into the downtime between the Round Robins and Semi Finals, or invoke the 'Sudden Death' clause in the Notice of Race 5.3(e), which allows organisers to excuse from further competition those challengers who are no longer in mathematical contention for the Semi-Finals. What time would be saved by this measure is not exactly clear – unless they also went to three races per day, or some other circumstance where a reduction in competitor numbers would facilitate the staging of more racing.

However conjecture on that front, at this stage, is just shadow boxing.

The saving grace from the current hiatus are the Louis Vuitton Acts. They have given the opportunity for coverage and exposure for all teams beyond just the two Cups, and allowed the event to span three years instead of three months.

The time to count the cost of the past week, and what is to come, will be after the Cup, when we can look at the big picture, but not now. However the disappointment is inescapable for a venue that promised so much, but has delivered so little, so far.

Sorry for the lack of images with today’s news – but there is only so much that can be taken of boats on windless daze.

We do have some extracts from two of the weblog sites (blogs) which are maintained by journalists based in Valencia, which provide an interesting perspective and backdrop to the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

PS There is plenty of racing taking place elsewhere in the world see our website www.sail-world.com for the latest reports from Hyeres and elsewhere.

By nzeditor@sail-world.com

Fisher's View: Busy doin' nothing
By Bob Fisher,
For one who is 'trying to find lots of things not to do,' Valencia is ideal, particularly if yacht racing is on the agenda. Each day passes without wind and little promise of it. The official forecast from ACM for Tuesday was: 'Warmer and less cloud, but less wind.' Any less and the heavens will have to suck.... [more]

BMW Oracle Racing makes good use of the day
By BMW Oracle Racing Media,
After waiting in vain for more than two hours, the Louis Vuitton Cup Race Committee sent the fleet back to shore without racing after the wind once again failed to reach suitable levels for racing.... [more]

Again no wind - Desafío Español 2007
By Desafío Español 2007 media,
If the wind permits it, tomorrow Desafío Español 2007 will face Mascalzone Latino. Including today that is now six days that regattas have not been able to take place.... [more]

With weather like this every race is marginal
By Warren Douglas, Emirates Team NZ Media,
Faint hope that racing might take place was the best our weather team could promise before the yachts left the dock early this afternoon. Tom Addis said chances of races today and tomorrow were very slim. 'We might see one race, but definitely not two races on a day. Each race is a marginal affair at the moment.... [more]

Racing Postponed at the Louis Vuitton Cup
By ACM,
Light conditions continue over the waters off Valencia and on Monday, racing was postponed in Flights 4 and 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.... [more]

Quotes of the Day: Louis Vuitton Cup - Day Seven
By ACM,
Quotes of the Day: Louis Vuitton Cup - Day Seven, Valencia, 23 April, 2007... [more]

From the Blogs: SailJuice - Andy Rice
By Andy Rice:,
You can tell a lot about a team from its attitude to light and fluky conditions. There's no doubt that the wind conditions in Valencia - when they are good enough to actually race in - are a great leveller between the strong and the weak teams. So no wonder the big teams would rather wait while some of the minnows want to get on with it.... [more]

From the Blogs: Tack by Tack - Mark Chisnell
By Mark Chisnell,
Martins Rijkuris (Capt Marty) asks, 'What was the port that Russell Coutts preferred over Valencia?' Cascais, Marty, where windguru (www.windguru.cz) reports that it's blowing 5-6 knots. So we can't even indulge in a little schadenfreude...... [more]

Sailing is cancelled again
By Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge,
Sailing is cancelled today as well. It is the seventh day of eight that this has happened at the beginning of the challengers’ series, the Louis Vuitton Cup. Round robin one should have been completed yesterday, now it will take at least until Friday until the remaining 40 races are over.... [more]

Louis Vuitton Cup - Monday Racing Abandoned
By Sail-World.com,
After two hours on postponement racing was abandoned for the day at Valencia. Flights 4 and 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup will be moved to Tuesday... [more]

ends

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