Canal Works

[Updated by ACM at 17:51 Friday afternoon...]

Further to the email below, please be advised that works on the canal will start this week-end, from Saturday night through to Sunday night, but navigation will be possible. Works will resume again on Tuesday.


From T&A at ACM:

Next Tuesday 4th April or Wednesday 5th, the Consorcio Valencia 2007 has planned to go ahead with the works that will increase the depth of the Canal. The works will take 4 days. Navigation in the Canal during that time will be possible, respecting the buoyed channel.

The Windows Effect

Not that we are superstitious, but in reading this morning about the delayed rollout of MS Windows Vista our attention was drawn to an interesting correlation over the past two decades between major introductions of the MS operating system and the loss of the Cup by the Defender:

MS-DOS (introduced in 1981; the next Cup was in 1983) - Defender NYYC lost to the Challenger RPYC.

Windows 1.0 (introduced in 1985; the next Cup was in 1987) - Defender RPYC lost to the Challenger SDYC.

Windows 95 (introduced in 1995) - Defender SDYC lost to the Challenger RNZYS.

Windows XP (introduced in 2001; the next Cup was in 2003) - Defender RNZYS lost to the Challenger SNG.

The next major upgrade, Windows Vista, is now slated for introduction in Q1 of 2007.



Pure coincidence?

Valencia Crónica #42

Bridget Baker's Valencia Crónica #42 (23 March issue) is now available. It just keeps getting better with every issue as even more people contribute ideas and information. Nice going, Bridget.

As always VC is password-protected for privacy of email and telephone numbers. Indeed, at Bridget's request we have changed the password this week to help keep the information in the hands of the partners/families of AC team members for whom it is intended. To obtain the password, or to be added to the email distribution list for each week's Valencia Crónica, please write Bridget at valenciacronicaspain [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz.

Again, a reminder that Valencia Crónica is not intended for general consumption, but for use by team members in Valencia and their partners/families. It contains little information of interest to, or use by, the general public.

Cup Contributions to the Community

Speaking of nice ink, click here for a heart-warming story about the partners of team members of a Challenger getting involved in their adopted community and in a way that really counts -- helping kids. The story is from a newspaper article in Anacortes, Washington, and is posted on the BMW ORACLE Racing team blog.

Our search engines are good but we don't catch all such stories, especially those appearing in non-Englisch publications. So we would appreciate teams (or anyone for that matter) forwarding to us any such stories you may run across. Even involving the Defender. Please email to blog [at] tfehman [dot] com. Gracias.

Nice Ink -- WWD

Nice to see the Cup getting ink outside of the general and specialist (yachting) media. And we all need much more, and not just as the result of team, or team sponsor, communications. This good mention in today's widely and globally circulated Women's Wear Daily:


Published: Thursday, March 23, 2006
Prada's Cup Hopes Runneth Over
MILAN — Prada chief Patrizio Bertelli and wife Miuccia Prada launched the new Luna Rossa yacht in Valencia, Spain, on Wednesday, complete with the designer breaking the traditional bottle of champagne on its hull. The event was held at the team's new headquarters, which were designed by Renzo Piano. The next America's Cup series will be held in Valencia in 2007, with Switzerland defending. This is the third time a Luna Rossa yacht will take part in the America's Cup.

Luna Rossa Christening

Congratulations to Yacht Club Italiano's challenger Luna Rossa. A few minutes ago at their base here in Valencia they christened their new yacht ITA 86. It is the first new ACC yacht to be christened in Valencia this year (Shosholoza's RSA 83 was christened in VLC last year -- thanks to Pierre Orphanidis of Valencia Sailing for reminding us).



ITA 86, moments after being lowered into the water for the first time. A few minutes earlier the yacht was christened "Luna Rossa" by Miuccia Prada, wife of syndicate chairman Patrizio Bertelli, on a beautiful Spring day in Valencia.

Valencia Crónica #41

Bridget Baker's Valencia Crónica #41 (16 March issue) is now available.

As always 'tis password-protected for privacy of email and telephone numbers. To obtain the password, or to be added to the email distribution list for each week's Valencia Crónica, please write Bridget at valenciacronicaspain [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz.

Reminder that Valencia Crónica is not intended for general consumption, but for use by team members in Valencia and their partners/families. It contains little information of interest to, or use by, the general public.

Progress

Construction has now begun on the 12th and final Team Base -- for China Team -- in the Port America's Cup here in Valencia. Here, to the best of our information, is a status report on the other 11 bases in approximately the order of completion:


Shosholoza (RSA) -- operating, since June 2005 (some fit-out continuing).

Alinghi (SUI, Defender) -- operating, official opening was in December.

Desafio Espanol (ESP) -- operating, official opening was in December.

BMW ORACLE (USA) -- operating since December, official opening is 27 March with launching ceremony of USA 87.

Luna Rossa (ITA) -- operating since January, official opening is 22 March with launching ceremony of ITA 86.

+39 (ITA) -- shell complete, fit-out underway.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) -- shell complete, fit-out underway.

Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team (ITA) -- shell complete, fit-out underway.

Victory Challenge (SWE) -- shell complete, fit-out underway.

K-Challenge (FRA) -- shell complete, fit-out underway.

United Internet Team Germany (GER) -- shell under construction.

China Team (CHN) -- shell commencing construction.


The lack of a completed, fully functional base has not prevented teams from training and otherwise operating -- they have soldiered on in the nippy late-winter weather using containers, tents and the tinglados (the historic sheds from the days when the Port America's Cup, formerly called the Dársena Interior, served as Valencia's commercial port) for offices, workshops and boatsheds, along with plenty of grit and ingenuity.

As Winter gives way to delightful Spring daytime temperatures, we see steady progress being made by the numerous contractors working madly on the infrastructure around the PAC -- new roadways, walkways and parking lots, the AC Canal, the Superyacht Dock, two large marinas inside the groin at the east end of the Canal, the new America's Cup Park along the Canal, and the enormous "Chipperfield Building" overlooking the Canal and PAC which will house retail shops, restaurants, bars and Cup VIP facilities.

Driving from home into the Port America's Cup each morning, these days you are as likely to be following a cement truck as another car. A clean car parked anywhere near the PAC in the morning is often covered in cement dust at night.

However, with each passing day, and as the infrastructure and team bases come together, life in and around the Port America's Cup becomes a little easier.



Foreground: construction on the China Team base commenced this week. Red building in the background is the Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team base, the shell of which is complete with internal fit-outs well along. Photo courtesy of the Valencia Sailing blogsite, where you can find more good photos of the bases and Cup-related action.

Sail Newport

In the Fall of 1983 the leaders of the local sailing community in Newport were, as you can imagine, more than a bit let down by the loss of the Cup to Australia II that fateful day in September. It meant, of course, that the bi- or tri-annual excitement of hosting the Cup races, as Newport had done with the 12's since 1958 (as well as with the J-Boats in 1930, 1934 and 1937) was over -- briefly it was hoped -- but at least for the time being.

On a cold, blustery day that Fall a small group gathered in Paul Buttrose's tiny upstairs office on Bowen's Wharf and formed what they hoped would become a "chamber of commerce" for sailing in Newport. "Sail Newport" would help attract and run world-class sailing events to replace the loss of the Cup. Remember, this was years before NYYC had any idea of buying Harbour Court or otherwise establishing a clubhouse in Newport aside from local "station" relationship with Newport's Ida Lewis YC.

From the get-go Sail Newport was a strong and successful organization. Driven in the early days by Bart Dunbar (who to this day remains on the Sail Newport Board) and Dr Robin Wallace, among several other local luminaries, it provided strong support for NYYC's AC 26 challenger America II, ran Maxi and other world championships, established a Newport race week, and built a public sailing center at Fort Adams -- which by Sail Newport's 20th anniversary in 2003 had taken on impressive proportions.

The organization also helped glue the disparate Newport sailing community together by hosting a casual monthly luncheon to share information and gossip, and to hear a speaker on a current hot sailing topic --in the process also becoming the "Rotary Club" of sailing as well as a quasi- regional sailing club in one of the country's true hotbeds of sailing.

Today Sail Newport is stronger than ever under the leadership of Executive Director Brad Read, younger bro of former AC helmsman Ken Read. They still host the odd luncheon, including one to be held next week (a luncheon that is, though how odd remains to be seen).

Next week's speaker should be one of the more entertaining in Sail Newport's 23-year history -- AC 32 Principal Race Officer Peter "Luigi" Reggio of nearby Essex, CT. As many of you know, Luigi has one of the better-developed senses of humor in the Cup (thank goodness someone has one). We shall look forward to reports from some of our friends in the area to see what juicy tidbits Luigi imparts, and those that are printable we will be sure to run here on the CCB.



Peter "Luigi" Reggio in Auckland during the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup for which he also served as PRO.

Million-Dollar Dhows

[Updated -- Tue 14 Mar at 0730 and 1130.]

In recent years ISAF and the Hobie Class, and perhaps others, have run world championships in the UAE. As you will know, Emirates Airlines is sponsoring Team New Zealand. Russell Coutts has his new match racing event set to run there. Formula One is now firmly entrenched in the UAE -- indeed, the first Grand Prix of the year took place in Bahrain yesterday.

Now this story from the Yachting World website about the increasingly high-tech dhows that race for a million-dollar cash prize.

Call it prescience or coincidence, but when we posted this story yesterday we had no clue that ETNZ was "Going live in Dubai" this week. Good for ETNZ, and good for the Cup!

Yachting World has posted a good overall report on events this week in Dubai.

What's next? An AC 33 "Act" in the Middle East? A challenger from the UAE?



Dubai's Burj Al Arab, the world's only 7-star hotel, just down the coast from the Dubai International Marine Club. DIMC has hosted a number of recent international yachting events. Is there an AC "Act" or even challenger in the UAE's future?

Key Dates

[Updated 11 August from the original posted in March -- latest updates in red.]


In response to many, many requests below is a consolidated calendar with key dates of interest to Challengers through the end of the AC 32. Please send any additions or corrections ASAP to blog[at]tfehman[dot]com.

This post will be updated from time to time. For future and quick reference, there is now a permanent link to this post called "Key Dates" under the new heading "Kiosk" near the top of the sidebar here on the CCB.

The beginning of each racing period is shown in blue.


2006

Wed-Sat 6-9 Sep – Farr 40 Worlds, Newport (many AC sailors competing).

Mon 2 Oct – CC LVC Notice of Race Working Party meeting, Milano, 13:00.

Tue 3 Oct – Challenger Commission meeting, Milano, 09:00-18:00.

Wed 4 Oct – AC 33 Discussion Forum, Milano, 09:00-13:00.

Sun 29 Oct – Summer Time (Daylight Savings Time) ends in Europe and the USA.

Wed 6 Dec – Hamish Ross’s (NZL, Alinghi) birthday.

Wed 6 Dec – “Dia de la Constitucion” holiday in Spain.

Fri 8 Dec – “Immaculate Concepción” holiday in Spain (no doubt a more appropriate day to celebrate Hamish Ross’s birthday).


2007

Fri-Mon 16-19 Mar – Las Fallas

Thu 22 Mar – Alessandra Pandarese’s birthday.

Sun 25 Mar – Summer Time (Daylight Savings Time) begins in Europe.

Sat 31 Mar – “Declaration Day” (of the one or two ACC yachts a team will race in the LVC and, if successful, the Match).

Sun 1 Apr – “Unveiling Day” (after when shrouding of hulls is no longer permitted).

Sun 1 Apr – Daylight Savings Time begins in the USA.

Tue 3 Apr – Act 13 (Fleet Racing, all Challengers and Alinghi) begins.

Fri 6 Apr – Act 13 ends, with Sat as a reserve and prizegiving day.

Mon 16 Apr – LVC Round Robin 1 begins, each Challenger races 10 matches (once against each of the other eleven Challengers), two races per day.

Sun 22 Apr – RR1 ends, with Mon as a reserve day.

Wed 25 Apr – LVC Round Robin 2 begins, each Challenger races 10 matches (once against each of the other eleven Challengers), one race per day.

Sun 6 May – RR2 ends, with Mon as a reserve days.

Mon 14 May – LVC Semifinals begin (top four Challengers at the end of RR2), first to win five races in each "knock-out" semifinal, one race for each pair per day, with Thu 17 May as an "off day” and Mon 21 May and Fri 25 May as a reserve days.

Fri 25 May – Last possible LVC Semifinals race day.

Fri 1 Jun – LVC Finals begin, first to win five races, one race per day, with Mon 4 Jun as an "off day" and Thu 7 Jun and Tue 12 Jun as a reserve days.

Tue 12 Jun – Last possible LVC Finals race day.

Sat-Tue 16-19 Jun – Palma Superyacht Week.

Sat 23 Jun – America’s Cup Match begins, first to win five races, one race per day, with “off days” on Mon 25 Jun, Thu 28 Jun, and Mon 2 Jul if necessary. 5-7 Jul are reserve days.

Sat 7 Jul – Last scheduled AC Match reserve day.

Maintenance...

...is being performed on one of the servers that supports the CCB through no later than 0900 EST (1500 CET) today, Sunday. Some of the images and other items posted here on the CCB will be missing until then. We apologize for any inconvenience.

This same server maintenance along with travel schedules, the press of other business, and developments subsequent to our CC meetings held last Tuesday and Wednesday have delayed the normally prompt posting here of a report on our CC meetings earlier in the week. We appreciate your interest (if not all the emails asking "what's up?"), and your patience.

In the meantime, and speaking of maintenance, relax and have a glass of red wine -- maybe a good Spanish Rioja. Latest reports indicate that vino tinto is good not only for maintaining your cardio vascular system, but also your teeth. Cheers!

Valencia Crónica #40

Bridget Baker's Valencia Crónica #40 (9 March issue) is now available.

As always it is password-protected to help assure the privacy of email and telephone numbers. To obtain the password, or to be added to the email distribution list for each week's Valencia Crónica, please write Bridget at valenciacronicaspain [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz.

Reminder that Valencia Crónica is not intended for general consumption, but for use by team members in Valencia and their partners/families. It contains very little information of interest to, or use by, the general public.

Cup in China

More on the AC promotion in China now set for 1 April (see "Dining Commission" post below and the ACM official site)....


This TV commercial will air more than 300 times on Chinese National TV this month, advertising the 1 April concert in Beijing that in turn will promote the Cup (all teams, not just China Team). The 1 April event, co-sponsored by ACM and Louis Vuitton, will be televised in China with some 350 million viewers expected.

New CC Chair

Alessandra Pandarese (ITA, Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team) was elected today as the new Challenger Commission Chair, succeeding George Clyde (USA, K-Challenge) who had served since April 2005.

When he agreed to succeed founding Chairman Tom Ehman (USA, BMW ORACLE Racing) last year, Mr Clyde said then he wished only to serve through 2005. Despite the CC's best efforts to twist his arm, at the CC Meeting at San Francisco in December George asked nonetheless to be relieved, but agreed to serve until this week's CC meeting by when a nominating committee could recommend a new Chair.

Ms Pandarese was the unanimous recommendation of the nominating committee (Jim Farmer, ETNZ; Russell Green, BMW ORACLE Racing; and George Clyde), and was elected by a unanimous vote of the CC.

Alessandra has 17 years of Cup experience, including serving as Secretary-General of the Challenger of Record Management (CORM) for the 2003 Cup.

Upon assuming the Chair, Alessandra pledged her best efforts to continue to lead the CC in the strong, collaborative way of her predecessors, and asked for everyone's support. She thanked George for his leadership and diligence over the past year, and this was met with warm applause all around.

Representatives of all eleven Challengers are present at the CC meeting, which continues through tomorrow noon. A report of the CC's main points of discussion and decisions will, as always, be posted here on the CCB -- latest Thursday evening if not before.



New CC Chair Alessandra Pandarese with outgoing Chair George Clyde, who will continue with the CC as K-Challenge Rep, after her election at today's CC meeting in Valencia.

Dining Commission

Tonight the Challenger Commission were the guests of Louis Vuitton at a dinner hosted in the usual LV style by Christine Belanger and Bruno Trouble. For a bit of fun we took a phone-cam video of those around the table, including Regatta Director Dyer Jones and his Operations Manager Niccolo Porzio, CC Chair George Clyde (who is stepping down at tomorrow's meeting -- check the CCB tomorrow for news of his successor), and Representatives of all 11 Challengers.



Time to relax with friends old and new: our first-ever video post on the CC Blog.



Bruno is just back from China with the good news of the recently announced
AC promotional concert being jointly produced by ACM and LV that will take
place in Beijing on 1 April. The live telecast will be seen by some 350 million
viewers in China. Details on ACM's official site.

CC Meetings Underway

The Notice of Race working party is meeting this afternoon in Valencia in advance of the full Challenger Commission meetings tomorrow and Wednesday.

This task force has been working for some months on a draft of the NOR for the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the CC hopes to have one finalized before the start of Act 10 in May -- a full 10 months before the start of the LVC in April next year. If achieved, this will be welcomed by all Challengers as it gives reasonable certainty on how the series will be run; and, to our memory, it will be some kind of a record for early completion of this seminal document.



Clockwise from foreground left, Dawn Riley and George Clyde (K-Challenge); Jordi Lamarca (Desafio Espanol); Luis Saenz, Bruno Finzi and Marco Mercuriali (Luna Rossa); Dyer Jones (Regatta Director, ACM); Wolf Dietz (United Internet Team Germany); Jim Farmer (Emirates Team New Zealand); Alessandra Pandarese and Cameron Dunn (Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team); and Michael ten Bokum (CC Assistant). Not pictured, working party chairman Tom Ehman (BMW ORACLE Racing).

Valencia Crónica #39

Bridget Baker's Valencia Crónica #39 (2 March issue) is now available.

As always it is password-protected to help assure the privacy of email and telephone numbers. To obtain the password, or to be added to the email distribution list for each week's Valencia Crónica, please write Bridget at valenciacronicaspain [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz.

A reminder that Valencia Crónica is not intended for general consumption, but for use by team members in Valencia and their partners/families. It contains very little information of interest to, or use by, the general public.

Time Flies

Today we mark the three-year anniversary of the Challenger, Alinghi, winning the 31st America's Cup. At approx 1500 hours on 2 March 2003, a few seconds after Alinghi crossed the finish line to win race 5, the Protocol Governing the 32nd America's Cup was signed between representatives of the new Defender, Societe Nautique Geneve, and the new Challenger of Record, Golden Gate Yacht Club, aboard Ernesto Bertarelli's motoryacht Vava.

The Challenger has won four of the last seven AC Matches:

83 - Challenger (Royal Perth YC)
87 - Challenger (San Diego YC)
88 - Defender (San Diego YC)
92 - Defender (San Diego YC)
95 - Challenger (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
00 - Defender (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
03 - Challenger (Societe Nautique Geneve)

In 07, will the Defender even things up at 4-4? Or will the sheer strength and number of Challengers overwhelm the loan Defender and further tip the modern-day AC scales in favor of the Challengers?



Two days later -- Russell Coutts and Michel
Bonnefous explaining Alinghi's plans for
defending the Cup at a press conference in
Auckland on 4 March 03.



Three years later -- the Port America's Cup in Valencia nears completion. Photo
taken earlier this week, courtesy of BMW ORACLE Racing and Gilles Martin-Raget.