RC 44 Season Championship resumes tomorrow off Valencia

11 boats set to contest match and fleet racing events
VALENCIA, Spain (26 July 2010) – Featuring 11 crews ready to battle in match and fleet race disciplines, the RC 44 2010 Season Championship resumes here tomorrow on the Mediterranean Sea.

Pieter Heerema of The Netherlands leads his No Way Back crew into action atop the season standings. Last year’s season champs have amassed the low score of 8 points on finishes of 3-3-2, but Heerema sees trouble on the horizon.

“We’ve been consistent, but this isn’t the moment to talk about the standings,” said Heerema, a veteran sailor of dinghies and keelboats. “After this regatta each team gets to discard its worst finish, so the standings will change.”

Three points in arrears is the Russell Coutts-led BMW ORACLE Racing crew aboard Deal Breaker. Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis holds third place with 12 points, followed by Chris Bake’s Team Aqua with 14 points and Harm Mueller-Speer’s Team Sea Dubai in fifth place with 16 points.

“They’ve been very consistent,” said Team Aqua professional helmsman Cameron Appleton of New Zealand. “Pieter has put in a lot of time and effort and it’s paid off. They’re a strong unit.”

Other competitors in the event include Igor Lah’s Team Ceeref of Slovenia, BMW ORACLE Racing’s Boat 17 led by skipper James Spithill, Guennadi Timtchenko’s Katusha of Russia, Daniel Calero’s Islas Canarias Puerto Calero and René Mangold’s AEZ RC44 Sailing Team of Austria.

The class is also pleased to welcome back Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. One of the original boats in the class, Mascalzone Latino will be racing its first event of the season.

“It’s an exciting boat and concept,” said Heerema. “For the high-tech level, it’s not an expensive boat.”

Typical of RC44 events, the Valencia Cup is structured in two parts. The first part on Tuesday and Wednesday features match racing where the pro sailors are on the helm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are scheduled fleet race days where the amateur owner-drivers are on the helm.

The conditions are promising for a lively regatta. Valencia’s hot summer, with temperatures averaging around 90 degrees, help a strong east/southeasterly sea breeze up to 15 knots develop by mid-afternoon, challenging both pro and amateur sailors alike.

“The class has a high but social level,” said Cameron Appleton, the match-race helmsman for Team Aqua. “The level of sailing is very high, but the umpires help leave it all on the water. There are no protests when we get ashore, and everyone can share a drink and talk about the day.”

“This class is the best thing going,” said Jeff Brock, a crew member aboard Team Aqua who has raced professionally for nearly 20 years. “Every time I step on these boats I think this is the way it’s supposed to be. They’re responsive to subtle changes, and as a crew you can throw them around the race track.”

RC 44 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR 2010
(After three of six regattas)

1. No Way Back/Pieter Heerema (NED) 3-3-2 – 8 points
2. BMW ORACLE Racing/Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts (USA) 9-1-1 – 11
3. Artemis/Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) 2-7-3 – 12
4. Team Aqua/Chris Bake (UAE) 1-9-4 – 14
5. Team Sea Dubai/Harm Mueller-Speer (UAE) 5-4-7 – 16
6. Ceeref/Igor Lah (SLO) 4-5-8 – 17
7. 17/James Spithill (USA) 11-2-5 – 18
8. Katusha/Guennadi Timtchenko (RUS) 6-8-6 – 20
9. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero/Daniel Calero (ESP) 8-6-9 – 23
10. AEZ RC44 Sailing Team/René Mangold (AUT) 7-10-10 – 27

Photo: Copyright Ignacio Baixauli / RC44 Class - BMW ORACLE Racing sails into the Darsena in Valencia this afternoon.

RNZYS wins on Final Day of Gov Cup

Mary Longpre - Longpre Photos ©
The winner is the Defending Champion team of Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron of William Tiller, Harry Thurston and Shaun Mason, as they prevailed in both final races.

For the final day of one of the best Gov Cups ever, it was another cool, overcast day with light, erratic breeze. Competition was to begin at noon with a continuation of the match racing between teams that finished out of the final four, but had to be postponed. Once racing began the wind direction changed, so marks were reset as needed. The consolation round would provide teams with the opportunity to move up one place in the standings if they could defeat the team in the next spot in a two out of three series. The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth teams raced in a round-robin to decide their final standings.

In the semi-finals, the first team with two wins moved on to the Finals. The semi-finals between Royal Port Nicholson and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron began with a win by RNZYS on Saturday. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia lost their first race to Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Segerblom, also on Saturday. In their rematches on Sunday, RNZYS and NHYC Segerblom were the winners in the first two races. The winner of the petit final for third place was the Royal Port Nicholson team of Matthew Steven, Tim Coltman and Chris Jones. The New Zealand team won over their neighbors, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia team of Jay Griffin, Will Parker and Ted Hackney, who placed third in the 2009 Gov Cup.

The final races between last year’s defending champion team from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron of William Tiller, Harry Thurston and Shaun Mason, and the almost unbeaten team of Chris Segerblom, Connor Bathen and Kieran Chung from Newport Harbor Yacht Club were very close and exciting. In the first race of the finals, RNZYS's Tiller prevailed over NHYC Segerblom. Tiller's team is one of only two who had beaten the Segerblom team during the whole regatta. The Royal Port Nicholson team also won a race against them in the round robin.

In the final race, Segerblom rounded the first mark eight seconds ahead but had spinnaker problems, so Tiller had a chance to catch up. He went left to find breeze and at the next cross was ahead. Tiller rounded the next mark ten seconds ahead and was able to win.

The standings for the teams at the end of the Regatta:
1st Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Tiller
2nd Newport Harbor YC, Segerblom
3rd Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (NZ), Steven
4th Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Griffin
5th San Diego Yacht Club, Snow
6th Mission Bay Yacht Club, Hoffmann
7th Howth Yacht Club (Ireland), Scott
8th Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (Aus), Reece
9th Lake Beulah Yacht Club, Haeger
10th Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Mason
11th Royal Yachting Association, Lees
12th Balboa Yacht Club, Davidson
13th Club Nautico Mar Del Plata, Rogala

The 45th edition of the Gov Cup will occur in July of 2011. William Tiller, Harry Thurston and Shaun Mason of RNZYS will no longer be eligible, but perhaps Chris Segerblom will return from his first year at Yale to take on all comers again.

This year, the up to the minute reports on Twitter and Facebook by Stacie Brandt have added a great touch to the coverage. In addition, Sailgroove's representative Megan Place, took photos and videos, available on their web site. You can check links on our web site for a lot more detail about the individual races. For additional information go to the Gov Cup page at www.balboayachtclub.com. Links to Gov Cup coverage can be found for photos, videos, FaceBook, Twitter and Sailgroove. Over one hundred volunteers helped to make this another banner year.

The 44th annual Governor’s Cup is sponsored by the Newport / Balboa Sailing & Seamanship Association (owner and manager of the Governor’s Cup 21 Fleet used in this event) and CR&R, Inc. In addition, Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille sponsored the Friday evening reception, Blue Water Grill provided dinner for the competitors on Saturday evening, and American Yacht Charters provided a harbor cruise that evening for competitors. Additional support was provided by Black Flys, Crevier BMW, Island Marine Fuel, LBS Distributing, Leading Edge Yacht Services, L. Gaylord Sportswear, Volcom, and West Marine .

3 Sad Old Blokes win Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships

Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships 2010 * Monday 19th July – Friday 23rd July 2010 * Circolo Vela Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy

Competitors took to Lake Garda this morning for races 13 and 14 of the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships. The Gold Fleet to the Yellow/Torbole course and the Silver Fleet to the Blue/Riva course. The fleet was full of tired but determined faces as the fleets cast off the pontoons. Hill (GBR) and Burlton (GBR) both “appeared” remarkably cool going into the final day of racing, with just 4 crucial points separating them, it seems appearances were deceptive.

Conditions were lively on both race courses, with a constant 18 knots of wind at the start of racing. The Gold Fleet, enthusiastic as ever to get race 13 underway were recalled having jumped the line with 15 seconds to the gun. With the well worn black flag raised, and the course re-set after a 20 degree wind shift the Gold Fleet were underway for their penultimate race of the Championship. Ian Ainslie (RSA) and crew pulled out a great lead on the fleet in the first lap of the windward leeward course and finished the race over a minute ahead of Geoff Carveth (GBR) in second place. Jerry Hill (GBR) finished eighth, Luca Rodion (RUS) finished ninth and Craig Burlton (GBR) finished tenth. It was all to play for in the final race.

Yet again the fleet were recalled on the first attempt of starting the final race of the championships and only got away after the black flag was hoisted. The glorious Garda sunshine finally ran out as the fleet beat to the windward mark, the black clouds burst and the wind dropped to 8 knots and swung back 30 degrees. The Race Officer was in a quandary; finish the race in unstable conditions or shorten the course after the first lap? As the fleet were making their final approaches to the leeward gate, the race committee raised the Tango flag and signalled to the fleet to finish. Unfortunately for many of the fleet, the flag was not recognised and only a canny few held their kites and carried on to the finish line.

Adrian Peach, Niall Myant, Nathan Batchelor and Ian Mills (GBR) won the final race of the Championship. “I think that half the fleet didn’t read their sailing instructions! I was sailing with 3 coaches, who had ALL read the SI’s! My tactician, Nathan used to coach the Topper fleet, and immediately recognised the “T” flag!” explained Peach. “My son has been on the phone asking me to get him a bullet; I didn’t think it was going to be possible but it was a great way to finish the event!”

32 boats in the Gold Fleet did not react to the Tango flag and continued to sail the course leaving them outside the 15 minute time limit for the Championship and as a result added a “Did Not Finish” (DNF) results to their score sheet. As the fleet came ashore and realised their mistake, their faces feel and disappointment soared. A disappointing finish for many Championship campaigns.

Ben Saxton, Tim Saxton, Nicola Brook and Matt Rainback (GBR) the young crew onboard Rola-Trac were scored DNF in the final race, but in spite of this, finished the Volvo Laser SB3 World Championship in third place, a fantastic achievement considering this is the crew’s first season in the boat. Rola-Trac will be a boat to be watched in the future and we look forward to seeing them on the podium this evening.

Ian Ainslie, Roger Hudson and Adam Martin (RAS) from Proximo finished in second place. “A hatrick of second’s for me at the SB3 Worlds!” claimed Hudson. The South African’s are always a favourite at SB3 events, will their luck change in time for the UK Worlds?

After 14 races, with scores including 3, 5, 1, 4, 1, 11, 1, 1, 27, 18, 1, 2, 8, 9 Jerry Hill, Joe Lewellyn and Grant Rollerson (GBR) are World Champions in the Laser SB3 Class. Catching up with Jerry Hill after racing, he explained, “We’ve been fast all week and we’ve sailed really well together. We’ve had 5 first and lots of other top 5 results. Our problem at previous World Championships has been carrying “big results”. I have to admit, I was in pieces this morning and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to hold it together, I really didn’t think I could cope. But we sailed really well today, we didn’t have a great start to the first race today, we found ourselves quite deep, but we pulled back places and managed to get in front of Craig [Burlton]. Going into the last race we had 6 points on Craig [Burlton] and 8 points on Ian [Ainslie]. We sailed really well up wind and stayed with Ian [Ainslie] and Craig [Burlton]. At the leeward gate we saw the “T” flag, but also saw that nobody was going to the finish, so we headed up wind and tried to find the Sailing Instructions...they were soggy, but when we saw some of the back markers of the fleet sailing for the finish, we hoisted the chute. Our World Championship title rested on this decision. I am ecstatic that we were right and I am looking forward to celebrating tonight!”

The Silver Fleet is won by Vincenzo Graciotti who racked up an impressive 6 first places in the finals.

With 14 races completed and a great time had by all, the 2010 Volvo Laser SB3 World Championships concludes this evening with the prize giving ceremony at the Circolo Vela Torbole.

In 2011 the Laser SB3 World Championships will be hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club, Torquay, UK from Monday 16th – Friday 20th May.

Championship website with full results, images and video can be found at: http://worlds2010.lasersb3.com/

Another very solid day today for Artemis! We won!

Sander van der Borch
By Paul Cayard
Another very solid day today for Artemis! We won!

The breeze was late to fill so we knew it would be just one race. We knew it was a "who beats who" with Emirates Team New Zealand as they were just one point behind us. It was for all the marbles.

In the pre-start there was a little extra jockeying for position between us and Emirates Team New Zealand to ensure neither of us got a strong position on the other. Emirates Team New Zealand started to the right and we were to the left, with Quantum just to windward.

Half way up the first windward leg, the wind went 15 degrees right and we were well behind Emirates Team New Zealand. At the first mark we were 8th and Emirates Team New Zealand were 3rd, more than 150 meters ahead of us. There wasn't a person out on the water who did not think Team New Zealand had the trophy in their hands as the breeze was now up to 15 knots and they are very fast in that condition.

But the Artemis team was not done. We went ripping down the first run, planing faster than the others and rounded at the bottom gate 5th.

We held our own up the 2nd windward leg despite Emirates Team New Zealand, now just three lengths ahead, tacking on us 3 or 4 times.

We rounded the top mark for the second time and immediately closed in on Prada, they were in our way. We gybed away into clear water and started ripping like no one else. The breeze was now 19 knots and the boat was doing 17 knots. We gybed back to starboard and closed in on Emirates Team New Zealand. They gybed just in front of us. Prada then tried to gybe on our wind behind. We shot through their lee and up and over Emirates Team New Zealand.

And that was that. We finished the race 2nd and won the event! I have been in a lot of sailboat races and that was one of the top four comebacks I have seen. It was fun to be part of it.

More important than the win was the fact that we got Artemis back on track. Nitro, Battler and Fongo had the trim of the sails sorted. Cameron and Michele had us going the right way. And the guys did what they do, operate like pros.

Thanks also to the Artemis shore team for an outstandingly well prepared boat.

So the event ends and Artemis is a happy team.

We are now on a three hour bus ride to Valencia for the RC44 event which starts Tuesday. I will be sailing on Katusha with some of the Artemis team and Terry Hutchinson, whose Quantum finished 3rd here, will be sailing with more Artemis crew on the RC44 Artemis. Tomorrow we weigh in at 0930 so no celebrating for us.

The next TP52 regatta is in four weeks in Cartegena. We are looking forward to putting Artemis on the start line again.

For complete results go to http://www.medcup.org/

Paul
Cayard Sailing

Lights, Camera, Action!

Gilles Martin-Raget
America’s Cup television trials conclude with bang
The first of three planned rounds sheds light on camera angles, sound

VALENCIA, Spain (25 July 2010) – A strong sea breeze on the final day of the America’s Cup television trials concluded what has widely been regarded as a highly successful evaluation.

Over the past four days two high-performance monohulls and multihulls have been loaded with a plethora of cameras and microphones and put through match racing maneuvers to help find new camera angles and test surround sound format.

Racecourses were also modified by changing the percentages of upwind and downwind work to see if it helped keep the yachts engaged at close quarters.

“I’d have to rate the trials an unqualified success,” said BMW ORACLE Racing CEO Russell Coutts. “We plan to do this again in the coming weeks and months, but I think we found some things that work that we’d like to explore again down the road.”

One camera angle that got people’s attention was at the top of the mast looking down on the yacht. In HD format, the picture jumped off the screen with clarity and crispness. Those angles combined with the surround sound format helped create an immersive experience.

The trials were also used to test monohulls versus multihulls and the excitement they lend to television. A new yacht design is being created for the 34th America’s Cup, and concept papers have been issued to rule writers to create a monohull and multihull design.

The monohulls were the focus of the trials on Days 1 and 4, while the multihulls were featured on Days 2 and 3. Each design was sailed in light to strong winds during its time on the water.

Next month, positioning and performance data will be experimented with during the 1851 Cup in Cowes, England. The regatta features BMW ORACLE Racing and TeamOrigin of the U.K. in a series of match races aboard V5 America’s Cup Class sloops off the Isle of Wight.

“We have a long way to go still, but we’re very upbeat about this process,” said Coutts. “We really want to transform the next Cup to make it appealing and enthralling for television, and we feel we’re heading down that path.”

Daily rushes from the trials can be viewed on the 34th America’s Cup YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/34thac. Viewers are encouraged to post comments on the America’s Cup blog site at www.americascup.com/blogpage.

inland

ROLEX ILHABELA SAILING WEEK 2010
PHOTO: ROLEX/CARLO BORLENGHI

A Tale Of Two Winds

PHOTO: ©2010 Meredith Block
Just One Point Separates Leaders After Cold Breeze Blasts Fleet

July 24, 2010 (Malcesine, Italy) - The storms that forced a race's abandonment yesterday and nearly ended the raging One Sails dance party last night left an unexpected gift on the mountains to the North of Lake Garda this morning - 6 cm of snow! Cold conditions in the highlands typically create the Northerly thermal breeze known as the Pelear wind each summer morning, but the surprise conditions supplied an extra strong Pelear for the entire day on Saturday, holding the racers ashore for nearly two hours and preventing the normally reliable Southerly Ora wind from appearing. "This cold wind is too much for Class Rules - we've seen more than 25 knots for a while now," said PRO Fabio Barrasso during the long delay, frustrated with the potential of more lost racing. But as the sun warmed the mountains, wind speeds decreased just enough to guarantee adrenaline-filled rides, and Barrasso sent the fleet out to play in 20 knots of wind.

Benedetto Giallongo's Value Team drew first blood, winning the first race from wire to wire and taking over the regatta lead, after Francesco Farneti's Reggini barely finished in the top ten. Giallongo's team would struggle for the rest of the day, though Farneti continued his troubles in Race 2, while 3rd place Notaro Team and fourth place Turnover were both on fire with the leaders in their sights. "We just could not find our speed," said Value Team tactician Chicco Fonda. "Francesco [Scarselli, helm] flies in this big air, but boats were coming in and crossing us from the left, the right - everywhere." Reggini finally found their legs in the final race, the windiest of the day, finishing second over the line and giving the team a slim one-point lead over Giallongo. Fonda was looking forward to the battle tomorrow. "We think we found our problem, but we can easily finish this regatta anywhere from first to fourth place," he said. "We think we've found our problem, but we'll find at 9:30 if that's the case."

A replacement driver and tactician aboard Luca took the final bullet with a substitute crew and a helmsman who'd never driven a Melges 20 before, and Luca tactician Daniele 'DeDe' Deluca was as surprised as anyone. "Ivan Venturi and I jumped on board this morning to replace our friends when work called them away, but it was his first time on a Melges 20, so our expectations were not too high," said Deluca. When asked if tomorrow would bring more top finishes for the team, Deluca was stoic. "We had a great time and these are very good sailors, but we had a lot of luck today. We'll just have more fun tomorrow and see what happens."

Starboat sailor Oleg Chtchetinine drove 8 hours through the heart of the Alps to have a look at the Melges 20 as he searches for his next boat for his home lake in Switzerland. "The boat is obviously a lot of fun and very fast, but what really stands out are the event organization and the support of the Class provided by Melges," he said. "I think if the circuit continues along its path, we will see plenty of new fleets growing all over Europe over the next few years."

The 2010 Audi Melges Gold Cup Champion will be crowned after an expected three final races, which will begin at 0930 CET on Sunday. Local experts expect typical Pelear morning and Ora afternoon conditions.

Top Ten Results (After 7 Races)
1.) Francesco Farneti, Reggini Sailing Team; 3-2-1-4-8-[11]-2 = 20
2.) Benedetto Giallongo, Value Team; 1-1-[8]-2-1-8-8 = 21
3.) Luca Domenici, Notaro Team; 5-8-4-1-[16]-4-4 = 26
4.) Marco Perazzo/Renato Vallivero, Turnover; 10-4-2-9-7-2-5 = 29
5.) Marco Morina, Sei Tu 20; 2-6-[12]-10-3-1-10 = 39
6.) Michael Kiss, Bacio; 6-[23]-DNF-3-2-9-3= 46
7.) Stefano di Properizio, HULK; 4-3-14-6-12-[15]-9 = 48
8.) Federico Strocchi, Cheyenne; 8-[16]-9-7-6-13-7 = 50
9.) Fausto Rubbini, Thule; 13-5-3-19-[23]-6-6 = 52
10.) Luca Modena, Luca; 14-10-[17]-17-13-3-1 = 58
Full Results
Official Audi Melges 20 Gold Cup Event Website
Full Entry List

View Photo Gallery - Meredith Block
View Photo Gallery - Andy Burdick
View Photo Gallery - Renato Tebaldi
View Photo Gallery - Fabrizio Prandini
View Photo Gallery - Luca Butto for Carlo Borlenghi B-Plan

2010 Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series Results (After 3 Events)
1.) Benedetto Giallongo, Value Team; 51 pts.
2.) Carlo Alberini, Calvi Network; 53 pts.
3.) Luca Domenici, Notaro Team; 62 pts.
4.) Francesco Farnetti, Reggini Sailing Team; 63 pts.
5.) Renato Vallivero, Turnover; 71 pts.

Full race reports, interviews and photo galleries will be posted online each day after racing. Stay tuned to the Official Audi Melges 20 Web Site, the Official Audi Melges 20 Blog, Melges.com and Melgeseurope.com for all the latest details. You can also friend the Audi Melges 20 on Facebook, follow on Twitter and/or subscribe to the Official Audi Melges 20 You Tube Channel.

Simmering pressure, champions in pursuit

The regatta leaders need to stay cool, calm and collected to be ready to execute when racing get under way.

A slow final Sunday at the Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy – Barcelona seems to be in prospect despite the fact that the TP52 Series regatta is poised on a knife edge.
Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis (SWE) leads by just one point with the current champions Emirates Team New Zealand pushing consistently hard, lying second.

In the GP42 Series, there is just only four points now between Madrid-Caser Seguros and Islas Canarias. So both of the Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy – Barcelona leaders are being pursued by the current Audi MedCup Circuit champions.

But the forecasts show only light and variable winds for the early part of the day, suggesting that these final battles off Barcelona might take some time to get under way.
Around the regatta village this morning there is the predicted light northerly flow in evidence.

In theory two races could be sailed for the TP52 Series, but that is the theory. Reality could be a bit different. Around start time it looks like between 4 and 7 knots is more likely, but still moving around in direction and it could be after two before the wind starts to really settle. A sea breeze is predicted to set in to about 170-200 maybe 8-12 knots with not quite as pronounced a right hand bend as we have seen before.

A start sequence cannot begin after 1530hrs but you can be sure that the race committee will do all they can to get as many races away as they can today.

The prize giving takes place at the Audi MedCup Circuit regatta village at 1730hrs (CET).

Audi MedCup TV broadcasts live from 1250hrs.

Three top threes send Emirates Team New Zealand to the top

With a consistent scoreline across three races today (1-3-2), Emirates Team New Zealand now lead the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona. Madrid - Caser Seguros scored an almost perfect day (1-2-1), and keeps a solid leadership in GP42 Series.

The reigning champions won the first race after leading round each mark, finished third in the second race and chased Quantum Racing (USA) across the finish line of the third contest for a second place.

After a morning postponement ashore waiting for sufficient breeze to build, the Garbi sea breeze offered two excellent races under clear skies and sunshine with up to 17 knots of breeze before the wind backed to the left for the third race of a long day on the water.

Quantum Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) were best placed from the scrabble off the pin end of the line for the final race, fighting to get left. They were rewarded with first and second places as the 2008 champions held off the current Audi MedCup TP52 title holding Kiwis down the final run.

Quantum Racing's 11,1,1 ironically fits the description of the type of inconsistency which skipper-helm Terry Hutchison (USA) recently described them trying to avoid, dropping them to third overall in the event, behind Artemis. Paul Cayard steered the Swedish flagged boat to 5,2,4 for the day to hold second place one point ahead of Quantum Racing.

Almost perfect for Madrid - Caser Seguros
Pacing themselves nicely through a long day of delays, wind shifts and a slowly building breeze into the sunset, the Madrid - Caser Seguros (ESP) team led by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) has had another phenomenal day in the GP42 Series of the Audi MedCup on scores of 1-2-1 for the day. This has strengthened their lead to 6 points in the Camper Regatta - Conde de Godó Trophy – Barcelona over runner-up Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) led by skipper Jose Maria Ponce (ESP), but their lead has increased by only a mere point over the Canarias team near the halfway mark in the overall series scores.

For tomorrow, three races for TP52 Series and two for GP42 Series are scheduled. First start of the day due at 1300hrs.

Camper Regatta – Conde de Godó Trophy - Barcelona

TP52 Series
Day 3

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+4+8+1+3+2= 19 points
2. Artemis (SWE), 7+2+4+5+2+4= 24
3. Quantum Racing (USA), 5+5+2+11+1+1= 25
4. Bribón (ESP), 3+3+7+7+5+11= 36
5. Cristabella (GBR), 2+1+11+9+6+9= 38
6. TeamOrigin (GBR), 10+6+3+3+9+7= 38 
7. Synergy (RUS), 6+10+6+2+7+8= 39
8. Bigamist 7 (POR), 8+7+10+8+4+5= 42
9. Audi A1 powered by ALL4ONE (FRA/GER), 12(DNC)+8+5+4+8+6= 43
10. Matador (ARG), 4+9+9+10+10+3= 45
11. Luna Rossa (ITA), 9+11+1+6+11+10= 48

America’s Cup organizers plan lab experiment off Valencia

VALENCIA, Spain (15 July 2010) – With a view towards helping determine if a
monohull or multihull is better suited for America’s Cup racing, event planners have
scheduled four days of trials here to develop methods for making the racing more
enthralling for fans, more challenging for crews and better portrayed on television
screens around the world.

Concept papers for a new monohull and multihull design were issued on July 2 to
independent rule writers in the United Kingdom and U.S. The trials, July 22-25, will help confirm certain parameters of the new yacht, including reduced crew numbers to place a premium on boathandling.

Not only will the format of racing and type of boat come under scrutiny, but also
television production. The America’s Cup Media Evaluation Team has solicited opinions from a wide array of broadcasters, digital media and technology companies in Europe and the U.S. on how to make the racing more dramatic on-line, on-screen and on TV.

Accepted standards of Cup racing are being challenged in the trials and no thought will
be ignored in the quest to create the most compelling television production and
delivering it to the widest-ever audience.

“We are testing many different concepts,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE
Racing Team. “Would making the first leg downwind instead of upwind be better? Can
you have exciting boat-on-boat action with multihulls? Are there alternative race course
formats which might provide more overtaking opportunities?”

The trials will be conducted with two pairs of X40 catamarans and RC44 sloops. 3D and
HD cameras will be experimented with to see if the onboard action is more dramatically
portrayed, and the race format testing will include downwind and reaching starts.
Guest helmsmen such as Roman Hagara of Austria and Murray Jones of New Zealand
will lead the crews aboard the X40s. Hagara is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the
Tornado class and Jones raced multihulls extensively in the lead-up to the 33rd
America’s Cup Match.

Multihulls have been paired in the America’s Cup only once before, during the 33rd
Match last February. And while there were some exciting moments, such as stalls on
the start line and port-starboard crossings at the windward mark, the jury remains hung
on whether or not multihulls can mix it up in close proximity to each other or whether
they offer the boat behind more opportunities to pass.

A pair of RC44s will provide the high-performance monohull baseline for the trials.
James Spithill, the youngest ever America’s Cup winning skipper will be at the helm of
one of the two yachts. They will race short-handed, eight-person crews to see if that
adds a level of drama to boathandling that would be compelling for television.
“Only by reviewing the accepted wisdom can we decide if there are smarter ways to
challenge crews and excite fans,” Coutts said.

bmworacleracing.com

ROLEX COMMODORES' CUP DRAWS SOUTH AFRICA

FAIR DO'S VII, Team: UK Red, Class: 1, Sail No: GBR4601L, Design: Ker 46, Skipper: John Shepherd Rolex Commodores' Cup 2008 © ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo

There are only a few weeks to the close of entries at this year’s Rolex Commodores’ Cup. Whilst most teams have finalized their boats and crews, others are still engaged in discussions to determine their line-ups. For all teams, both settled and prospective, certain things are set in stone. Most importantly there must be three boats, one in each of the stipulated rating bands, and, all teams must be on the starting grid for the first race on Sunday, 15 August. At present, organisers’, the Royal Ocean Racing Club are expecting 11 teams representing France, Ireland, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Kingdom to contest the international trophy.

The shaping field looks to be as competitive as ever. The sea battles that have been fought in recent weeks off the coasts of France and Ireland, and, of course, on the event venue waters of the Solent suggest that a no quarter given epic is in the making.

Neutrals, with an eye for the outsider, are likely to follow the progress of the South African team over the course of the Rolex Commodores’ Cup. 2010 marks the first time a team from the world’s second largest continent has participated. As with Hong Kong’s presence in 2008, for this to happen a number of stars have had to be in alignment.

According to Mike Bartholomew, skipper of the team’s Class 2 yacht, the King 40 Tokoloshe, “it was Eddie Warden Owen from the RORC who actually suggested to Rick Nankin and myself that we should consider putting a South African team together. The whole thing really just grew from there. We approached two others we knew well, Phil Gutschi and Rick Garratt, to see if they could join the party. Both were enthusiastic from the word go.” Gutschi owns the Landmark 43, Windpower, to be skippered by Nankin in Class 1, and Garratt has chartered the J-109, Zelda, to be skippered by Dave Hudson in Class 3.

The second catalyst, in Bartholomew’s opinion, has been having a South African owned yacht (Tokoloshe) eligible for the Rolex Commodores’ Cup sailing in the Solent for the past two years, “previously it would have been too much of an ask to put a team together and, in any event, there were not any really competitive boats in South Africa.” Bartholomew is being modest about Tokoloshe’s sailing. She has not just been competing, but has proved a force to be reckoned with in recent months, going head to head with some success against other Rolex Commodores’ Cup contenders on the Solent circuit.

The vast majority of the crews will be South African, easily meeting the strict eligibility criteria for the event, “most of the individuals are from Cape Town. Even Phil, who is from Port Elizabeth, keeps his boat there. The main exceptions are the navigators, Andrew Cape on Windpower and Rick Oswald on Zelda, and, of course, some of the regulars on Tokoloshe.”

Experience is essential for a good result at the Rolex Commodores’ Cup. Not necessarily just time on the waters of the venue, but in competing over a tight, but demanding series. Bartholomew is unconcerned by this aspect, “there is a fair amount of experience in the crews most of whom have had international exposure. Phil has campaigned a number of boats over the years. His skipper Rick Nankin is probably by far the most experienced South African in the mix. But Rick Garratt still remembers the good times of the 1995 Admirals Cup. He will have aboard Mark Sadler, the skipper of Shosholoza the South African entry in the previous Americas Cup.” All three boats will be in UK waters by Cowes Week and will use that regatta as a final serious warm-up.

One final element in the list of irresistible forces was the involvement of the Race Ahead project. David Hudson and his brother Roger have been part of the sailing scene for almost all their lives, and, both are very successful sailors in their own right. In 2008 they created 'Race Ahead', a project aimed at giving South Africa's young sailing talent a structured route into the international sailing world. The project has allowed young South Africans to compete in the highly competitive Laser SB3 circuit in the UK and Ireland. The effort has not been without reward: a top 10 overall finish at Cowes Week; followed by a class win at Cork Week and a second overall at the inaugural Laser SB3 World Championship in Dublin. For Garrett to have access to this pool of talent was a major motivating factor in his participation.

Just like Hong Kong, the South African team is not just coming along for the ride. Bartholomew is succinct on this point, “we will try to win.”

The 2010 Rolex Commodores' Cup will be held off Cowes, Isle of Wight, from 15 to 21 August.

Nationality

At least 50%... of the crew of each boat on board in any race shall comprise individuals who are Nationals of the country of the relevant team or individuals who have had since 1 August 2009 had their principal residence in that country or individuals who were born in that country.

Further information about the Rolex Commodores' Cup may be found at: http://www.rorc.org/

Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships

Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships
9-18 July - The Hague, The Netherlands

The Hague, 12 July 2010

Calm before the storm

Conditions transpired against the possibility of racing on the opening day of the Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships, taking place off the Hague, Holland.

The final tally of entries taking part in this resort town, best known for being the home of the International Court of Justice, comes to 119 men and 62 women. Chilean sailors, Aurelia Zulueta and Josefina Eluchans have had to stand down, but there has been an 11th hour entry in the 470 Men's class from India in Pushparajan Muttu and Nijeesh Bhaskaran so there are still 39 nations competing.

After a delay ashore until 2pm (local), the Men's and Women's fleets ventured out into a near mill pond, as they did their best to not be thrown around too much by the tide. But with storm clouds looming and no start looking possible, the fleets were sent back ashore - just in time. The lack of wind this afternoon proved to be the calm before the storm for at around 5pm suddenly the heavens opened and there was driving rain and 40 knot gusts. Just over half the fleet had made it safely to land when this struck, but some weren't so lucky. This included the Swedes Anton Dahlberg and Sebastian Östling, who last Wednesday moved into the no.1 position in the new ISAF rankings.

Dahlberg explained what happened: 'When the wind came we were being towed and we were doing a change in the towing. The wind caught us by surprise and we ripped our sails. So we are looking for new sails at the moment. It wasn't the best way to come into the Worlds..."

After a consistent season so far that has seen them finish on the podium at three regattas leading up to the Worlds, so Dahlberg, who typically sails from Stockholm or Gothenberg, says they were hoping for similar success this week.

'It is really big for us - it is like a goal you had in your life and suddenly it is there," he adds of their ranking. 'It has been a really good season. Our consistency has been the best. We have been focussed."

For others the sudden violent downpour came as more of a surprise. Pakistan's entry in the 470 Men, Xerxes Avari and Mehboob Rafiq, have been sailing in the class for eight years and this is their third World Championship. 'We do get rain in Pakistan, but let's hope we get a better day tomorrow," said Avari.

Avari and Rafiq usually sail out of Karachi where they are currently trying to coax more of their compatriots into racing them the Olympic doublehander. 'At the moment there are only two 470s and the other guy doesn't come out very much!" states Avari. 'So we mostly sail on our own, but we are trying to get a few more people involved."

In terms of local competition they have competed in Pakistan for the right to go to the Asian Games, where they finished 'way, way down" according to Avari, who adds they are keeping their fingers crossed for a mid-fleet result this week off the Hague. 'It is good fun, but it is very competitive."

So will there be racing tomorrow? According to Delta Lloyd 470 World Championship Event Director Edwin Lodder the forecast for tomorrow should be better than today. However they do have some flexibility. There is no time limit on when they can start racing, and Lodder says that if conditions prove awkward again this week they have the option of keeping the boats out into the evening. 'We want people back before 9pm We don't want to finish them in the dark or having them back in the harbour after dark."

The forecast has the wind veering through 180 degrees tonight into the northeast. During the day it is supposed to build steadily from 5-10 knots at lunchtime to 10-15 later in the afternoon.

/// ENDS

Event web site: http://www.470worlds2010.com/

COWES WEEK ON THE BEAUTIFUL ISLE OF WIGHT

31ST July – 7th August 2010

Now in its 184th year, the Isle of Wight is busy preparing to welcome visitors to Cowes Week for what promises to be another action packed regatta. Taking place in the challenging waters off Cowes, this sailing spectacular is sure to excite professionals and amateurs alike as well as entertain those on shore with a full programme of entertainments throughout the week.

A major event in the Island’s festival calendar, Cowes Week is one of the UK’s longest running and most successful sporting events. Around 8,500 competitors now participate, ranging from Olympic and world class yachtsmen to weekend sailors. Over 1,000 boats take part from classic day boats to high-tech racing machines.

The spectacle that the racing provides, together with the vibrant festival atmosphere ashore attracts over 100,000 visitors to Cowes during the event, including its fair share of celebrities. Visitors benefit from an abundance of bars, restaurants and cafes as well as daily musical entertainment and spectacular events including an aerial display from the Red Arrows. Perhaps most impressive is the traditional fireworks display, which wows the crowds on the final Friday of the regatta.

On onshore itinerary of cocktail parties and yacht club balls makes Cowes Week internationally renowned, with people returning year after year for exhilarating sailing by day and partying by night.

If you are not out on the water, why not hang out on the Parade and watch all the action from the decked garden whilst sipping a nice cool drink. There is live music throughout the day providing the perfect place from which to soak up the atmosphere.

Whether it’s to be a spectator to the amazing offshore races, take part or just to enjoy a day out with a difference, Cowes week offers a fusion of many exciting elements to please everyone.

For more information about the event visit http://www.iwight.com/just_visiting/yachting/cowesweek/

Round the world racing returns to Punta del Este, Uruguay

In the mid-1980s, Punta del Este, Uruguay, was the South American stopover port for the fully-crewed Whitbread Round the World Race and in the following decade, solo sailors in the BOC Challenge pulled into the port at the end of their brutal Southern Ocean leg from Australia. The Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) can now confirm that Punta del Este is the South American stopover port at the end of the 6,000+ mile Leg 3 from Wellington, New Zealand. The stopover will be hosted by the Uruguay Ministry of Tourism with the fleet to be based at the prestigious Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE).

For Dr. Hector Lescano, Uruguayan Minister of Tourism, the GOR stopover is an exciting prospect. “It is a great honour that this international event has chosen Punta del Este as the South American stopover,” confirms Lescano. “Our national and local authorities are working together to support and coordinate the event and ensure that all requirements for the Race Organisation and racing teams are in place,” he continues.

Located at the southern tip of Uruguay on the northern shore of the Río de la Plata, the South Atlantic port of Punta del Este is an overwhelmingly attractive prospect for round the world race teams. The town is a very popular resort for international holiday makers with the deserved reputation of being the ‘St. Tropez of Uruguay’. With a network of global flight connections for the GOR crews, their teams, friends and families, miles of pristine beaches and a cosmopolitan and relaxed atmosphere throughout the city, there could be no better place for the teams to relax and recuperate after the exacting demands of the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn.

The nature of the GOR Leg 3 demands that the South American stopover provides the vital services required for carrying out checks, maintenance and repairs to the racing yachts following 6,000 miles of hard sailing through high latitudes. The choice of the Yacht Club Punta del Este as the GOR base is ideal with the vastly experienced team at the YCPE capable of supplying all facilities from an essential travel lift to fibreglass work and a comprehensive range of skilled specialists.

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Gearing For Laser Radial World Championships

Largs, Scotland -Anna Tunnicliffe

Scotland has lived up to everything everyone has told me. The scenery is amazingly beautiful, but it rains frequently. The water is quite cold, but the wind provides fantastic sailing. I have been here in Largs for the last week and a half, training to get ready for the 2010 Laser Radial World Championships.

Race Area - Firth of Clyde, Off Great Cumbrae
Photo: (c) Joanna Tunnicliffe, July 2010
After Kiel, I flew to England to visit my relatives for a couple of days before I got my boat up in Scotland. I arrived in Scotland on 27th June and got settled in on my uncle’s boat just up the coast. Halfway through training, I moved to a Bed and Breakfast in the town of Largs.

Largs is a small seaside town with a small population. I think our regatta has almost doubled the size of the town, but everyone here is very friendly and welcoming. In the evenings, there isn’t a lot to do, but there is a bowling alley that has been showing the world cup soccer games; so between bowling and soccer, we have been thoroughly entertained. Even though I don’t have my team with me, I have been keeping up the ice cream superstition at the local ice cream parlor.

Largs Town As Seen From The Water
Photo: Joanna Tunnicliffe, July 2010

I have had my boat since the 28th and have been sailing hard since. Unfortunately, the first day of sailing, there was no wind so we drifted out to the race area and drifted back to the shore. It was nice to get back in the Laser Radial and get a feel for things before the breeze came the next day.

The next day, Team USA got together and did some training over the following couple of days. We had winds anywhere from 12 knots up to 25+kts, and as a team, we all improved our speed and fitness in preparation for the regatta. Along with our USSTAG team coach Dennis Paaske, Brad Funk, my husband, was here coaching me and getting me back up to speed as much as he could. Brad worked hard with the whole team on the big breeze set ups and technique. It was also great to see him for a week before we went our separate ways for a couple of weeks. He is currently in Turkey coaching the ISAF Youth World Championships.

It has been good getting to know Dennis and work with him a bit before the regatta starts. He has a lot of knowledge on race course tactics and I’m really looking forward to learning from him while I’m here. Training ended today with a short session to break in my new sail and practice some last minute skills. The regatta starts tomorrow, and you can follow on the regatta website.

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support.

Sail Hard,

Anna
Team Tunnicliffe

2010 Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships - Men and Women

9-18 July 2010, The Hague, The Netherlands

Preview Delta Lloyd 470 World Championships 40 nations to compete for the Men's 470 and Women's 470 World Title

Next weekend the Men's and Women's 470 classes converge on the Hague, the Netherlands, for the start of their 2010 World Championship, sponsored by Delta Lloyd.

Taking place over 12-18 July, this year's 470 World Championships feature 123 provisional entries in the Men's division, and 65 in the Women's. Demonstrating once again the global popularity of the 470 as an Olympic class, 40 nations will be represented.

The line-up racing off The Hague features all the top contenders in the 470 class, including past World Champions and Olympic medallists. Australian Malcolm Page, Gold medallist in Beijing, returns with his new crew Matt Belcher having finished fifth at the World Championships in Denmark last year. Currently second in the world rankings the duo arrive at the Worlds on a high having most recently won the 470 Men's class at Kieler Woche. In fact Page is not the only 470 Men's Beijing Olympic medallist now with a new crew - bronze medallist, France's Nicolas Charbonnier now sails with Baptiste Meyer Dieu. They are currently eighth in the ISAF rankings having won this year's Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres.

Looking to defend their World Championship title will be Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic. Currently no6 in the ISAF rankings, these Croatian sailors have had a good season so far, podiuming in four of the six regattas they have competed in.

'This year we have had great results," agrees Fantela. 'We were fighting for the medal in Palma, we did bronze in Kiel and also in Medemblik. We had good preparations and training and we feel really good. Maybe 10 boats can win the Championship. So we'll go there and sail our own race and see what happens."

Also expected to be at the top of the Men's 470 will be two of the longest standing members of the class. Israel's Gideon Kliger is currently no3 in the world and in the past has come third in three World Championships in 2008, 2007 and 2006. Since the beginning of this season Kliger has been racing with a new crew in Eran Sela, but despite this they have never finished out of the top eight so far this year.

Like Kliger, the Dutch brothers Sven and Calle Coster have been in the Men's 470 for more than a decade and they have been no1 in the world rankings almost continuously since the Beijing Games, but have dropped to fifth in the latest ISF rankings. This is to due to the Costers having had a slow start to their season: Sven Coster has had an infection of the L3-L4 vertebrae and is in the middle of a 9-10 month recovery period. In addition, at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma he suffered a throat injection so bad that he had to return to Holland for surgery.

'We didn't sail much in the first five months of this year. The results haven't been great this year, but everything is focussed on the Worlds - it all feels good," assures Sven Coster.

Also on top form are two time World Champions in 2008 and 2006 Nick Asher and Elliot Willis (GBR). They won the Delta Lloyd Regatta in the Netherlands this year - so perhaps Dutch waters could be lucky for the British duo again?

In the Women's 470, the class act this year has been the 2009 European Champions Guilia Conti and Giovanna Micol from Italy, no2 in the ISAF rankings. To date in 2010 they have won both the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma and Delta Lloyd and have not been out of the top four in the other events they have contested. However hot on their heels are the present World no1s, Ingrid Petitjean and Nadège Douroux from France, who have not been out of the top eight at the six regattas they have competed in this season and have podiumed no less than four times.

They will face strong competition in Lisa Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout (NED), who aside from being the local favourites are also the defending World Champions. In Denmark last year they demolished the opposition to win by 26 points, despite having only sailed together for three months previous. Currently ranked sixth in the world, both Westerhof and Berkhout are highly experienced 470 sailors: Westerhof represented the Netherlands at the Games in Athens while Berkhout and her then helm Marcelien de Koning returned from Beijing with the silver medal.

Despite being unbeatable in 2009, winning not only the Worlds but Skandia Sail For Gold and Keiler Woche, Westerhof and Berkhout had a disappointing start to their 2010 season and have only recently redeemed themselves scoring a silver at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik.

'We knew from last year that we still had a lot to do," admits Berkhout. 'We won all the events we sailed last year, but we still had to go through different things, like communication together, etc and we still had to grow as a team. We took the spring for that and it has been a good learning curve and at the Delta Lloyd Regatta we proved we are still one of the best teams. We will certainly have the possibility to be in the top three at the Worlds."

However as young British duo Luke Patience and Stuart Bithell proved when they finished second at the 470 Worlds last year, predicting form in the 470 is always hard and this year there is a particularly strong influx of Juniors.

In the Hague next week will be both the 2009 and 2008 women's two person dinghy gold medallists from the Youth Worlds, albeit with new crew - Britain's 2008 champion Frances Peters is now with Eilidh Mcintyre, while Brazil's Martine Soffiatti Grael, who won last year, is racing with Isabel Swan, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist. The 2009 boy's gold medallist Philip Sparks is competing too, also with a new crew in Chris Grube.

Sparks, aged 17 and from Christchurch on the south coast of the UK, paired up with Grube last September. The duo have been competing at all the events they can including Kieler Woche, Delta Lloyd, Hyeres and Rolex Miami OCR this year, but he admits: 'We have been quite inconsistent because we haven't had enough time yet to put a consistent series together across the wind range, so it is hard to predict how you think you will do." This will be Sparks' first time at a 470 World Championship. 'I am looking forward to it - a proper event that counts for something and involves a bit of pressure it would be good," he says.

Reigning World Championship Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic who Junior 470 World Champions in 2007 advise that of those who have just left the Juniors, France's Sofian Bouvet and Jeremie Mion should be watched. So far this year have finished inside the top 10 at all the regattas they have competed in and in 2009 were both the 470 Junior World Champions and 470 Junior European Champions.

The Delta Lloyd 470 World Championship starts with a practice race on Sunday 11 July, followed by a qualification series over 12-14 July, the final series over 15-18 July, culminating in the medal races. Tracking - for both classes and all races - can be followed through the Delta Lloyd 470 World Championship website http://470worlds2010.com.

Pacific Cup on Livestream

pacificcup on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

San Francisco announced as sole USA host-city candidate for 34TH America’s Cup

SAN FRANCISCO, USA (8 July 2010) – San Francisco has put forward a strong, wellrounded venue proposal, and is now the only city in the USA under consideration to host the 34th America’s Cup match.

The city is home to the Golden Gate Yacht Club, whose team BMW ORACLE Racing,
won the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain on 14 February.

The 34th America’s Cup is scheduled for 2013 or 2014, the year to be determined by
infrastructure development lead-times.

“Our team has said from the outset that San Francisco and the Bay Area have the
potential to provide a superb stage on which to host a memorable America’s Cup,”
commented Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing. “Our team owner, Larry
Ellison, has called the Bay ‘a fantastic natural amphitheatre’.”

In being granted status as the sole venue candidate in the USA, San Francisco can
forge ahead with plans to provide the necessary facilities for the America's Cup along
the City's waterfront, south of the Bay Bridge. It also now allows San Francisco to
“nationalize” their efforts and to seek support from the State of California and the federal government in Washington, D.C.

Under the Cup’s governing rules, the Deed of Gift written in 1852, the winner and hence Defender for the next Match chooses the venue.

San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom said, “We are very honored to lead a national
effort to host the 34th America’s Cup. Larry Ellison has a transformative vision for
hosting the Cup on San Francisco Bay, and we are prepared to leverage the nation’s
support to make this a coast-to-coast campaign and to realize that vision.” Other US cities have been excited by the prospect of hosting the America’s Cup match, notably Newport, Rhode Island where Cup racing was held from 1930 through 1983, San Diego, California which hosted Cup defenses in 1988, 1992 and 1995, and Long Beach, California, site of the 1984 Olympic yachting regatta and the annual Congressional Cup.

Coutts said, “We are extremely grateful to the other American candidates. Their
disappointment is understandable as each would have been a great host city in its own
right. And we appreciate their offers of support to San Francisco going forward.
Strong expressions of interest from four European countries are also being studied by
the American Defender. GGYC/BOR will announce a final decision on the venue, along
with the date and other details of the next America’s Cup by the end of this year.

The America’s Cup has been defended only twice outside of the holder’s home waters
in its 159 year history – at Valencia, Spain in 2007 and 2010.

The City of San Francisco will be making its own announcement today.

2010 49er European Championship

More images at http://photos.friedbits.com/p270548826

Team Origin’s Ben Ainslie to defend Argo Group Gold Cup title

Match Racing for the King Edward VII Gold Cup Trophy
October 5-10, 2010 • Hamilton, Bermuda
World Match Racing Tour: Stage 9

Eight of nine World Match Racing Tour Card teams set for Bermuda
2010 Notice of Race posted at http://www.argogroupgoldcup.com/

Hamilton, Bermuda, July 7, 2010: Team Origin’s Ben Ainslie (GBR), the 2009 Argo Group Gold Cup champion, has now confirmed his entry to defend his title in the October 5th World Match Racing Tour event in Hamilton, Bermuda. Ainlsie, the three time Olympic gold medal winner and winner of one silver, too, took the 2009 finals 3-1 over Adam Minoprio. He etched his name on the coveted King Edward VII Gold Cup Trophy along with a host of match race sailing legends. Can he make it two in a row? Come Watch the action in Hamilton Harbour October 5-10 this fall.

“Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is excited to have Ben in the Argo Group Gold Cup again,” said event chairman Brian Billings. “Ainslie is a fierce competitor who chooses his events carefully. We always like having him race in Bermuda. His being from the UK makes him almost a local in Bermuda.”

“Of course,” Billings continued, “Ben will have some tough competition from Minoprio, Mathieu Richard and the other World Match Racing Tour card holders and from the up-and-coming young racers we add with our unique 24-team format. Upsets can happen if one of the youngsters hits his or her stride in the Argo Group Gold Cup.”

Ainslie is currently tied for 7th place on the tour and 3rd in the ISAF rankings. The only Tour Card holder not entered in Bermuda’s Argo Group Gold Cup is Peter Gilmour.

Twenty-one teams have accepted invitations to the 2010 Argo Group Gold Cup. The three winners of the Bermuda National Championship, the Knickerbocker Cup and the Detroit Cup will fill the last three places of the twenty-four slots in this unique ISAF World Match Racing Tour event.

Topping the entry list is number one ranked ISAF World Match Racing Tour skipper Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) and 2nd ranked Adam Minoprio (Black Match Racing) lead the field of entries. Richard in 1st place tops the World Match Racing Tour standings while Minoprio is ranked 1st on the June 9th ISAF list. Richard is 4th in ISAF Rankings. Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) 2nd ranked on the ISAF list and 3rd on the tour will also be in Bermuda for the Gold Cup classic.

Other Tour Card holders who have entered are 5th ranked Ian Williams (Sail Bahrain), 6th ranked Francesco Bruni (Team Azzura), 10th ranked Bjorn Hansen (Hansen Global Team), and 14th ranked Bertrand Pace (Aleph Sailing Team).

In addition to card holders a group of sailors ranked high by both ISAF and the WMRT and some who are active America’s Cup or the Louis Vuitton Series are on the card. Those skippers include 9th ranked Paolo Cian (Team Italia), 16th ranked Johnie Berntsson (Berntsson Sailing Team), Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand), Gavin Brady (Royal Hong Cong YC), and Damian Iehl (French Match Racing Team).Other skippers now included in the slate are Dave Perry (USA), Phil Robertson (NZL), Terry McLaughlin (CAN), Taylor Canfield (USVI), Reuben Corbett (NZL), Alvaro Marinho (POR).

Two top Ranked women’s sailors will join the fray. The ISAF number one ranked women’s team skipper, Lucy McGregor (GBR) will compete as will US Olympic Laser gold medal winner Anna Tunnicliffe, hopefull to win another gold in 2012, but in match racing rather than the Laser. Both women’s teams are eagerly preparing for the new Women’s Olympic Match Racing discipline.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the 9th event of the eleven-stage World Match Racing Tour. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd, an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in niche areas of the property and casualty market, returns as title sponsor for the third year.

In addition to Argo Group, key sponsors include The Bermuda Department of Tourism as official host, Renaissance Re, Guy Carpenter, and AON. The Hamilton Princess Hotel is offering special packages for Argo Group Gold Cup Week.

Renaissance Re will once again sponsor the Renaissance Re Junior Gold Cup International Optimist Dinghy regatta sailed in Bermuda’s Great Sound and Hamilton Harbour.

Cowes Week: TeamOrigin and America's Cup champions to contest the 1851 Cup

The two hottest match racing skippers in the world, TEAMORIGIN’s Ben Ainslie, and BMW ORACLE Racing’s James Spithill, will lead their teams contesting the 1851 Cup.

Britain’s TEAMORIGIN will be the be first potential challenger for the next America’s Cup to race head-to-head with BMW ORACLE Racing, winners of the 33rd America’s Cup.

Competition will take place on the historic waters of the Solent and around the Isle of Wight upon which a race won by the New York yacht America gave rise to the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in the international sport. The 1851 Cup celebrates this event. Racing will be held as close to West Cowes as possible to give spectators a close-up view, with a special race around the Isle of Wight also planned.

The racing schedule is:

Match racing : up to three short match races per day on Tuesday 3rd, Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th August, starting from 1430 onwards

Round the Island race : Thursday 5th August both boats will go around the Island in a clockwise direction, replicating the direction of the yachts back in 1851

Aged 30, Australian James Spithill the youngest-ever America’s Cup skipper, will go into battle against Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie, aged 33, Skipper and Helmsman of TEAMORIGIN, four times Olympic medallist with 3 golds and 1 silver.

"This will be an incredible event which I am sure will capture the imagination of sports fans across the UK," commented Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN Skipper and Helmsman. "We relish the idea of taking on the Defenders in our home waters. We have a busy season in 2010 and The 1851 Cup is one that we are all particularly looking forward to.”

The teams will be based at the 1851 Marquee on Cowes Parade, adjacent to the Royal Yacht Squadron. There will be information and activities for public and guests daily.

The iconic America’s Cup will be on public display during the day. Members of each team will be on hand to sign posters, answer questions and talk about their passion for their sport and for winning the America’s Cup.

James Spithill, Skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing added: “Ben’s a mate and fantastic sailor. Having said that, we’re really looking forward to taking the fight to him and his guys. For our team, this is a key stepping stone from having been victorious challengers in February when we beat Alinghi, to becoming a unit that has to defend the 34th America’s Cup.”

Leslie Greenhalgh