AC 33: Ham and Cheese?

"Louis Vuitton have their own vision of the event. It just depends on people's vision.... Some people like caviar and salmon, some people like ham and cheese. Neither makes you a bad person," he said.

--ACM COO Michel Hodara reacting to Louis Vuitton's Friday announcement that they are leaving the America's Cup after a quarter of a century. Full Reuters story here, entitled "Americas Cup seeks new sponsor after LV quits."

Weather Defensive

Excerpt from a story this morning in the International Herald Tribune:

AC Management wouldn't release weather data on Valencia, so the Swiss team, which conducted the analysis, did its own research.

After analyzing the weather buoys on the northern "Romeo" course for wind in the afternoon when racing is scheduled, sailing has only been possible for half the number of days in April.

That is well down on the average of 80-90 percent of days being suitable for sailing from April through July since 2000.

"We still stand by our analysis that Valencia is a good sailing venue, it should not be judged on a single meteorological event," Bilger said.

But Valencia's Meteorological and Climate Center head, Jose Angel Nunez, said the event should have started in May to avoid possible scheduling problems.

"The wind that the competition is looking for won't be arriving until June and July," he said. "Winds are frequent in spring but not established until the summer, when they will be much more consistent. There's a better probability, frequency and intensity of wind the closer we get to summer, when you have the better atmospheric conditions for racing — it's evident."

Butterworth said the schedule wasn't only determined by the wind.

"The timing of the Cup was set certainly to fit into the market of television and then other events earlier and later in the year that could conflict with it," Butterworth said, referring to cycling's Tour de France.

Full story

What a Way to Run a Regatta

Excerpt from an editorial on the Sail World website by Bob Fisher:


'We did analysis of the [weather] statistics and Valencia was always the best,' said America’s Cup Management CEO, Michel Bonnefous at a press conference this morning, and stuck to that line through intensive questioning. 'We have done precise research and have good numbers – the worst case in April was losing four days.'

One of the sailing crew aboard Emirates Team New Zealand recalled after that press conference that there were nine days last April when sailing was not possible. Does that collaborate America’s Cup Management’s 'precise research'? No. Bonnefous called this year’s lack of wind, 'An unusually bad stretch of light weather.'

It could have been avoided by holding the entire event later in the year, but Bonnefous explained that ACM had chosen the ideal date for the America’s Cup match and worked backwards from there. On that basis, little consideration was given to the challengers to allow them to present a worthy opponent for the defender.

This situation does not benefit any of the challengers and is the result of one organisation running the racing for the challengers and defenders. All benefits go to the defender and enhance Alinghi’s ability to mount a successful defence. It is a situation that must never be repeated.

Perhaps the words of Paul Elvstrom should be brought to the attention of those in charge of this regatta. 'You haven’t won the race, if in winning the race you’ve lost the respect of your competition.'

Full story

MEDIA STATEMENT -- CC Meeting, 21 April 2007

The Challenger Commission for the 32nd America's Cup (“CC”) met at the call of the Chair, Alessandra Pandarese (ITA) of Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, at the ACM offices in Valencia from 1800 to 2030 last evening, Saturday 21 April. Representatives of ten of the eleven Challengers were present. Apologies were received from +39.

Main decisions and points of discussion:

+ Decisions at the previous CC meeting were affirmed -- RR1 Flights 3 and 4 are scheduled for Sunday, 5 and 6 for Monday, etc. Flights postponed to a later date would be raced the next day(s) and in sequence with the balance of the schedule pushed back accordingly. The Regatta Director would adjust the pairing list (in consultation with CC reps) as necessary from day to day to minimize if not eliminate course swapping between Flights on a given day, and to otherwise avoid a big casino with respect to the equalization of other factors as between all Challengers (use of the north inner course, MDS buoyed courses, etc.).

+ The Regatta Director's proposal for the schedule of racing for RR2 (one race per day beginning Fri 27 Apr) was supported with the following caveats:

++ There should be no "Off Day" between RR1 and RR2. RR2, with one race per day scheduled, should begin the day after the last day of racing for RR2. If RR1 racing is further delayed, the start of RR2 would be delayed accordingly.

++ The RR1 "No Change Period" should end at 2100 on the last day of RR1 racing, and begin for RR2 at 0800 the next day (first day of RR2 racing).

++ Two additional reserve days should be added to the end of RR2 (May 9 and 10). Any RR2 races that are postponed to a later date would be rescheduled as the first of two flights the next day only if and when all but one of the scheduled reserve days has been taken up with postponed race(s).

++ The start of the Semi-finals should be delayed one day to 15 May. The "No Change Period" for the Semifinals should begin at 0800 on 15 May instead of 24 hours before the warning signal for the first race.

Under the various rules that govern the LVC, schedule changes must be agreed by the Challenger Commission and ACM. At the end of last evening's meeting, the ACM COO said by phone that he was not prepared to approve the above changes to the Regatta Director's proposal for RR2.

The CC was unanimous and adamant that all eleven teams must be afforded an opportunity to race in a fair and proper Louis Vuitton Cup regatta.

The CC Chair and Chair of the NOR Working Party would consult further with the Regatta Director and ACM officials on Sunday and report back to the CC. With wind forecasts Sunday through Wednesday not promising for getting the scheduled two races per day completed, and ACM's apparent unwillingness to cooperate with the CC, it was likely the CC would need to meet again Sunday evening or Monday to consider further options and initiatives to ensure a fair and proper regatta.

Bonnefous Interview

A long interview with ACM CEO Michel Bonnefous, Alinghi general manager during the last Cup, by the IHT's Christopher Clary, is featured in today's New York Times and is well worth the read....

Q. & A.
A Conversation With Michel Bonnefous

Published: April 14, 2007

Michel Bonnefous was general manager of the winning team during the last America’s Cup, but he is trying to project neutrality this time.

Bonnefous has spent the last three years with his wife and three young sons in Valencia, Spain.

Shortly after the Swiss and their mercenaries from New Zealand swept the home team in Auckland, Bonnefous was named president of America’s Cup Management with the backing of his boyhood friend Ernesto Bertarelli, the Swiss billionaire who remains head of Alinghi and part of its crew.

While past Cups have had separate organizing bodies for the challenger trials and the America’s Cup, Bertarelli and his principal rival Larry Ellison believed it needed just one. Their answer was America’s Cup Management (ACM). Bonnefous, with his close-cropped hair, thin-framed glasses and casual manner, has spent the last three years with his wife and three young sons in Valencia, Spain, the city he helped select as the site of these races, which are being held in European waters for the first time in 156 years.

Bonnefous presides over the biggest organizational budget in the event’s history, and last month in his unpretentious office with a view of the transformed port, he discussed the present and future of the competition with Christoper Clarey of The New York Times.

Excerpts from that interview:

CLAREY: What are your feelings as you look at the new bases and the new marinas?

BONNEFOUS: Even before we won with Alinghi, we sat down with a very small group and isolated ourselves and developed a kind of blueprint for what the organization would be like in case of victory. We put it away in a locker and then took it back out when we were in the final of the America’s Cup.

Now this is a reality, and it’s very close to the initial project we imagined four years ago, so that’s pretty interesting to see that we have more or less what we wanted. It’s great to see a big project coming through and changing a city. That’s new for the America’s Cup, using the event that way. It has been done somewhat in the past, but not really organized to this degree. This is truly an Olympic-style project.

CLAREY: What do you think will define this Cup in Valencia?

BONNEFOUS: There are two aspects for me: the social aspect and the sports aspect. Socially, this will definitely feel Spanish. When you have 60,000 or 100,000 people at 9 p.m. and all the bars open and there is a lot of life, you’re going to know you’re in Spain. We have made efforts to try to create a social environment around the competition that will be attractive and will work. I think this is important for the America’s Cup.

The other side is the sports event. And for this edition what I hope will be the defining element is that the teams are certainly going to be extremely close and that’s the effect of the Acts we had leading up to the Cup. In the previous Vuitton Cups, an underdog team would have the opportunity to sail two times against Alinghi and two times against Oracle, so that underdog team would do six races against top teams in the whole campaign.

But with this new format, the underdogs have sailed I don’t know how many races against the top teams. When you examine the previous Vuitton Cups, at the end the underdogs were very close to the others but only by the end after they had improved over three months of competitions. But this time I’m convinced we will see closer racing. I won’t say the favorites won’t end up the winners, because they have high operational capacities. But the underdogs this time are starting on a much higher level, and I think that’s what’s going to be great. The other aspect is that we have been using this class of America’s Cup boats for five editions now, so that also will make the boats closer.

CLAREY: There are skeptics, but do you feel you’ve been able to change the chip from Alinghi team member to America’s Cup Management?

BONNEFOUS: I’ve been able to change the mentality totally, because it’s not that difficult and because it’s my job. Alinghi was one approach. It’s totally different here, but for me this is the same kind of job, organizing and problem solving. I stay pretty objective. I like Alinghi, because we created it, but it doesn’t mean the decisions we take now with ACM are not fair. We can take fair decisions but still be a bit emotionally attached.

Full story (registration required, free of charge)

Michel Bonnefous (SUI, right) holding the Cup after Alinghi's historic win at Auckland in 2003, with skipper Russell Coutts (NZL, left) and team owner and sailing team member Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI, center).

Six Days in April

ACM estimates that during the six days of Act 13 about a quarter of a million people came to the America's Cup Park to witness the events. Records were beaten on Friday when 63,000 people came to see the racing and admire the yachts, support boats and spectator boats as they traversed the canal to and from the Port America's Cup.


"A rising tide lifts all boats."

Good News: TVE Comes to the Party

From this morning's edition of Peter Gooch's Valencia Life email newsletter:

Also yesterday, Valencia mayoress Rita Barbera could hardly conceal her delight after state broadcaster RTVE finally agreed to fully cover the event with 150 hours from Valencia on its three channels – RTVE 1 & 2 and TeleDeporte. In a statement following the signing of the agreement, Mrs Barberta stated that RTVE coverage of the event ‘would guarantee that the Anericas Cup is seen by many millions of people across the world, which will create a very positive image for Valencia’.

Dollars and Sense?

Just one of the many similar comments we are seeing on the internet to the expensive online coverage of Act 13 racing and beyond....

America's Cup Update

Today's racing was a mixed bag as the weather was iffy apparently. Second race was cancelled. In the first race, BMW came out of nowhere on the last leg to overtake 5 boats and cross the line first. My favorites, Shosholoza came in second. I would love to see them win the whole thing. America's Cup in Cape Town possibly the same year as the World Cup (soccer that is). I might emigrate.

I was also a little disappointed by the multimedia coverage. In this age of Youtube, you sort of expect it all to be free all the time but the America's Cup organizers must be short of a few bucks/bob as they charge an ambitious $39.99 for multimedia coverage. This is to watch very hard to follow animations and videos. Quelle Rip-off!

JURY DECISION: ACJ023

Early this morning the Jury issued a decision in Case ACJ023, ITA/LR vs. FRA and ACM. Summary of the decision:

[57] Areva Challenge has breached Articles 11.2(f) and (g) of the Protocol. The penalty for such breach is that the number of sails Areva Challenge is permitted to use during the Challenger Selection Series is reduced by two sails, from 45 to 43.

[58] The interim order granted in Jury Notice JN056 is released.

[59] Costs are awarded of €18,000 €21,000 [update 1100 Saturday: there was a typo in the Jury's summary], to be paid by Areva Challenge to the Event Authority within thirty (30) days of the date of this decision.

"America's Cup Events Coming to Lake Placid"

That's the headline in an article in today's Adirondack (New York) Daily Enterprise. It begs the question as to whether Lake Placid will be frozen when this event takes place 28 Nov - 3 Dec?

Full story



A snowy America's Cup at Lake Placid?



2006 America's Cup winners. Nice to see Japan back in the America's Cup.

Marketing Matters

Yesterday ACM hosted a meeting with marketing reps of the AC 32 teams to review and discuss plans for marketing and promotion in 2007. These meetings, when they happen, are always useful and much appreciated.



ACM's COO, Michel Hodara (SUI), addressing the marketing meeting
with the latest AC 32 television plans.



Mirko Groeschner (GER, BMW ORACLE), Lars Boecking (GER, Shosholoza), Hamish Ross (NZL, Alinghi) and Peter Rusch (CAN, ACM info team editor).



Paco Latorre (ESP, ACM Communications Director) with Xavier deLesquen (FRA, China Team).



Veteran Cup publicist Bert Willborg (SWE, Victory Challenge) making a point to another Cup vet, Marcus Hutchinson (IRL, ACM comms team).



Katrin Flad (GER), the new marketing rep for United
Internet Team Germany.