The New Deal America’s Cup has a long term plan to try and re-introduce a sense of nationalism to the event. Not this time around though – the USA’s best are representing Sweden in the 34th Edition of the event through a team called Artemis.

The next America’s Cup will also be more like Twenty20 than an historic international test match. Speaking to journalists gathered in Dubai for the Louis Vuitton Trophy, Iain Murray and Richard Worth said that there will be up to five America’s Cup World Series events in 2011, beginning in late June/early July. Venues are expected to be confirmed beginning early in the new year.

Worth said:

“We’ve started from a shared vision with Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison for what the 34th America’s Cup could be. Our team has been challenged with translating this vision into action, and we’ve been working quite intensely over the past several months to realize that vision, which has been good fun. With the new technology and commercial opportunities, the opportunity and the ambition is there for this America’s Cup to reach great heights.”

Who knows what that actually means. Hopefully the Dubai Louis Vuitton Trophy is not a template for the America’s Cup World Series. The event might as well be held in a shed in Arizona for all the information there is about how to attend as a spectator.  The race schedule is a PDF, there is no mention of where racing is happening, no mention of how to get there, no information about hospitality or access for guests. There is nothing that would make anyone want to do anything but watch it on their computers.

More America’s Cup News…

Classic yacht racing has seen a resurgence in recent years. There is something about watching wooden boats with white sails that makes people smile. Not just hard-core racers, but children and people who have an appreciation of aesthetics. Perhaps one day, the 72 foot catamaran with a wing-mast designed for the America’s Cup will be viewed with the same passion and nostalgia as a J-Class or a Couta boat or a Dhow, but it has a lot of history to compete with.

The Middle East has been identified as a place that will be important for the sport of sailing in the future. One of the reasons for that sense of opportunity is the maritime past of the region. It’s a heritage that is at the centre of projects like Oman Sail, and it was also evident yesterday when the World Sailing Teams Association raced traditional Dhows off Dubai as part of the final Louis Vuitton Trophy.

There aren’t many places in the world than can boast racing fleets of 70 boats in the 60 ft range, but this is what happens in the gulf. Paul Cayard, of Artemis reported on a style of racing that is both historic and popular.

“The six Louis Vuitton teams were assigned a Dhow each, complete with the owner and five local crew. To that 11 Louis Vuitton sailors were added, plus a couple of VIP guests. The Dhows are 60 feet long and weigh about 2000 lbs, so very light. They have two sails, a larger one forward off the taller mast and a smaller one aft. Sand bags are used for ballast and are movable, it can also be jettisoned in light winds like today.

The start is done at anchor. A line is set and buoys are laid along the line. Each racing Dhow picks up an anchor off the bow and one off the stern. At the starting signal…a green flag…the crew pull the sails up and cut the anchor lines. The Dhows quickly accelerate up to 10 knots of boat speed, in just 7 knots of wind.

In a steampunk ¹ future, these boats would make a great America’s Cup class. They meet all the criteria of Russell Coutts New Deal design brief; they produce dynamic and close racing, they use green and cost effective technologies, they are distinctive and they can race in a wide wind range. they are challenging to sail and rely on human skill rather than technology…

For now though, the Dhow provides a reason to look in the direction of Dubai to bring attention to the final round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in its current format.

More Middle East Yacht Racing News..

The series that was designed to give America’s Cup teams something to do between protocols has been wound up. The World Sailing Teams Association, together with Louis Vuitton and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club have announced that the Hong Kong event, which was to be raced in January 2011, will not go ahead.

There is some doubt as to whether the final event in Dubai will go ahead either, though the success of last week’s 1851 Cup exhibition match between TEAMORIGIN and BMW ORACLE indicates that the Dubai regatta might provide a fitting finale and send off for the Version 5 America’s Cup boats.

The World Sailing Teams Association (WSTA), a partnership between several America’s Cup teams and Louis Vuitton, will now probably now morph into some kind of challenger organisation, though not all teams who would seek to compete in the next America’s Cup have paid the WSTA dues.

The collapse of the WSTA and the Louis Vuitton Trophy was perhaps inevitable, though things might have been different had Alinghi won the 33rd Cup. Once the America’s Cup process was back on track, the teams involved would focus their resources on their preparations for the 34th America’s Cup. The opportunistic nature of the regattas might have been known internally in the Cup community, but to some outsiders, the Louis Vuitton Trophy looks like yet another failed attempt to create a top level world tour in sailing. This is especially disappointing, since the LVT diverted resources from more established regattas and events.

The press release from the WSTA says:

Now, the America’s Cup is back on track as a multi-team event with fair rules managed by a neutral authority and multiple America’s Cup Championship regattas culminating in the next Match. The new holder of the America’s Cup, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, will confirm the venue of the 34th America’s Cup, and timing (2014 or 2013) later this year. A South East Asia venue is under consideration for one of these ACC regattas.

It will be interesting to see if the WSTA ever release any metrics about the three Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas. While the New Zealand event capitalised on a national passion for the sport, the European events didn’t seem to generate the same amount of interest or coverage. Trying to maintain momentum through a 2 week event format never really worked and the scary thing is that these are the same people who are promising revolution in the 34th America’s Cup.

We wait to see if the Dubai event happens. . .

More America’s Cup News…

Conspiracy theorists who argued that the removal of Kiwi Mike Sanderson from TEAMORIGIN was a result of some British pureblood campaign have been proved wrong by the appointment of Australian Grant Simmer to the role of CEO.

Simmer was most recently Managing Director and Design Co-ordinator of Alinghi, winners of the America’s Cup in 2003 and 2007, but his America’s Cup credentials include being navigator aboard Australia II in 1983 .

Grant Simmer, CEO,commented on his new role,

“I am delighted to join TEAMORIGIN and am looking forward to working with Sir Keith, Ben and all the team to develop and execute a plan to overcome the other Challengers and lead us into the next America’s Cup Match. Fortunately TEAMORIGIN appears to have great strengths and leadership in each department. Mike Sanderson, who has now left the team, played a key role in managing the team through some difficult times and the team is in pretty good shape. I anticipate each area simply getting on with their jobs and that I will play a key role in overseeing and coordinating their activities.

TEAMORIGIN has had to survive during several years of uncertainty while the Deed of Gift Match was resolved. Now, with the new Defender in place, we are all anxiously awaiting announcements of their plans for the 34th Cup. These are exciting times for sure, and these plans will include the format of racing, type of boats to be raced, the dates of competition and many other significant details. We should know all this information by the end of September and can then develop and refine our strategy leading to the next Cup.”

Simmer’s new role as CEO sees him take responsibility for the sporting and technical activities of the team as well as overseeing the commercial operations.

Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal, added his thoughts:

“Today’s announcement is part of the team’s long term strategy to enhance the leadership and management. We are moving into the next phase of operations and Grant brings with him invaluable experience from both a Challenger and Defenders perspective. Our mission is to win the America’s Cup and today’s announcement forms a fundamental part of that strategy.”

This will be Simmer’s eighth America’s Cup. He first competed in 1983 at the age of 27 as Navigator onboard Australia II. There he played a part in sporting history when Australia II became the first challenger to ever win the America’s Cup ending 132 years of US supremacy and the longest winning streak in sports history. Since that momentous win, Simmer has had diverse roles and responsibilities in another seven America’s Cup campaigns, culminating with the Swiss Alinghi team, winning the Cup in 2003 and 2007 in the role of Design Coordinator and most recently as the team’s Managing Director.

Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Helmsman, added his views,

“This is great news for TEAMORIGIN and it comes at a time when we are finally seeing some resolution to the past few years of event delays. Soon we hope to have a detailed Protocol and programme for the 34th America’s Cup.  Grant’s experience and talent will bring strong leadership and structure to the team at this critical time and his sailing and design skills will enhance our strengths as we move forward.”

More TEAMORIGIN News…

Car manufacturer Audi continues to invest heavily in sailing as a marketing tool. As well as supporting the Audi MedCup circuit and  the brand is backing major events on the YCCS sporting calendar in 2010 – the ISAF Offshore Team World Championship, Audi Sardinia Cup and the Audi Invitational Melges 32. In Australia, Audi’s major annual regattas include the Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and Audi Victoria Week.

Audi has also been involved with the America’s Cup, and will support Azzurra in upcoming Louis Vuitton Trophy scheduled to be held in La Maddalena, Sardinia from 22nd May to 6th June 2010.  Audi has been a partner of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda for several seasons, and the agreement represents an important development for the team.

Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the YCCS and President of Azzurra, commented:

“The partnership with Azzurra is a natural progression from the long and productive association that exists between this distinguished automotive company and our yacht club. Audi simply had to be present at the Louis Vuitton Trophy event held on our home waters against the wonderful backdrop of the Costa Smeralda which boasts one of the most spectacular and challenging regatta courses in the world. The Audi brand has always been synonymous with style and excellence, an image that fits perfectly with a sporting team of the calibre of Azzurra.”

Team Azzurra was launched in October 2009 as a collaboration between the YCCS and Giovannni Maspero. Named after the first Italian challenger for the America’s Cup, the team is led by skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni, supported by tactician Tommaso Chieffi. Francesco Bruni has taken part in two America’s Cups and three Olympic Games. Tommaso Chieffi is also one of the best Italian racing yachtsmen, with four America’s Cup and one Olympic Games to his credit. The rest of the crew is made up by match race, America’s Cup and one-design sailors.

The team boast nearly 7000 facebook fans, which is quite a lot when you consider that TEAMORIGIN have 1850.

Read more about the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

No one would begrudge BMW ORACLE Racing a little time off after their win in the America’s Cup earlier in the year. The team has been participating in a well deserved celebration, but now they are looking to return to competitive sailing at the end of the month.

Over the last few years, the team has competed regularly in the RC44 Championship, a combination of fleet racing and match racing in boats designed by and named after BMW ORACLE CEO Russell Coutts. Despite a brief appearance in the Extreme Sailing Series Europe, brought about by the multihull nature of the last America’s Cup, the team will focus on monohull racing in 2010.

The first even that will see BMW ORACLE back on the water is the RC 44 Austria Cup. The team will compete in two boats at the event which has become a real fixture of the Austrian sailing calendar.

Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts will be competing under the BMW ORACLE Racing banner, while the winning skipper of the 33rd America’s Cup team, James Spithill, will be at the helm of a boat currently named ‘Boat 17’. Crew from the BMW ORACLE Racing team will be sailing on both boats.

The team at PROFS have made the RC 44 Austria Cup a popular stop on the circuit, set amongst the Austrian Alps on Lake Traunsee. The beautiful mountain lake is surrounded by ‘postcard perfect’ vistas, but the weather can be unpredictable, offering up challenging conditions for racing. The idea is to use the lake as a showcase for a large sailing festival, bringing tourists from miles around to experience all the region has to offer. The presence of America’s Cup winning sailors is a great drawcard for the event.

Ten world-class teams are expected in Austria, including the early leader in the RC 44 Championship, Artemis. The regatta is from April 29th to May 4th.

Following the RC 44 Austria Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing will return to Cup style racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena, on the Italian coast of Sardinia, beginning on May 22.

Jimmy Spithill said:

“I’m really looking forward to getting back on the water and racing against the top teams again. Having had a look at the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta in Auckland in February, I know we have a lot of work ahead of us to get our team competing at the highest level again. The RC 44 circuit and Louis Vuitton Trophy events are a great way for us to start that process.”

The team will continue to engage with fans via the social media platforms they enabled for the America’s Cup. In addition to the main team website at www.bmworacleracing.com, there is a team blog at http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com, a YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/bmworacleracingteam, and a Twitter feed at: http://twitter.com/bmworacle2010.

There’s been a lot of bad financial news out of Greece in recent months. Investment has been stifled and many projects have been put on hold. It’s a shame because the country has great sailing venues and a long, long maritime and sailing history. Sotiris Buseas, is passionate about Greece being a place where sailing can thrive. His long term dream is to see the America’s Cup held in a spectacular venue like Santorini and to promote other forms of the sport throughout the country.

The vehicle for this ambitious plan is GREEK CHALLENGE, which surprised many in the first Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in 2009. Since then, GREEK CHALLENGE has been fairly quiet. Unlike other America’s Cup super-teams like TEAMORIGIN and Emirates Team NZ, GREEK CHALLENGE has not been competing in the World Match Racing Tour or the Audi Med Cup. Instead, Buseas has been qorking away at building a base for the team and generating support in Greece for entry into the Louis Vuitton Series.

To that end, GREEK CHALLENGE has announced that the team will be based in the greek city of Kalamata.

The Mayor of Kalamata Mr. Panayotis E. Nikas confirmed today the commitment of the City to host GREEK CHALLENGE and other America’s Cup teams during their training sessions. Furthermore, GREEK CHALLENGE is put under the auspice of the City and becomes its first Official Supplier towards the 34th AC and the LVT. The Mayor along with GREEK CHALLENGE will shape the coastal development of the City and will prepare to host international regattas in the future.

The city has an international airport and an important harbour which part of it will be developed to host GREEK CHALLENGE. The wind conditions are perfect for AC sailing and the weather conditions are excellent throughout the year. In 1924 the Nautical Club of Kalamata was formed and since then is has developed many different sporting activities.

GREEK CHALLENGE has applied to the port authorities to provide an area of 1700 square meters of warehouse space and 5200 square meters of docks to develop its base and looking forward to the finalization of the process by the end of April in order to start developing its base.

Panayotis E. Nikas, Mayor of Kalamata…”

GREEK CHALLENGE’s impressive debut in LVPS last year convinced us of their determination and commitment to the cause. Hosting the team(s) in our port will only enhance our city’s tourist industry and boost economic activity while Kalamata will develop to become as one of the most important sailing centres in Greece and the Mediterranean. In 1821 this city triggered the Greek Independence War and its liberation was the beginning of the Hellenic Republic. In a parallel GREEK CHALLENGE’s attempt to the America’s Cup will break the national sailing borders.”

Sotiris Buseas, CEO of GREEK CHALLENGE…

”The Mayor and Municipality of Kalamata has been supportive from the first day we announced our goals early 2007. The Messenian bay is a natural amphitheatre which will help us develop our team due to its perfect sailing conditions while our members will experience the hospitality and taste the gourmet cuisine of Kalamata. We are breaking new ground here. The people of Kalamata will have the chance to observe the birth of the most interesting sport project in Greece. We thank the people of this great city for their warm welcome”

While the British America’s Cup Team has a mixed regatta at the Louis Vuitton Trophy in New Zealand, Sports Pro Magazine reports that TeamOrigin have appointed the integrated marketing, communications and digital group I-nfluence as their sponsorship sales agency for the 34th America’s Cup.

The news comes six months after Teamorigin hired Pitch Non-Executive Chairman, Jon Teeman to secure commercial partnerships.

I-nfluence will work in unison with Team Origin’s own marketing team and attempt to broker sponsorship deals with team partners and official suppliers. The I-nfluence team includes Alistair Watkins, an Ex-Marketing Director of Alinghi and Martin Lowde, one of the men who were responsible for the Spice Girls and American Idol.

Following the collapse of New Zealand based marine clothing supplier Line7 last year, several high profile teams have been in the market for a new official clothing sponsor, including Emirates Team New Zealand.

The NZ America’s Cup challenger has announced that the new official technical clothing supplier will be Gill. The word technical suggests that the door has been left open for a more fashion oriented brand to supply the team with off-the-water kit.

Gill, which is currently supporting the UK tri-services project; exercise Transglobe, will be supplying a range of if its technical product for both the prestigious Louis Vuitton Trophy events during 2010, and the TP52 taking part in this seasons Audi Medcup.

Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director Grant Dalton said he is pleased to welcome Gill to the team.

“The partnership brings together Emirates Team New Zealand and Gill, an acknowledged world leader in research, development, design and production of high-performance technical sailing clothing. Gill is a brand the team is proud to wear.”

Founder and Chairman of Gill, Nick Gill commented

“we have been developing high performance technical clothing for exactly these environments and this partnership offers a great opportunity to have the gear on the water with a fabulous team which are at the absolute pinnacle of performance sailing. Our new Race Collection for example has been developed specifically for this area of the sport. In elite events such as these it is the details that make the difference between winning and losing. Our high performance garments will be exposed to the race environment which they were designed for, we trust that they will excel and hope that they may even make the difference that turns a 2nd into a 1st.”

Germany & UK. Gleistein confirmed as Rope Supplier for TEAMORIGIN 34th America’s Cup challenge

There are certain things on a boat that are quite important – like ropes. Gleistein is the oldest family-owned industrial enterprise in the Hanseatic city of Bremen, perhaps not the most obvious choice for TEAMORIGIN, the British  Team intending to challenge for the 34th America’s Cup, but Gleistein has been selected as the “Official Rope Supplier” by TEAMORIGIN for 2010.

Gleistein will supply all rigging as TEAMORIGIN prepares its challenge for the world’s oldest and sailing’s most prestigious sporting trophy.

TEAMORIGIN recently announced the appointment of an environmental manger as part of their Race for Change, a partnership with the Carbon Trust tha aims to use sailing to increase awareness about environmental issues. ‘Race for Change’ will create opportunities commercial partners to support the sporting bid as well as demonstrate their commitment to fighting climate change.

Pushing the boundaries of technology while delivering an environmental message is going to be a challenge. While the sport is powered by the wind, the materials used in modern yacht racing are complicated man-made compounds with very long half lives. As the Gleistein website says:

“…High-strength fibres are also extremely versatile and form the basis of our broad range of products…  optically similar, but technically far superior natural fibre substitutes. Real natural fibres now play hardly any role in the yacht ropes sector.”

More…

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Aigle becomes official supplier of technical clothing for Spirit of Canada Ocean Challenges.

More environmental positioning in the announcement that Aigle will provide Derek Hatfield gear for the Velux 5 Oceans Race, which starts in October.

Aigle is actively involved in perpetual recycling and fully support the “Eco Circle” concept, the closed-loop recycling system for certain polyester products. Through recycling, you can help reduce waste and oil consumption. “Eco Circle” reduces energy and carbon-dioxide emissions by one-fifth compared with production or raw polyester material from petroleum. Aigle recognizes its responsibility to protect the environment by committing to minimize the ecological impact, both through behavior, design and development of products.

For more information about Spirit of Canada please visit: www.spiritofcanada.net

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OC Technology Announced as Partner of the Global Ocean Race.

The Global Ocean Race 2011-12 is has entered into a partnership with OC Technology.  Two OC Tracker units will be supplied for each Class40 entered in the Global Ocean Race.

The OC Tracker system uses the constellation of 66 Iridium satellites providing total global coverage for the duration of the race with a delay of between 30 seconds to three minutes at a scheduled reporting time for a yacht’s position, COG, SOG and DTF to be registered on the system’s secure server. The OC Tracker will be linked with the Global Ocean Race Geovoile Race Viewer providing precise data every six hours on the Global Ocean Race website.

Josh Hall, Race Director says:

“With OC Technology onboard as Race Partners we can be sure that our primary safety mechanism is of the highest standards. The massive side benefit of a top quality tracking system is that race followers can watch the event unfold on their screens via the Race Viewer which will show the boat’s positions, tracks and a wealth of other pertinent data.”

More…