Successsful Week

After a very busy week of preparation, meetings and follow-up, CC delegates who do not live here in Valencia have boarded their planes for home. Those who do are already catching up on their sleep.

Most delegates have "day jobs" with their teams, so meeting week is also a chance for those flying in to spend time at their respective team bases, which means more meetings and an even busier week for them.

Between meetings much of the CC's work is shouldered by delegates who live in VLC full-time (such as John Cutler of Desafio Espanol and Dawn Riley of AREVA Challenge), or within a short flight (including Chair Alessandra Pandarese of Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team and Bruno Finzi of Luna Rossa, both of whom live in Milano). The others continue to contribute from afar by email, phone and, increasingly, Skype.

Shortly we will post a report of the main discussions and decisions at this week's meetings. Indeed, it was a productive and fruitful week, and the under Ale's leadership the CC continues to be a strong and effective force for the Challengers.

Special thanks to Regatta Director Dyer Jones and Alinghi's Hamish Ross for working closely with the CC to progress important matters on all fronts, and to el restaurante Lambrusceria (31 Conde Altea, Valencia) for accommodating us and a few friends at dinner Tuesday evening....



Luna Rossa's inimitable Bruno Finzi (ITA), whose after-dinner jokes have kept the CC in good humour since its inception in April 2004.



Steve Gilsdorf (USA) with AREVA Challenge GM Dawn Riley (USA).



Veteran Cup scribe Peter Rusch (CAN) of ACM, spectator control jefe Jose Luis Soler (ESP), race management ops mgr Niccolo Porzio di Camporotondo (ITA), and Regatta Director Dyer Jones (USA).



Margherita Bottini (ITA) of Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, Tommaso Chieffi (ITA) of Shosholoza, and Louis Vuitton's effervescent Monica Savini (FRA/USA).



John and Caroline Cutler (NZL) of Desafio Espanol. John is one of the delegates who puts in much between-meeting time on behalf of all Challengers -- especially this month as he has volunteered to coordinate getting all the Ump Calls and Questions sorted with Chief Umpire Brad Dellenbaugh by the 1 March deadline set in the LVC NOR.



Special dinner guest Hamish Ross (NZL), Alinghi's General Counsel, and CC Chair Alessandra Pandarese (ITA) of Mascalzone. Mutual consent?

A late harvest, or an early Thanksgiving? Time will tell. Nice photo by Hamish Ross Alessandra Pandarese.