Louis Vuitton Pacific - Off to a flying start

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Off to a flying start

  � Juerg Kaufmann

Welcome to the third Sail-World newsletter for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

The opening stanza of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series were played on the Waitemata Harbour today under slightly overcast skies and a moderate southwesterly breeze.

Sailing conditions were excellent and sailing got underway on time and finished on time.

You couldn't have asked for more on the first day in a new innovative event, where everyone is feeling their way.

The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series sits comfortably between the World Match Racing Series and the America's Cup. It seems to have picked up the best elements of each, and will develop further as this series grows over the next 15 days.

Certainly the atmosphere in the Louis Vuitton Village is very relaxed. The mingling of competitors, officials and media is long overdue and will be for the long term betterment of the sport.

On the water the racing is close, as those more at home on the Match Racing circuit push the limits. And those more experienced in America's Cup competition, know where those limits lie, where the advantage should be pushed, and when it is time to take a more measured view.

Team Origin in retrieval mode at the leeward mark rounding  Paul Todd/Outside Images

In this issue we feature some overviews of the first day's racing, plus the team reports.

Juerg Kaufmann of www.go4images.com has provided a sequence of the hard contact collision between the Greek Challenge and Alinghi from the prestart of the final race of the day.

There were just two penalties issued by the umpires today - the one mentioned against Greek Challenge - and another in the opening match against China Team for forcing a passage at the leeward mark.

The out-take from today would be that the established professional teams still hold the sway, even though everyone is still blowing the rust out of heir pipes. But some have a lot more rust to blow out than others. The length of this series will mean that as the newer combinations come together, the established teams could be in for a fright or two.

Greek Challenge lines up Alinghi's transom as the Swiss slow down in the prestart of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Day 1  � Juerg Kaufmann

Tomorrow a new edge will come into the competition as Russell Coutts in BMW Oracle Racing will be keen to score a win over Dean Barker in Emirates Team New Zealand. The outcome will be that one of the fancied teams will have a loss on their scorecard.

That will lift the intensity of the series from Day 2, and from then on, every match will be a keeper.

Don't miss the story and images on double P class champion, 15year old Oscar Rorvik, and his Practice Day with BMW Oracle Racing as captured by the fine lens of Gilles Martin-Raget. This was another great gesture by BMW Oracle Racing, and another side bar on this friendly series.

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Day 1 - Repairing the Greek Challenge bow   Richard Gladwell

You can follow the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series via the live broadcast of the racing on a new station BSport Sailing broadcasting on 103FM and carried on the internet on www.bsport.co.nz. Television New Zealand will also be carrying coverage on www.tvnz.co.nz/sailing..

Stay tuned to www.Sail-World.com for the latest news, images and reports on the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series which will be carried on our network of six websites around the world.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
Editor, Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

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Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Day One - upsets in the air?
Keith Taylor,
The hint of upsets to come were in the air today off Auckland's North Head as contestants in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series completed four races in building gusty, shifty conditions that tested the skills of crews.... [ more]

Greek's Startline Shunt in Louis Vuitton Pacifics by go4image.com
Juerg Kaufmann, go4image.com,
Swiss sailing photographer was positioned on one of the umpire boats today in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, and took this short sequence of the contact between Greek Challenge and Alinghi in the pre-start of the final match of the day...

Images Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: Day 1- Emirates TNZ vs Italia
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World,
Images from the match Emirates Team NZ vs Damiani Italia Challenge... [ more]

Images Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: Day 1- K-Challenge v China Team
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World,
Images from the match K-Challenge vs China Team... [ more]

Team Origin take their first win in Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
Leslie Ryan,
TEAMORIGIN vs. LUNA ROSSA was the second race of the day, scheduled to start at 12pm. Near perfect conditions with about 10-12 knots, slightly overcast. The starting sequence got underway at 12.10pm and saw the two teams engage quickly and carry out quite a bit of ‘duelling' ahead of the start gun. Team Origin headed for the line and crossed first but only 10m ahead of Luna Rossa.... [ more]

Images of Louis Vuitton Pacifics: Oscar's day with BMW Oracle Racing
Gilles Martin-Raget,
Less than a week ago, 15 year old Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) won the second leg of the P class double - the Tauranga Cup. He won the Tanner Cup the week before, joing an elite group of New Zealanders including Chris Dickson and Dean barker who have won both trophies. Yesterday Oscar was out on BMW Oracle Racing with skipper Russell Coutts, himself a winner in the P class, of the Tanner Cup, back i... [ more]

Images Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: Day 1- Alinghi vs Greek Challenge
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World,
Images from the match Alinghi vs Greek Challenge... [ more]

Images Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: Day 1- Team Origin vs Luna Rossa
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World,
Images from the match Team Origin vs Luna Rossa... [ more]

Shosholoza ready for battle against the world's best
Di Meek,
South Africa's Team Shosholoza is among the line up of ten crack international teams representing the cream of the America's Cup, the Olympics and the World Match Racing circuit ready to do battle when the inaugural Louis Vuitton Pacific Series started in Auckland, New Zealand today.... [ more]

Greek Challenge has encouraging debut in Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
Pierre Orphanidis, Greek Challenge,
Greek Challenge, the first ever America's Cup team from Greece, made its debut in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series facing one of the toughest possible opponents. Gavin Brady and the rest of the Greek Challenge crew had the formidable task of racing against the Defender and 2-time winner of the America's Cup, Alinghi.... [ more]

Audio: Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Media Conference - Day 1
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com,
Audio file of the Media Conference following the conclusion of racing after the first day of competition in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Hear Gavin Brady (Greek Challenge) and Ed Baird (Alinghi) discuss their perspective of the pre-start contact incident.... [ more]

France's Pataugas by K-Challenge beats Team China
Stephainie Nardin,
First day, first race, first point: the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series have started well this morning for the Pataugas by K-Challenge crew, who was sailing against the new China Team, with Ian Williams, current World Match Racing Champion, leading the team.... [ more]

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series finishes first day with some surprises
Richard Gladwell, Sail-World,
The first day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series has just concluded in Auckland. Sailed in a moderate southwesterly of up to 15kts, which blew straight down the Waitemata Harbour, the established teams carried the day, however they were given a hurry up by some of the newer players.... [ more]

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Accomodation and Viewing packages
Maggie Joyce,
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Mariner Boating Holidays have accommodation and race viewing packages available during the series.... [ more]

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series skippers meet the Press on eve of battle
Keith Taylor,
Ten of the world's top match racing skippers met the press tonight in a crowded ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) and all promised to deliver two weeks of close and intense racing for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy.... [ more]

Ben Ainslie and TEAMORIGIN ready to lock horns and start racing!
Leslie Ryan,
TEAMORIGIN, the British Challenger for the 33rd America's Cup, is one of 10 teams set to lock horns on Friday 30th January in the new ‘Louis Vuitton Pacific Series' event taking place in Auckland, New Zealand. They will compete in the initial series of round robin races over five days against their ‘pool' of four other America's Cup teams... [ more]

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
30/01/09
The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series is being held in association with the New Zealand Government, Emirates Team New Zealand, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS), Auckland City and Sky City Group...

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