Happy Birthday Ale!

Today is the birthday of our esteemed chairwoman, Alessandra Pandarese (ITA, Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team). She has been in the hot seat since early last year, having taken over for George Clyde after he ably led the CC during 2005 and then some. By all accounts, and no surprise to any of us who have known her since she got involved in the Cup (back in, what, 1988?), Ale is doing a terrific job.

Under CC rules the Chair must be a rep of a current challenger, and the joke at a recent CC meeting was that we should give Mascalzone a bye into the LVC finals to keep Ale as our fearless leader as long as possible -- irrespective of when her team might get "excused from further participation." No doubt Alinghi and ACM would support that as well.

And it is not an easy job, especially having to deal with the likes of Hamish Ross, the Michels Bonnefous and Hodara, and your Ed. -- to say nothing of the AC Jury. Nonetheless, Ale is weathering the job, and all of us, reasonably well.



Chairlady: Alessandra, who doubles as general counsel for Mascalzone Latino, with her Alinghi counterpart Hamish Ross (NZL) at an AC dinner soon after assuming the chair in early 2006...




...and after the CC meeting earlier this month.


N.B. We don't normally post personal messages here on the CCB, but in honor of Ale's birthday we thought we would make an exception.

Family Fun in Gandia

Shosholoza and Areva enjoyed some good intramural competition yesterday and today, and not just in ACC yachts.

Today, the they are down in Gandia, about 45 minutes south of Valencia, former home base for the Areva Challenge. On a sunny and warm day that felt like early summer, the Gandia games included match racing: shore crew vs. shore crew; afterguard vs. afterguard; marketing vs. marketing, etc. This was followed by a nice paella lunch in the old Areva Base tent. This afternoon's program included beach volleyball, a rowing contest and boule competition.

More of the good cheer, spirit and cooperation common among AC 32 Challengers.



Match racing in Gandia Harbor using local yachts.



Rowing competition featuring team members, families and families.



Boule getting organized on shore. One doubts the authors of the AC Deed of Gift ever imagined that, more than a century and half after the Cup was donated to NYYC, "friendly competition between foreign countries" would include a game of bowls on a beach in eastern Spain between teams from France and South Africa. ¡Viva la Cup!

Photos courtesy of Benedikt Horber (GER).

Challenging Crossword Puzzle

In case you have too much time on your hands during this holiday break (as obviously your Ed. does), we are proud to unveil the CCB's first-ever, interactive Crossword Puzzle. It's entitled, simply, "Challenging." Click here.

We will publish the name of the first person to send us a screen-capture of the puzzle completed correctly, and we have a suitable prize for you.

Come on, give it a try. Should not be that difficult for anyone who is a keen observer of the passing AC scene. I can hear Hamish Ross clicking away even now. ;)

Feliz "Dia de los Santos Inocentes"

Today is the "Day of the Innocent Saints" here in Spain and many Ibero-American countries.

The origin of the holiday is historical and deeply religious (Christian), the celebration of which dates to around AD 485.

These days 28 December in Spain is roughly equivalent to April Fools' Day in the USA -- a day for pranks. Prank victims are called inocentes, or alternatively, the pranksters are the innocents and the victims should not be angry at them, since they could not have committed any "sin." In some cultures it is said to be an unlucky day and no new project should be started.

It would appear the editor of one esteemed AC site was not taken in by what would otherwise appear to be an Alinghi prank. See Pierre's post this afternoon speculating that the image on Alinghi's website of a partially unveiled and new-looking ACC yacht is not a photo of their second new ACC yacht now under construction in Switzerland.

Indeed, one hears that Alinghi's new deck may be under construction here in Valencia at the RCNV.

So if you are in Spain enjoy yet another holiday (no doubt accompanied by fireworks tonight), and Feliz Dia de los Santos Inocentes.