Saturday 25 July 2009

Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard on Day 4 of Racing off Sardinia


Artemis. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

We had another good day on the Artemis on Day 4 of racing. Three inshore races were planned but the wind got real wobbly after 1430 and we were only able to get a second one in and it was a bit marginal at that.

The first race was held in 10-12 knots of wind from 170. We had an excellent start and never crossed behind anyone. We led wire to wire, although there was a bit of a scary moment on the second windward leg when the wind went 10 degrees against us but we were patient, rode it out, waited for it to come back our way and ultimately extended our led. It doesn't get and sweeter than that out here in this fleet. Matador was second and TNZ was 5th. So, at this point we were leading the regatta.

Then the wind completely died. This was in the forecast for today. Many people thought that was the end of it. The boom tents came out at the temperature here today was mid 30's which is around 95F.

At 1630, an 8 knot breeze filled in from 080. It was not on anyone's forecast and no one expected it to hold. It held for about a half an hour so the race committee decided to bang one off. The first start was aborted for a 15 degree wind shift at 2 minutes to go. Ten minutes later another attempt.

The left looked to have better pressure and everyone was gunning for the left. We had another awesome start, with just one boat to our left. Team New Zealand and Matador had bad starts and were forced right. So, the foot race to the left was on and we have our beast going pretty well now Unfortunately, the wind went 20 degrees right. We found ourselves in 7th at the top mark.

With the wind 20 degree to the right of the course axis, we followed Quantum Racing into a gybe set. As we set the wind died completely. The lead boat who bore away got a 40 degree header just at this time and they were now laying the leeward mark. Things were a bit crazy at this point.

To make a long story a bit shorter were got firmly into last place at the leeward gate. We hung tough as a team and played a few shifts up the second windward leg. We closed right up to the group infront of us at the second windward mark and were in a position to make some moves. We did play a few more shifts and we passed three boats to finish 7th.

As bad as that was, we still finished the day with 8 points which is not bad in this fleet. Team New Zealand and Matador each had 7 points on the day.

So we are second overall, 4.5 points behind TNZ and 1 point ahead of Matador. The fourth place boat in this fleet has 12 points more than Matador so the three of us will most likely be fighting it out for the win tomorrow.

Cayard Sailing
Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Emirates Team New Zealand lead in Cagliari

Hanging tough and winning ugly


Emirates Team New Zealand back on top in the Sardinia trophy. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

A fifth and second place from two contrasting races for Emirates Team New Zealand sees them top the leaderboard again while three back to back wins for Islas Canarias Puerto Calero gives them a two points lead.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

Four and a half points separates regatta leaders Emirates Team New Zealand from Artemis going in to the final day’s racing of the Region of Sardinia Trophy after two very different and challenging windward-leeward contests off Cagliari.

Fortunes ebbed and flowed between the two top teams. ETNZ’s Grant Dalton summarised it as ‘winning ugly’ after emerging in second place from a mentally bruising second race which saw Artemis recover from 10th to steal three places at the bottom of the final run.

Paul Cayard, Artemis’ tactician may have been frustrated by the sudden 50 degree windshift at the first weather mark and the private hole in the breeze, a windless no man’s land which swallowed them and Quantum Racing, but he arrived ashore to express his admiration at how the crack Artemis team had ‘hung tough’ together, battling to the finish to regain some of their lost places.

Emirates Team New Zealand scored a fifth in the first race which was won clearly and conclusively by Artemis who lead from the start line and proved once again how quick they are in the 8-10 knots of sea breeze conditions, ahead of Matador (ARG).

TP 52 Series Race 7: For Artemis, winning Race 7 of the series was the perfect way to continue after victory in yesterday’s coastal race. Cayard and strategist Hamish Pepper (NZL) combined to make a strong start and Artemis were able to extend first to the favoured left side early in the first beat, timing perfectly their cross to the right to gain again and lead Portugal’s Bigamist and Spain’s Bríbon around the first turning mark.

Both the second and third placed boats then made the mistake of gybe-setting, duelling briefly as they emerged from the turn to let Matador slip by to their right.

While the Argentine flagged winners of the Alicante Trophy went on to second and Bríbon third, Emirates Team New Zealand only just ran out of race track, challenging Bigamist on the finish line for the fourth place which would have kept them on top of the standings.

TP52 Race 8: After a long delay awaiting for enough of a settled breeze for a second race, the contest got under way in what appeared to be a decent, but slightly unexpected Easterly direction.

But at the windward mark a significant left shift, as the underlying Mistral influence made a brief appearance, regatta leaders Artemis and Quantum Racing were stranded on the edge of the breeze.

Artemis tried a jib for a short time in the headed breeze before the wind lifted progressively again to allow them to re-set a spinnaker.

But it proved an expensive experience for they reached the leeward turn in tenth, going on to recover to seventh.

GP42 Race 7: Islas Canarias Puerto Calero won the first race of the day ahead of Roma Mk 2 with Caser-Endesa in third.

GP42 Race 8: was affected by the same big windshift, lifting the fleet on their first leg which became extremely one sided for a period. But Islas Canarias were able to hold on to record their third successive win.

Emirates Team New Zealand go in to the final day, which is likely to yield two races at most, with a slender lead over Artemis. The forecast suggests another difficult set of wind conditions. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero lead the GP42 Series by two clear points ahead of the Italian duo Roma Mk 2 and Airis who have 21 points each.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy


TP52 Series
Overall - Day 4

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+1+1+5+4+3+5+2= 22 points
2. Artemis (SWE), 2+2+7+3+3+1,5+1+7= 26,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 3+3+4+1+2+7,5+2+5= 27,5 points
4. Bribón (ESP), 5+6+3+7+8+4,5+3+3= 39,5 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 6+5+9+6+1+9+4+1= 41 points
...

GP42 Series
Overall - Day 3

1. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3+2+3+4+4+1+1+1= 19 points
2. Roma (ITA), 2+5+1+1+3+4+3+2= 21 points
3. Caser Endesa (ESP), 4+4+2+2+1+3+2+3= 21 points
4. Airis (ITA), 1+1+4+3+5+2+4+4= 24 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 5+3+5+5+2+5+5+5= 35 points
...

Grant Dalton (NZL), CEO and Mastman on Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
On today “For a Kiwi it is comparing it with the test match which is just ugly, you are just winning ugly, trying to win. That was the story of today, everything was ugly. The sailing wasn’t good, the wind was light, the shifts were everywhere, so I think the thing with this team is that it just keeps its composure. We win some, we lose some, and today we end up further ahead than when we went out, but it doesn’t mean anything if tomorrow is going to be another day like today.

“ I think that in this regatta now there are three players left, Artemis, ourselves and the Argentinians, and they are trying to gain more points for the season so they are trying to lay all over us and we end up letting Artemis get away this morning, so we end up screwing each other, so it is really difficult.”

On possible strategy for final day – go for wins or stay with opposition?:
“ If it is shifty and you try to play the opposition you end up stuffing yourself up. So the forecast is a little bit like today, it’ll be up and down, and so you just have to wait for what comes.”

Impressed by Artemis improvement since Marseille?
“ They had a really good regatta in Alicante, they were fast and sometimes you just have really bad regattas. Look at Quantum, they are having a shocker, and next one can be a good. And so I am just longing for those days when you get 20 knots of breeze, it’s not too shifty and you can get out and have a decent sail, but at the moment its is trying to win ugly”

Paul Cayard (USA) tactician Matador (SWE):
“We always knew that that second one was going to be a strange race. There was no forecast that anyone had for a wind coming from 090 degrees. So it was going to be marginal. Before the start we really felt that the left was going to be strong, that there was a lot more pressure in that bay, and we had a beautiful start second boat from the end, we were going really well to the left.

“ I know everybody else felt the same way, because Emirates Team New Zealand who did not have a good start had to tack out and tacked right back, so everybody wanted left. And the breeze went 15 right, that’s sailboat racing. And then we had that strange situation at the weather mark, we tried to gybe set. With the wind 15 degrees right the gybe set made sense but there was some strange hole, the guys in front got a massive header and I thought it was a wholesale change in the wind going to the north, but actually five minutes later it was back to ninety again.

“ We found ourselves in a tough spot, for sure, but I told the guys on the way in that today wasn’t even about winning the first race, but how we hung tough in the second race, kept in a clear lane, played a few shifts on the second beat, closed it up massively on the four or five boats in front of us, and then were opportunistic on the final run,. We beat three boats and that is three very valuable points for tomorrow.”

Audi MedCup

Friday 24 July 2009

Audi MedCup: Sardinia Trophy images from Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Audi MedCup fleet off Cagliari. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Artemis. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Artemis. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Kite work. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Artemis. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Audi Q8. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Matador. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Valars. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Kites. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Bribon. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Valars. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Quantum Racing. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image


Audi MedCup in Sardinia. Image copyright Juerg Kaufmann/Go4Image

Go4Image
Audi MedCup

PUMA Ocean Racing: The Moths are Back!


Brad Funk sails one of the PUMA Moths. Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.

by Bridgid Murphy

The PUMA Ocean Racing Bladerider Moths will be sailing in the 2009 International Moth World Championships. This event will take place August 6 – 15 in Cascade Locks, Oregon, USA.

Moth Worlds are one of the premier events in competitive dinghy sailing, attracting top-level sailors from around the globe. The entry roster includes countries such as the United States, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, and Belgium.

After finishing an amazing journey with PUMA's boat 'il mostro' in the Volvo Ocean Race, PUMA Ocean Racing is excited to have two top sailors compete in the Moth Worlds using the PUMA Bladeriders. PUMA Ocean Racing is all about high adrenaline sailing and the foiling Moths that 'fly' over the water are another exciting way to bring that to the sailing audience and beyond. The foiling moth class is relatively new, but features some of the best young talent.

PUMA's Moths will be sailed by Brad Funk (USA) and Glenn Raphael (AUS). These are the very same boats that joined the PUMA Ocean Racing Volvo Ocean Race crew in the stopovers around the world.

Brad returns to the PUMA family after sailing the Moths during the Volvo Ocean Race Boston Stopover. He is currently sailing in the Laser and International Moth Classes. Additionally, Brad sailed in the Laser Worlds in 2007 and 2008, and he's slated to attend the 2009 Laser Worlds a week after finishing Moth Worlds. A candidate for the 2008 Olympics, Brad is currently campaigning for the 2012 games.

Glenn Raphael is a welcomed addition to the PUMA program. Hailing from Australia and now living in the United Arab Emirates, Glenn has vast experience on the international sailing scene. He’s currently sailing in the International Moth Class and has participated in both the 18-foot skiff and Olympic 49er classes. This will be Glenn's third appearance at the Moth Worlds, having sailed there in 2007 and 2008.

PUMA Ocean Racing

Audi MedCup: Good second extends NZL380’s lead


Emirates Team New Zealand are hot on the heels of Artemis off Cagliari, Sardinia. Image copyright Stefano Gattini_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.

by Emirates Team New Zealand media

Emirates Team New Zealand has extended its overall lead in the Audi MedCup Cagliari regatta with a strong second place finish in the 35-mile coastal race.

With a 3.5-point lead and five races to go the team is anything but comfortable. “One bad race and it could all evaporate,” Grant Dalton said. “We were in a much better position at this stage in the Marseille regatta. We need a good day tomorrow.” Today’s winner the Swedish Artemis moves up to second overall and the Argentinean Matador drops back to third, 5.5 points behind.

(The MedCup is scored on a low-points basis – first place earns one point, second two points etc. For the coastal race 1.5 points were awarded for each place - first 1.5 points, second 3 points etc).

It was hot today in Cagliari, climbing to 40 degC on the water. The breeze built from six to 16 knots.

Dalton: “By half-way around the track the pattern was established and from that point there were no passing lanes and it was follow-the-leader.

“We got close at times but never close enough to attack for the lead. At the finish we were 35sec behind Artemis. The next boat (Bribon) was nearly 3m30s behind us.”

Tactician Ray Davies said: "We are happy with how the day went. There was a bit of fortune involved, but we sailed well. We had a very good first downwind leg and passed a couple of boats at the bottom of the run and that set us up well for the procession to the finish.

“Matador had been going very well, leading around the first two marks but they got a bit close to the headland and lost the breeze. They were probably five lengths closer to the headland than us. We saw them getting very soft and we were able to sail higher. They had hardly any wind and we still had eight knots.”

Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for a light breeze.

Region of Sardinia Trophy
Overall points after day 3

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1 5 4 3 = 15 points
2. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7 3 3 1,5 = 18,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4 1 2 7,5 = 20,5 points
4. Bribón (ESP), 5 6 3 7 8 4,5 = 33,5 points
5. Quantum Racing (USA), 7 4 8 4 6 6 = 35 points
6. Bigamist 7 (POR) 6 5 9 6 1 6 = 36 points
7. Synergy (RUS) 4 8 2 2 5 10 = 36 points
8. Valars lll (RUS) 10 7 10 9 7 7 = 53.5 points
9. Cristabella (GBR) 9 10 5 8 10 8 = 54 points
10. Audi Q8 (ITA) 8 9 6 10 9 10 = 55.5 points

Audi MedCup Series
Standings (Alicante and Marseille regattas and after six races in Cagliari)


1. Emirates Team New Zealand 38, 27.5, 15 = 80.5 points
2. Matador 36, 47.5, 20.5 = 104 points
3. Quantum Racing 40, 41.5, 35 = 116.5 points
4. Artemis 37, 62.5, 18.5 =118 points
5. Bigamist 46, 55.5, 36 = 137.5 points

Audi MedCup: Report from the Man at the Top


Artemis leads Emirates Team New Zealand off Cagliari. Image copyright Stefano Gattini_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

We had a great day on the Artemis today. It was the Coastal Race today, a 30 mile course around the Gulf of Cagliari and we managed to take the checkered flag.
Team New Zealand finished second and Matador 5th after leading around the first windward leeward. We are now second to TNZ by 3.5 points. The Coastal Races have a 1.5 factor on the finishing position.

After not a great start, we found a clear lane to the left which we thought may be the favored side. However, we decided to come back to the right a bit before Team New Zealand and Quantum who were winning the left side. This turned out to be a key move and the wind was better on the right. We crossed those that went right early and rounded the first windward mark third behind Matador and Bigimist.

Down the first run we managed to wiggle our way round the turning mark just ahead of Bigamist who then slowed down the fleet a bit as they were not ready with their masthead Genoa. Matador, solidly in first, sailed a straight line to the next point of land while the rest of us were a bit leery of a possible hole right on the Cape, held high. Sure enough, Matador sailed into a hole and we took over the lead and never let it go.

We have been working every night analyzing our performance and trying to improve. Matador is the fastest of the fleet here in these lighter breezes and she is virtually a sistership to Artemis. I think we made a little improvement in the power we are getting out of the rig and sails and this helped us today. Going to the performance meeting now so I will know for sure then.

Five more races to go and tomorrow's forecast is quite light; 10 knots and under. These light races are very taxing as the wind is fluky and can't be read so easily. A lot of racing to go and many points can be quickly lost in this very competitive fleet.

Cayard Sailing
Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Cayard on Top as Artemis Win Coastal Race

As the Audi MedCup Circuit 2009 reaches its theoretical mid-point Artemis win the Coastal race and only one point separates the top four GP42 Series teams after today's three races.


Artemis in the lead off Cagliari. Image copyright GuidoTrombetta_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

On a blistering hot day on the Gulf of Cagliari, 2007 Audi MedCup Champion Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) and the crew of Artemis kept their cool to execute a clinical victory in today’s 29.2 miles coastal race and leap-frog Matador (ARG) for second place in the overall standings for the TP52 Series’ Region of Sardinia Trophy regatta.

In the GP42 Series, where three races were completed in variable sea breeze conditions, a 3,5,2 scoreline for the day sees Airis lead the overall series from Roma Mk 2, their Italian compatriots also sharing the same 16 points tally as third placed Caser Endesa.

It could scarcely be closer after three different boats, Roma Mk 2, Caser-Endesa and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero won successive contests today. And the young fourth placed Canarian team are still only one point off the lead on 17 points.

TP52 Coastal
Second place on the passage down to picturesque Poetta, the next bay to the south east of the Sardinian capital, and back was enough to ensure Emirates Team New Zealand extend their regatta leading margin again to three points.
With tactician Paul Cayard joining Artemis for this regatta, the Swedish flagged boat has been furiously consistent so far. Other than a weighty seventh in final race of Tuesday’s three, Artemis have never been off the podium .

Cayard’s analytical, numerical style may differ slightly from the more intuitive, instinctive approach of three times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts (NZL), for whom the American is standing in for, but the crew consider that the 2009 Judel-Vrolijk design is also very much more optimised for these prevailing lighter Mediterranean conditions, such as were encountered in May in Alicante when they finished second, only one point behind Matador.

After a strong first beat and good run Artemis were well placed to capitalise when early leader Matador erred too close to the bluff line of cliffs at the Cape St Elia. In a matter of a few painful minutes all the good work of the Matador crew, a lead of nearly 100 metres evaporated. They were no more than four or five boat lengths inshore of the line taken by their pursuers, but Matador nearly halted when they were all but starved of wind, emerging at the Poetta turning mark after dropping to sixth.

As per the ethos of the Audi MedCup Circuit, the finish line for the Coastal Race was set right inside the inner harbour, some 350 metres from the vibrant Audi MedCup regatta village giving spectators a grandstand view as skipper-helm Tornqvist brought Artemis home first, gliding gracefully through the line under gennaker.

The early light sea-breeze picked up nicely to 12-13 knots on the long beat from put from Poetta where Bribon (ESP) managed to overhaul Bigamist (POR) to score third place which elevated them to fourth place on the overall standings.

GP 42 Race 4: Was raced in nine knots of sea breeze with Roma Mk 2 leading from the first mark ahead of Caser Endesa and Airis. The order remained to the finish.

GP42 Race 5: The breeze peaked at 11-12 knots Caser Endesa were forced right early by the fleet and were able to capitalise on the right hand shift to lead all the way around the course.

GP42 Race 6: The sea breeze dropped back to eight to nine knots as Islas Puerto Canarias profited on the first run to recover from fourth to second. They gained on the second beat and were able to hold on to win from Airis.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy

TP52 Series
Overallafter Day 3

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1 5 4 3= 15 points
2. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7 3 3 1,5= 18,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4 1 2 7,5= 20,5 points
4. Bribón (ESP), 5 6 3 7 8 4,5= 33,5 points
5. Quantum Racing (USA), 7 4 8 4 6 6= 35 points
...

GP42 Series
Overall after Day 2

1. Airis (ITA), 1 1 4 3 5 2= 16 points
2. Roma (ITA), 2 5 1 1 3 4= 16 points
3. Caser Endesa (ESP), 4 4 2 2 1 3= 16 points
4. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3 2 3 4 4 1= 17 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 5 3 5 5 2 5= 25 points
...

Quotes:

Michele Ivaldi (ITA) navigator Artemis (SWE):
“These are the typical conditions that we designed the boat for. The boat is exactly the same as Marseille, we have a couple of new sails. Here a matter of a metre or a metre and half at the windward mark can make all the difference, you can be second or you can be ninth.

“Paul is more analytical. He is more focussed on the numbers. We have established a good work on analysing the performance every day. Russell is a lot more instinctive.
Rusell’s style is very different and he talks a lot to Torbjorn, he has taught him a lot and made Torbjorn learn a lot, it is always great with Russell on board. Paul tends to let them (the crew) do the speed work themselves and talks a little less with Torbjorn.

“Today, keeping it simple was the call. Key was a good first beat, and we were able to pass to leeward of Bigamist when they gybed on us. After that it was a horse track.

“For the mid point of the season Team New Zealand is really, really strong. They have great starts all the time and so they almost have probability to be in the top five at each top mark. Really strong in tactics, and really good boat handling. But today is the mid-point of the season and so nothing is over and we won’t be giving up any points.

“We feel great. We had a good analysis and de-brief after Marseille, we worked on the weaknesses and it seems to have worked.”

Ray Davies (NZL), tactician Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
"We had a great day, we are very happy with how the day went. There was a bit of fortune involved as well but we sailed well as well, so it was a bit of both. We had a very good first downwind leg and passed a couple of boats at the bottom of the run and that set us up well for the soldier’s course after that. And Matador were launched but they got a bit close to the headland. They were probably five lengths closer to the headland. Obviously once we saw them getting very soft we were able to sail higher. They had hardly wind and we still had eight knots. We caught up to within a boat length at the mid race gate windward mark and then they slipped away again on the long downwind. It was a bit of leader’s race.

"We have extended on our overall position and Artemis are through into second, and we are putting more points on Matador and Quantum on that race.

"It is a balance between the long game but it’s nice to win regattas along the way and that’s what we are aiming to do here."

Steve Hayles (GBR) navigator Matador (ARG):
“We messed it up. We had a really good start and then just got too close to the headland. A little bit, you can argue we were the victims of being in the lead, but we did mess it up.”

Audi MedCup

iShares Cup: All to play for as iShares Cup comes to Cowes


iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week in 2008. Image copyright Tom Gruitt.

by Emily Caroe

There’s just one week to go until the iShares Cup at Cowes Week for Round 3 of the European circuit from August 1-3, and it’s all to play for amongst a top-class Extreme 40 fleet at this UK round.

Against the backdrop of around 1,000 boats on the Solent taking part in Cowes Week, the Extreme 40s are the ‘headline act’ for the first part of Cowes Week. The event has a brand new location, racing off The Green and The Esplanade with live commentary from Cowes Week Radio, and an all-new public race village and Extreme Bar with top entertainment at Egypt Point. “We have a great spectator set-up, right in front of the race course, which is really the core of the iShares Cup concept to bring sailing as entertainment to the shore-side public,” explained Event Director Gilles Chiorri.

The infamous Solent chop and strong tides will provide the crews with a fresh set of challenges for Round 3. Carolijn Brouwer, skipper of Team Holmatro, commented: “Cowes is probably the only one of the six iShares Cup events where we will be dealing with so much tide... and from my previous experience in Cowes the current can be very strong! This will make the racing even more challenging and exciting than it already is!”

Last year the steep waves combined with strong winds made for some truly extreme conditions, Carolijn added: “I remember the iShares Cup in 2007 when we raced in front of The Green in strong winds and current and it was awesome! I’m really looking forward to racing in Cowes again. I missed out last year, but have seen all the photos and pictures on the website – it looks like we might have a bit on, but Team Holmatro is ready for some real action! Bring it on!”

The other female skipper in the iShares Cup fleet, Shirley Robertson of Team iShares, said: “Cowes Week is always spectacular – 1,000 boats on the Solent, who could fail to be impressed?! This year the iShares Cup will be brought to the spectators and I guarantee it’s going to be fast and exciting for those watching, and nerve-wracking for the competitors.”

Shirley lives in Cowes and knows the challenging waters well, she warned: “The class is full of the sport’s rock-stars, but I'm sure even they will find Cowes a handful. For me it’s home waters, and I can't wait! Come and join us, it’s going to be an incredible show!”

After two events, there are just two points separating the top four teams, but current series leaders BMW ORACLE Racing are unfortunately unable to compete in the iShares Cup at Cowes Week due to a clash with the team’s testing program for the 33rd America’s Cup in San Diego.

BMW ORACLE Racing helmsman James Spithill explained: “Testing with our newly modified BOR 90 trimaran is at an important phase and we need to focus on this right now. With the America’s Cup only six months out, we have much to do to be prepared. We’re really disappointed not to be going to Cowes as we are currently leading the circuit. We hope to rejoin the circuit in Kiel and get back into the iShares Cup action.”

This means the battle will be on between second placed Oman Sail Masirah, who won Round 2 in Hyères (France), and Gitana Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild, winners of the 2009 season opener in Venice. Just one point behind them is Oman Sail’s Renaissance, skippered by Loick Peyron, whilst there is more French multihull talent on board Groupama 40 who are not far behind in fifth. Click on Leaderboard below to see full results after two rounds…

“The game will be very open because, as we have seen at Round 2 of the iShares Cup in Hyères, nothing is decided until the final race,” commented Chiorri. “Groupama 40 and Gitana Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild are both new teams so they will have learnt lots in Hyères and I think they will be pushing hard in Cowes. But the outcome of the racing will very much depend on the wind conditions.”

Any one of the nine iShares Cup teams could come to the fore in these different conditions – perhaps the ocean racers Nick Moloney (BT) and Mike Golding (Ecover) will hold an advantage on the open sea course. The crowded waters will be no problem for Erik Maris of team LUNA - he’s a multiple champion in One-Design fleets, where the boats race just inches apart. Or perhaps it’ll be the turn for the girls to come out on top – Carolijn Brewer (Holmatro) has years of high-performance cat racing experience to draw on, whilst for Shirley Robertson, skipper of Team iShares, local knowledge could prove key.

The iShares Cup action begins daily at 2pm from Saturday, August 1st to Monday, August 3rd with up to eight races each afternoon – each race last just 15-20 minutes. There is also an afternoon of practice racing on Friday July 31st, with the first start at 2.30pm from the Royal Yacht Squadron.

iShares Cup

Audi MedCup: NZL380’s overall lead cut back


Emirates Team New Zealand competing off Cagliari in their TP52. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Emirates Team New Zealand media

Emirates Team New Zealand has maintained its hold on the overall lead in the third regatta of the Audi MedCup series, but an indifferent day on the water has seen that lead whittled away.

NZL380 finished the first day of racing at Cagliari, Sardinia, with a seven-point lead over Matador; at the end of day 2, with finishes of 5th and 4th, the lead was down to one point.

“It was a very ordinary day. Not a really bad day but very ordinary,” Grant Dalton said. “We felt yesterday (with three wins from three starts) was too good to be true and it was.”

Today the breeze was softer and more shifty. NZL380 started well but was on the wrong side of shifts on the first beat of both races.

“We were deep in the fleet at the first mark (eighth both times) and were looking at a couple of really bad results.

“We have learned that if you’re down the fleet at the first windward mark you’re not going to win the race and it’s easy to make the situation worse.

“We have been drilling ourselves not to turn bad races into terrible races and we recovered some of the lost ground. The results were acceptable in the context of the series but we have to do better on the beats.”

Emirates Team New Zealand maintains its lead in the five regatta series (after the Alicante and Marseille regattas and two days racing in Cagliari) 19.5 points ahead of second-placed Matador.

Coastal race scheduled for tomorrow.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy
Overall - Day 2

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1 5 4= 12 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4 1 2= 13 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7 3 3= 17 points
4. Synergy (RUS), 4 8 2 2 5= 21 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 6 5 9 6 1= 27 points
6, Bribon (ESP), 5 6 3 7 8 = 29 points
7, Quantum (USA), 7 4 8 4 6 = 29 points
8, Cristabella (GBR), 9 10 5 8 10 = 42 points
9, Audi Q8 (ITA), 8 9 6 10 9 = 42 points
10, Valars lll (RUS), 10 7 10 9 7 = 43 points

Audi MedCup Series
Standings (Alicante and Marseille and two race days Cagliari)


1 Emirates Team New Zealand 38, 27.5, 12 = 77.5 points
2 Matador 36, 47.5, 13 = 96.5 points
3 Quantum Racing 40, 41.5, 29 = 110.5 points
4 Artemis 37, 62.5, 17 =116.5 points
5 Bigamist 46, 55.5, 27 = 128.5 points

Emirates Team New Zealand
Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Cayard Reports from Artemis


Artemis competing off Cagliari. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

We had another good day on the Artemis. Two races were held on the Gulf of Cagliari in 10-12 knots of wind from the southeast.

Artemis scored a 3, 3 and we are still in third place. Matador won the day with a 1, 2 and is now just one point out of first. Team New Zealand had a 4, 5 and were coming from behind to get there. Amazing how fast things can change in this fleet.

The wind was forecast to build into a similar day as yesterday but it failed. As the windspeed got to 12 knots, it just retreated back down to 10. There was a bit of chop on the course from a stronger gradient wind out on the east side of Sardinia so that made sailing in 10 knots a bit more difficult.

One of my goals today was to work with Torben to get a bit more speed on the starting line. We achieved that and had two excellent starts. It is such a boost in this fleet to come off the line well.

We were in 1st place for a short time on the second windward leg of the first race, but never managed to get real control. All in all we sailed fast and smart, never taking big chances. We are in the consistency mode which I like.

Tomorrow is the Coastal Race which is a 25 mile races around the Gulf of Cagliari. The race counts 1.5 times an inshore race.

Off to the performance debrief, then dinner then a media dinner. I am pre-eating because the media dinner is likely to be served at 2300 and I will be gone by then.

Cayard SailingAudi MedCup

Audi MedCup; Matador Respond to Kiwi Strength

Italy's Francesco Bruni called tactics for Matador as they posted a first and second today, rising to challenge the Kiwi dominance in the TP52 Series while his compatriot Vasco Vascotto won twice in the hot seat on the GP 42 Airis.


Matador competing off Sardinia. Image copyright Stefano Gattini_Studio Borlenghi/Audi MedCup.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

Winners of the season’s opening regatta in Alicante in May, Matador (ARG) proved the most consistent TP52 performers of the second day of racing off Cagliari in the south of Sardinia. With a first and a second place in gentle sea-breeze conditions which struggled to reach double figures, the Argentine team which has Italian Francesco Bruni as tactician read the difficult first windward-legs well.

If, quietly yesterday, there were whispered concerns that Emirates Team New Zealand might be on the brink of running away with the season when they posted a perfect three bullets opening day, the Kiwis were back to earth with a bump today when they rescued a fifth and a fourth, their regatta lead trimmed to a single point by a buoyant Matador crew who changed gear well in the more unstable breeze.

In the GP42 Series, which managed to complete all three scheduled races, Vasco Vascotto guided Airis to win the first two races, while the Italian monopoly was maintained as Series leader Roma won the third contest. A penalty turn at the top of the second beat proved costly for the Circuit leader Roma.

Race 1
Matador won the fourth race of the TP52 Series’ Region of Sardinia Trophy as Synergy (RUS) stole a close second place from Artemis (SWE) on the finish line when the wind shifted back on the final run.

With the sea breeze much gentler than forecast, at times as light as five to six knots, Matador and Artemis laid the foundations for their success off the start line as they both earned the early advantage from the wind bend on the left side on the first half of the beat.

With skipper Cameron Appleton (NZL) steering and Vascotto on tactics Airis won the first race in the GP42 series, leading around the first windward mark. Roma Mk 2 took second with Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP) in third. Airis lead at each mark.

Race 2
Portugal’s Bigamist 7 maintained their record of winning at least one race at each Audi MedCup Circuit regatta this season so far when they triumphed in Race 5.

Afonso Domingos (POR) squeezed Bigamist 7 around the first windward mark inside Artemis, just behind race leader Matador to establish their credentials as a challenger to win the race.

At the leeward turn they chose the left hand gate rounding just ahead of Matador and were able to extend slightly to take the Portuguese team’s third winning gun of the season, a fitting birthday present to veteran owner Pedro Mendonca (POR).
Airis built an early lead in the second race of the day too, rounding the first windward mark 24 seconds up on Turismo Madrid (ESP), extending slightly by the finish as the young Canarian team took second.

Race 3
Roma Mk 2 won the third race after leading Islas Canarias around the top turn on the first round, but Caser Endesa (ESP) profited on the first run, rising to second place.

In both TP52 races Emirates Team New Zealand had to fight back from deep positions, failing to read either of the first beats as well. But they displayed the true hallmarks of potential championship winners when they pulled back three hard won places in both races.
While the Kiwi team have the City of Alicante Trophy winners as serious contenders, just one point adrift, current Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) now lie seventh in the regatta after a fourth and a sixth place today.

Skipper-helm Terry Hutchinson (USA) acknowledged today the speed edge that that three new boats appear to have across the different conditions experienced over these first two days, citing the speed of the Botin Carkeek designed Emirates Team New Zealand as a contributing factor to their success yesterday, and the Vrolijk boats Matador and Artemis going well in the lighter breeze today.

Audi MedCup Circuit 2009
Region of Sardinia Trophy


TP52 Series
Overall - Day 2

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1 5 4= 12 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4 1 2= 13 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7 3 3= 17 points
4. Synergy (RUS), 4 8 2 2 5= 21 points
5. Bigamist (POR), 6 5 9 6 1= 27 points
...

GP42 Series
Overall - Day 1

1. Airis (ITA), 1 2 4= 6 points
2. Roma (ITA), 2 5 1= 8 points
3. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), 3 2 3= 8 points
4. Caser Endesa (ESP), 4 4 2= 10 points
5. Turismo Madrid (ESP), 5 3 5= 13 points
...

Grant Dalton (NZL) CEO and Mast-man Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
“We were deep in both races and I guess we learned as much in Alicante as with other regattas if you are deep you are not going to win the race but, number one, you try not to make the situation worse which is not hard to do. But I think we are quick and all we could do was try and recover, which we did.

"Yesterday was an exceptional day for us and you don’t get them together. So we will just keep what we are doing, going fast. We have been in the situation before with other campaigns when you go from great days but nothing changes, we just keep on doing what we have been doing.”

Simon Fry (GBR), trimmer Matador (ARG):
“It was really quite tricky and the aim was just to keep the heads out of the boat, to keep an eye on the left. The first race Francesco (Bruni) liked the left and basically we nailed the start and off we went. Second race we were a bit sticky downwind but we have a new A1 (spinnaker) to card (register), and so I think that will see the light of day tomorrow.

"But it is amazing, ten knots of breeze and everyone seems to go very, very similar speeds. Today, with a little bit less, it was very different. Gear changing: some boats executed really, really good gear changing today."

Terry Hutchinson (USA), skipper-helm of Quantum Racing (USA):
“The biggest mistake we could make at the moment would be to over-react. What we have to focus on for sure is making good starts, figuring where the first shift is coming from and concentrate on our good boat handling. But for sure, we are now experiencing what some of our competitors went through last season when we had a speed edge. Now we kind of have to re-calibrate and try to figure out where we go from here.”

Audi MedCup

Turkey Presented as Host of 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Chmapionships

by Sophie Luther

The Atakoy Marina in Istanbul, Turkey was presented as the host venue for the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship last week during the 2009 championship recently concluded in Buzios, Brazil,.

Istanbul 2010 will mark the 40th edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, the world’s top youth sailing event, with over 300 young sailors from 60-plus nations expected to attend. Competition will take place from 8-17 July across eight events, open to competitors younger than 19 years on 31 December 2010. Many previous winners of the Youth Worlds have gone on to become sailing superstars such as Volvo Ocean Race winner Stuart Bannatyne (NZL), triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie (GBR) and three-time America’s Cup winning skipper Russell Coutts (NZL).

Nazli Imre (TUR), Vice-President of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and President of the Turkish Sailing Federation, said: “The Turkish Sailing Federation is honoured to be hosting this special anniversary edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship and welcoming so many talented young sailors to Istanbul.

“Thanks to the support of Dati Holding AS, we have a magnificent venue at the Atakaoy Marina, whilst the Sheraton Atakoy and Atakoy Marina Hotel will provide exceptional facilities for the competitors, coaches, officials and everyone else involved in the championship. Our unique location, where Asia and Europe converge, makes this the perfect occasion to bring together different cultures, promoting understanding and friendship through sport.”

Preparations for the 2010 championship have been underway since Istanbul was chosen as host venue by ISAF’s Youth World Championship Sub-committee in 2006. As part of that process and to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge, a delegation from the 2010 Organizing Committee has been in attendance at this year’s Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, which took place from 918 July in Buzios, Brazil. Last Wednesday night the 2010 team had the opportunity to reveal their plans and Event Director Sevda Erensel gave a packed audience of sailors and coaches a presentation on next’s year championship.

Erensel said: “This year we are having a fantastic time in Buzios and I promise the same for next year in Istanbul. In Istanbul we have fantastic weather for sailing and it will be a lifetime experience for all the sailors who attend. My message to all young sailors is we are waiting to welcome you to Istanbul.”

Istanbul 2010 will be the first time the championship has been held in Turkey, the 23rd nation to host the event. It will also be the first Youth Worlds to consist of eight events, with the new Open High Performance Dinghy – 29er event set to make its debut.

The full line up of events and equipment is:

Boy’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Boy’s Two Person Dinghy – 420
Boy’s Windsurfer – RS:X
Girl’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Girl’s Two Person Dinghy – 420
Girl’s Windsurfer – RS:X
Open Multihull – Sirena SL16
Open High Performance Dinghy – 29er

The venue for the championship will be the Atakoy Marina, located on the European Coast of Istanbul at the southern end of the Bosphorus Strait. The Marina falls within the Bakırköy district of Istanbul, and is very well connected being just 8km from Atatürk International Airport. In 2010 Istanbul wi ll also be the joint European Capital of Culture.

The racing area will be the Marmara Sea. The predominant wind conditions in July are winds from the north east at a speed between 10 and 15 knots. Temperatures vary between 25ºC and 30ºC during the day and around 20ºC at night time. The sea water temperature in the summer is between 23ºC and 25ºC.

Full details on entry procedures, the 2010 Athlete Participation Programme and the Notice of Race for the 2010 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship will be published on the championship website http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/ and sent out to ISAF Member National Authorities (MNA) later this year.

Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships

Wednesday 22 July 2009

PUMA's Post-Race Delivery Trip Images, pt 5


By the third day of no wind and little activity onboard, I began to try and create chaos. Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.


The Soviet winch took on the pitman position to control the chaos. Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Now I'm just really bored... Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Before the delivery back to Stockholm commenced in St. Petersburg, there were a few bets made on who would make it first. Ericsson 3 and PUMA match race round two. Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Casey and Salty debriefing upon arrival back into Sweden. Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Pin end of the finish line. Image copyright Nick Dana/PUMA Ocean Racing.

Audi MedCup: Three wins from three races for NZL 380


Emirates Team New Zealand's TP52 competing on the Audi MedCup circuit 2009. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Emirates Team New Zealand media

Emirates Team New Zealand has taken three wins from three races on the opening day of the third Audi MedCup regatta at Cagliari, Sardinia.

Coming to Cagliari as series leader after two of five regattas (Alicante and Marseille) Emirates Team New Zealand was a clear 16 points ahead of second–place Quantum Racing.

Today’s three wins gave NZL380 3 points, finishing the day seven points clear of Matador with a 3,3,4 scoreline and eight points ahead of Artemis (2,2,7). Quantum (7, 4, 8) ended the day in sixth place on 19 points.

Grant Dalton: “Today the ball bounced our way. As we expected Artemis and Matador were pushing hard. Quantum (the defending champion) had a bad day, but that could happen to anyone. We’ll have one of those days, too.

“Today the plan was to start well and get clear lanes. The sea breeze came in exactly as forecast and sailing conditions were perfect with 11-14.5 knots of breeze and flat water.

“The breeze was not particularly shifty but there were puffs and the first boats into the pressure made gains. As predicted, the right of the course tended to win more often than not so we worked the middle/right all day and were able to make small, incremental gains.

Race 1: Dean Barker and crew pulled off a great start and led around every mark to finish 18sec ahead of Artemis with Matador third, 58sec adrift.

Race 2: Emirates Team New Zealand won the second race much as they did the first: a great start with timing and speed near perfect giving them control from the first beat. Again NZL380 led around every mark. At the finish, the margin was 32sec over second-placed Artemis and 35sec over Matador, third.

Race 3: The last race of the day developed into a battle to the finish against the Russian team Synergy. The Russians also started and went further right, making some small gains and rounding the first the mark in the lead with NZL380 5sec behind. NZL380 slipped to third at the second mark, 24sec adrift, with Bribon chasing hard in second place only 9sec behind Synergy.

By the third mark NZL380 was back in second place, 7sec behind Synergy, and setting up a match race to the finish. The afterguard played a waiting game, getting the boat into a position where it could affect Synergy’s air and with a couple of good gybes under pressure rolled over the Russians to win by 1sec.

Dean Barker: “Today we got across the line in really good shape in all three races. Then a combination of good tactics and crew work and a boat that is going really well got the results.

“It was a good start to the regatta. We take the wins and start thinking about tomorrow.”

Region of Sardinia Trophy
Standings after Day 1


1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1 = 3 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4 = 10 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7 = 11 points
4. Synergy (RUS), 4 8 2 = 14 points
5. Bribón (ESP), 5 6 3 = 14 points
6. Quantum (USA), 7 4 8 = 19 points
7. Bigamist 7 (POR), 6 5 9 = 20 points
8, Audi Q8 (ITA), 8 9 6 = 23 points
9, Cristabella (GBR), 9 10 5 = 24 points
10, Valars lll, (RUS), 10 7 10 = 27 points

Emirates Team New Zealand
Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Cagliari Update 21st July from Paul Cayard


Audi MedCup in Sardinia. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

We had a good day on the Artemis today. Three races were held on the Gulf of Cagliari, in 12-14 knots of wind from the southeast.

Artemis scored a 2, 2, 7 to put us in third place. Team New Zealand won all three races and Matador of Argentina is one point ahead of us with a 3, 3, 4.

The races were incredibly close and there wasn't much in it at the first windward mark of each race. We actually finished better than we rounded the first windward mark in each race, which is a good sign. Passing boats is an important trait to have. Everyone will get back in the pack at some point and the good ones will come through the fleet.

Our first two starts were ok and we had a bad one in the last race. We managed to get clear onto port early and the right was good. We almost snagged a 3rd at the top mark but could not quite get through and ended up 9th. That is how close it is. It is literally a matter of feet and inches in those final crosses at the top of the 2.2 mile windward legs.

The forecast for tomorrow is pretty much like today so it will be another long and tough day of sailing.

Audi MedCup

Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard on Day One in Cagliari


On board with Artemis, Paul Cayard's mount for the Cagliari stop of the Audi MedCup tour 2009. Bigamist is approaching from the right. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Paul Cayard

Today was the official practice race for this series. The Mistral finally died out after three days and a sea breeze filled in around 1200. By 1300 (start time) we had 9 knots from the southeast.

As per usual, we had two practice starts then on the third start, a race. We tried some different approaches in our practice starts and they did not pan out too well for us. For the race start, we used a standard port tack approach and had a great start down near the left end of the line. The left side of the course was good, a bit more pressure than the right and that got us to the first mark first. Down the run we had one little glitch on the first gybe and that set us back a bit. We rounded the gate second and up the second windward leg, I played the middle while Matador and Bigamist were a bit to our left. We rounded the second windward mark third and that is how we finished. Team New Zealand was right behind us.

So we felt pretty good about our performance, we are definitely improving each day. We certainly have a ways to go to reach perfection.

Tomorrow's forecast is for another sea breeze. I am sure the race committee will try to get three races in so it will be a long day. The water is so flat and the breeze is rather steady. Only small gradual shifts, so the fleet stays very close together. It will be a matter of inches and feet on the critical first cross that will make the difference at the first mark and probably for the rest of the race.

I woke up at 0600 today and could not get back to sleep so I went to the gym. Had to wait for it to open at 0730. We are in Italy. Anyway, I love to work out in the mornings. It sets my whole day off to a good start. I will go again tomorrow. I am trying to gain a few pounds for the 505 Worlds.

Off to a performance meeting now, then dinner.

Audi MedCup

America's Cup: Statement of Tom Ehman, GGYC Spokesman

by Tom Ehman

We are pleased that the Court will provide clarity on the rules before we complete our challenging vessel for America's Cup 33.

The Court reserved her decision whether an engine and moveable ballast can be used.

Justice Kornreich understood that we need to know the rules before we can complete our challenging vessel and then submit our Custom House Registry (CHR).

The Defender was compelled to turn over to the Court the secret agreement with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

On questioning from the Court, Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG) agreed to return to mediation, a process we have supported throughout out challenge.

We look forward to Justice Kornreich's decision in the next few weeks, and to racing for the America's Cup in February 2010.

Golden Gate Yacht Club

Governor's Cup: Images of The Winning RNZYS Boys Team


Shaun Mason (bow), William Tiller (skipper/helm), and Harry Thurston (mainsail), winners of the 2009 Governor's Cup with the Cup, and Commodore Alan Andrews of BYC. Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.


the winning team in action upwind... Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.


... and downwind. Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.


Keeping an eye on the opposition (out of shot)... Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.


... and manoeuvring against them. Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.


The winners with their framed first place awards, accompanied by Judi Gorski, Chairwoman of the Governor's Cup. Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.

Governor's Cup

America's Cup: Brad Butterworth statement following today's NY court hearing

by Daphne Morgan Barnicoat

Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper, gives a statement following today's hearing before Justice Kornreich in the NY Supreme Court:

“It's good that Justice Kornreich denied the Golden Gate Yacht Club's (GGYC) request to hold the America's Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), in contempt of court, but it doesn't come as a surprise because there were no grounds for such an action.

"Justice Kornreich showed a great deal of knowledge of the file and the case and while she reserved her decision, she made it crystal clear that the provisions of the Deed of Gift put no restriction on yacht design. She also asked both sides to return to the mediation that the GGYC halted with this new litigation attempt.

"We are ready and willing to continue discussions with them and will work on providing clarity with regards the 33rd America's Cup as far as rules and measurement procedures go; always within the framework of the Deed of Gift and SNG's rules. We are determined to get the competition on the water and out of the courtroom once and for all.”

Alinghi

Audi MedCup: Hat Trick of Wins for Emirates Team New Zealand in Sardinia

Emirates Team New Zealand won all three races on the first day of the Region of Sardinia Trophy for the TP52 Series.


Emirates Team New Zealand's TP52 in action off Sardinia. Image copyright Ian Roman/Audi MedCup.

by Sabina Mollart-Rogerson

Three wins from three starts allowed Dean Barker (NZL) and the crew of Emirates Team New Zealand to not only take a comfortable overall lead after the first day’s racing at the Region of Sardinia Trophy, the third event of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit, but also today to more than double their overall lead on the season long Circuit.

In the GP42 Series’ practice race, superstition again prevailed as the Italian entry Airis, with Vasco Vascotto (ITA) calling tactics, passed outside the finish line leaving four boats to finish behind them within eight seconds. Turismo Madrid (ESP) took the first gun.

Consistently strong starting by the Kiwi team was the passport to their hat-trick of winning guns. It was only in the third windward-leeward contest that they had to overcome another boat, the Russian Synergy, to keep their perfect score-line intact.

Competition in the TP52 fleet was always close due to the very steady sea-breeze conditions with only tiny speed differentials between the first and tenth TP52’s. After the first start skipper-helm Dean Barker and the New Zealand crew were able to ease away from current Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing upwind in the 13 knots of breeze, and lead around the first windward mark to win, ahead of Artemis (SWE) and Matador (ARG).

The second race saw a repeat performance from the New Zealand afterguard and again they won gun-to-gun as Artemis and Matador took second and third respectively, but on the third they only managed to roll the Russians on the closing stages of the final run, while José Cusi’s Spanish boat Bríbon finished

Race 1
Racing in 12-14 knots of perfect sea breeze and flat water helm Dean Barker executed a text book start to keep their nearest rivals, the defending Audi MedCup Champions Quantum Racing (USA) in check from early in the first beat.

Whilst the current Audi MedCup Circuit leaders were able to clear the first windward mark with a comfortable early lead over the team which had gone furthest to the right upwind, Russia’s Synergy. Quantum Racing rounded tenth.

From there Emirates Team New Zealand were unchallenged to the finish, while Paul Cayard (USA) guided Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) to a valuable second place on Artemis (SWE), with Matador (ARG) taking third.

Race 2
Emirates Team New Zealand won the second race in much the same manner that they earned victory in Race 1 With a start which was close to perfection in terms of timing and speed build, the Kiwi team were quickly in control of the fleet on the first beat, again leading at every mark of the windward leeward course.
Cayard and Hamish Pepper (NZL) conspired to sail a strong, confident race on Artemis, profiting a little when Matador and Bribon tussled towards the top end of the second beat.

Bribon were third all the way around the course but suffered when they went too far to the right on the final downwind, dropping to a sixth place finish.

Race 3
The third race was probably the most exciting. Synergy started well and were able to profit from an early position to the right. While they were then able to hold their lead around the windward mark Bribon were forced to tuck behind starboard tack Emirates Team New Zealand to round a close third.

The leading duo were comfortably clear down the final run when Emirates Team New Zealand took the race to leaders Synergy who were not quite as slick gybing under pressure. But the Russian team fought back and were less than half a boat length behind at the finish line.

Region of Sardinia Trophy
TP52 Series
Standings after Day 1


1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1 1 1= 3 points
2. Matador (ARG), 3 3 4= 10 points
3. Artemis (SWE), 2 2 7= 11 points
4. Synergy (RUS), 4 8 2= 14 points
5. Bribón (ESP), 5 6 3= 14 points
...

GP42 Series
Practice Race results

1. Turismo Madrid (ESP)
2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP)
3. Caser Endesa (ESP)
4. Roma (ITA)
DNF Airis (ITA)

Quotes of the day:

Ray Davies (NZL), tactician Emirates Team New Zealand:
“We had a great day today, we started really well. The key there was time on distance, positioning with couple of minutes to go. That is something that we have been working on really hard. And that seems to be working really well. Mainly that is just about honing in on the on-board communication, working on where we want to be with a couple of minutes to go, and then the final execution from 45 seconds to go. That is critical and our boat is quite good at slow speeds, it grips quite well. Then the last race was a real nail-biter, Synergy sailed real well. We just managed to jump them on the gybe and roll them. It was a match race and we got strong on them, did a better gybe and rolled them, and then they got strong on us and had a very good chance of winning the race. It must have been down to a second or two.”

Vasco Vascotto (ITA) tactician Airis (ITA):
“It was good today, fun. If we can improve our skills and our handling more, in these conditions we will be good. I heard that it was not so good at the last regatta. It is a good feeling, our guys did a fantastic job and it was very close, better to all be close than far apart. I think we have speed enough to do well and now we need to be really concentrated to do like we did today.”

Paul Cayard (USA) tactician Artemis (SWE):
It was a pretty good day for us, less so in the last race. We were going well and even when we had troubles we were passing boats. In every case it’s a good sign to be passing boats. Starts were never actually that good, yesterday’s practice was better, but the first two were OK, the third one was bad. But, the good thing about the third one was that we cleared out straight away and got a good lane going right. I think we are pretty happy for the day. The guys who sail on the boat all the time are happy. Robbie (Naismith) and the guys are just saying: ‘let’s be real, that was a pretty good day.”

Francesco Mongelli (ITA) navigator Synergy (RUS)
“It was a good day for us. We made a small mistake in the end that in any other fleet would have not made much difference, it was nothing, but we are happy with the day. At the end we did a good race and all the crew must be happy with how we are going.”

Audi MedCup

Tuesday 21 July 2009

Images of Alinghi 5's first sailing day on Lake Geneva


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.


Alinghi 5. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.

Alinghi