China Team's Big Day Out

First, best wishes to China Team and our other Asian friends, fans and Cup families on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. The Chinese year 4075, the Year of the Pig, begins today.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in pig years tend to have excellent manners, make and keep friends, work very hard, and appreciate luxury. They are very loving and make loyal partners. (source: www.infoplease.com]

China Team's website carries this nice story about being far from their families and home for the New Year celebrations, and what they did to celebrate here in VLC last evening. In China and much of SE Asia, the celebrations last for a week or even two and is an annual gathering of the family clan.

Second, congrats to syndicate head Chaoyong Wang and all involved with China Team on the yesterday's first sail of their new ACC yacht CHN-95. There are a number of good photos and a video of yesterday's outing over on the excellent* Valencia Sailing website, which these days is almost always first to the web with AC team news and views.

*even if editor Pierre Orphanidis (GRE/FRA/ESP) has a soft spot in his heart for the "local" team and red moons.



Yesterday on, fittingly, the Lunar (Chinese) New Year's Eve, CHN-95 went for her first sail. She is the last of the new for AC 32 Challenger yachts to get splashed. Only Alinghi's SUI-100 has yet to hit the water, and that is expected to take place in the next couple of weeks. Photo courtesy Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing.