Photos of Team BMW Oracle sailing

Photographer: Gilles Martin-Raget

Photographer: Gilles Martin-Raget

Photographer: Gilles Martin-Raget

Photographer: Gilles Martin-Raget

Photos by Gilles Martin-Raget http://www.martin-raget.com/ BMW Oracle

Some photos from Team BMW Oracle's multihull training in Lorient this week.

BMW Oracle already laying up carbon...

Progress well advanced on new America’s Cup yacht.
The third America’s Cup racing yacht to be built in Anacortes is well underway, BMW ORACLE Racing the U.S. Challenger for the 33rd America’s Cup confirmed today.

The multihull yacht is being built for San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) team for a match against the defender later this year. This will be the third America’s Cup racing yacht the U.S. team has built in this waterfront community 100 miles (160 km) north of Seattle.

“We are proud to be in Anacortes where we can draw on world-class expertise and where the team has enjoyed so much local support,” said the team’s Boat Construction Manager Mark Turner. The team built its two America’s Cup Class yachts USA 87 and USA 98 in Anacortes for the 32nd America’s Cup competition in 2007 in Valencia, Spain.

The rules that govern the America’s Cup, the Deed of Gift, require the boat to be constructed in the country of challenge. “We selected Anacortes due to our successful track record here, thanks to supportive local officials, a fantastic marine infrastructure and the proximity to aerospace-quality tooling and other support operations required to build such a high-tech America’s Cup boat,” Turner said. “Anacortes was the clear choice, we are very happy to be back here,” he said.

Turner is working alongside co-construction manager Tim Smyth. Housed in a 100-foot X 200-foot (30m x 60m), three-story shed, the building has been converted into a purpose-built composite yacht construction facility. The team also works with Janicki Industries in nearby Sedro-Woolley which provide high-tech precision tooling for the boat construction.

“Since last December we have been focused on being ready for this match, and getting the boat in the water as soon as possible,“ Turner said.

He said the team would provide further updates on the boat’s construction soon. -http://bmworacleracing.com/

Photo: Neil Rabinowitz / BMW ORACLE Racing

Local fisherman catches Fonica wipeout...

Local fisherman Gilles Martin snaps a photo of the 60ft trimaran Foncia as it capsizes off Lorient with Alinghi sailors on board.

Alinghi TV

(Photo credit: Alinghi)
Alinghi TV turns the spotlight on the sailing team in a six part ‘Campaign 32’ series. Documenting what it takes to be part of the winning crew!

Click here to open video window

Bertarelli and Ehman go at it...

There has already been an angry confrontation in the not so wonderful city of Copenhagen. It has been cold and miserable for the Farr 40 worlds, but some heat was injected from outside when Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi asked that the chairman of the jury, Tom Ehman, should step down. As Ehman is at the centre of the litigation by GGYC, at the behest of BMW Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Alinghi, as a competitor, felt there could be some conflict of interest.

Ehman did not step down, doubtless because he thought that his four co-jurors would never allow themselves to be manipulated in what could be seen as vindictive behavour. But Bertarelli’s skipper, Brad Butterworth, is incensed and has written to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with a formal complaint.

The stage is being set for a bitter battle. Expect SNG (Alinghi) to have a formidable team of lawyers which will assert that the event already has a mechanism for resolving disputes. It is called the Arbitration Panel, appinted by ACM, and may well deliver an opinion prior to any court hearing. SNG may also say that any quarrels over mutual consent have been covered by the Club Nautico Espanol de Vela, the chosen Challenger of Record, having signed up to the new protocol - as, by implication, have challengers from South Africa, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Germany."- http://www.stuartalexander.eu/

America's Cup back in NZ hands?

According to an affidavit, sworn by Tom Ehman, Head of External Affairs for BMW ORACLE Racing, the Sociéte Nautique de Genève and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club could have an arrangement, under which the America’s Cup would return to the RNZYS.

Ehman says: Using its unfettered powers under the Protocol, SNG has devised two schemes to escape adjudication of this dispute by the New York courts. Its first scheme, I have heard, relies upon a provision in the Deed of Gift which states that if a "Club holding the Cup be for any cause dissolved, the Cup shall be transferred to some Club of the same nationality, but, in the event of the failure of such transfer within three months after such dissolution, such Cup shall revert to the preceding Club holding the same."

I have heard that SNG has considered resigning as trustee and refraining from transferring the Cup to another Swiss yacht club within three months. It would then invoke the above quoted provision as a basis for returning the Cup to the preceding trustee, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron ("RNZYS"). In turn, RNZYS would accept SNG as the challenger of record and decline, or ignore, GGYC's challenge of July 11, 2008. Such a gambit would, of course, violate the Deed of Gift. - Cathy McLean Full story
Photo Giles Martin-Raget/BMW

The Empire Strikes Back

BERNE, Switzerland - America's Cup holders Alinghi have accused yachting rivals BMW Oracle of holding the competition to ransom following their decision to file legal proceedings in New York.

BMW Oracle owner Larry Ellison is suing Alinghi for what he says are "unfair" rules for the running of the next America's Cup - a charge strenuously denied by the Swiss team.

"Far from being an attempt to control everything, the new protocol has been written to make the 33rd America's Cup even better," said Michel Bonnefous, president of the ACM organising body set up to run the competition on Alinghi's behalf.

"The vision is shared by many Challengers from around the world, four of whom have now formally entered the competition, with others about to do so.

"Larry Ellison is holding the Cup to ransom for competitive gain by attempting to disrupt the preparations."

Alinghi's New Zealand-born skipper Brad Butterworth attributed the US team's lawsuit to sour grapes. http://www.nzherald.co.nz

Coutts unhappy with new rules

Team Germany confirmed yesterday they will launch another bid for the America's Cup, taking the number of challengers in the next regatta to five.
But Oracle Racing's new skipper, New Zealander Russell Coutts, continued the American syndicate's attack on the conditions for the 2009 event, saying defenders Alinghi should scrap rule changes.
Team Germany's intention to return to Valencia means they will join a fleet that so far also includes Team New Zealand, Spain's Desafio Espanol, South Africa's Shosholoza and Britain's new Team Origin.
The Germans, in their cup debut, came second-last among the 11 challengers in this year's regatta, and syndicate boss Michael Scheeren said it was important to build on the experience gained. The announcement comes after two significant developments involving Italian teams at the weekend. Luna Rossa, one of the cup heavyweights, decided to call it quits after three campaigns.
Mascalzone Latino suggested amendments to the protocol, or conditions, that Alinghi unveiled for their next defence. Mascalzone head Vincenzo Onorato urged Alinghi to consider retaining the existing class of boat, given the shorter than usual time frame of just two years.
He said Alinghi's proposed new, bigger 27.5m yacht could instead be introduced in the following America's Cup. Onorato also called for the protocol to repeat that of the just-completed regatta.
He said any changes should be negotiated between Alinghi and the commission representing the challengers. That would solve many of the areas of concern over the amount of control the new protocol gave the Swiss defenders. Oracle have taken court action over the protocol and Coutts yesterday also argued for the previous document.
"The solution is very simple: go back to a protocol that made the last edition so successful," he said. "Nobody really gave a justification for this new unacceptable protocol."
Coutts cited one concern as being the disadvantage the challengers were under in not knowing the class rule for the new yacht until October 31.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Cayard the Spanish Conquistador

America's Cup update

Leading Mallorcan yachtsman Pedro Perelló is hoping to put together a well funded syndicate to make a second Spanish entry in the 33rd America’s Cup. Perolló, whose TP52 Siemens is, currently, 2nd in the Copa del Rey, has been in discussions about the project for about three months and has Paul Cayard & Guillermo Parada in mind for the roles of skipper/tactician and helmsman.
Ideally, Perelló would like to have his design team led by Juan K, who was part of the BMW Oracle team for the 32nd America’s Cup and designer of the two ABN AMRO yachts for the Volvo Ocean Race. The problem is that the Argentinian already has several offers on the table from other potential challengers. -BYM

We believe this to be the begining of a Spanish/Argentine sailing team funded by Alberto Roemmers’ Argentina’s number 2 richest business man.-SK

THREE AMIGOS! Starring Coutts, Bertarell, Ellison

Click on image to enlarge
A true story about Love, Money, Sports, Power & Greed! Starring Russell Coutts, Ernesto Berrarelli and Larry Ellison. Come to a theater near you!

America's Cup Total BS!

Image (C) Sailkarma.com

Today in Valencia Ernesto Bertarelli used part of his press conference to attack Larry Ellison. We chose to select just one phrase from Ernesto Bertarelli, which symbolises the relation between the two: "Bull shit!”It is also worth mentioning that the America’s Cup Management, the management appointed by Ernesto Bertarelli to lead the competition, seems to be under pressure. Victory Challenge was not allowed to attend the press conference since the team’s communications manager, as well as those from other potential challengers, were stopped at the door. - From Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge

You have got to be kidding! Who does this guy think he is? We thought the Cup was great...but it seems that it has gone to his head and has turned it into a joke! Nice job Erne! What a way to pi$$ all over the cup! -SK

Video: Russell Coutts Signs with Oracle

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Russell Coutts signs with Oracle
Kiwi Russell Coutts has announced that he's signed with the Larry Ellison backed BMW Oracle from San Francisco. Video from http://www.stuff.co.nz

Russell Coutts Signs with Oracle

Why is this man smiling? It might have to do with the fact that he has just signed his own ticket to retirement with Larry Ellison. Sources in Europe have reported to us that Russell spoke with Larry on Sunday, July 15th during the Malcesine Cup and has agreed to skipper Oracle Racing and run the program. How much is this deal worth? That’s a good question! We have heard that Larry said “Whatever you want!” Maybe that is why Russell is grinning ear to ear. You may think this is a rumor but it's not. Nice work Russell! -SK

Click here for update: http://www.sailkarma.com/2007/07/we-told-you-so-russell-coutts-and-larry.html