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."

Sad Day for the Cup(s)

It is a beautiful day here in Valencia -- warm, dry, sunny with some white puffy clouds, and a very nice seabreeze. A good day to lay by the pool rather than putting up the first post on the CC Blog in over a month and a half. Our last post was 26 May.

The hiatus, of course, was as the result of most of the Challengers having been excused by then (at the end of the LVC Semis) from further participation, including the teams of your Ed. and the CC Chair, Alessandra Pandarese (ITA, Mascalzone Latino). We felt it better to leave it to the two remaining teams to carry out their own communications programs without the possibility of any conflict from or with the CCB.

But the AC 32 Challengers as a group are still in contact with each other, and certain meetings continue among that group in re. wind-down of AC 32 and developments related to AC 33. Hence the CCB will be maintained should the need arise for more general communication among, or from, the AC 32 Challengers.

The title of this post relates, of course, to yesterday's announcement by Louis Vuitton. Media reports the world over have carried the disturbing news, at least for the Challengers, and ACM's response.

Elaine Bunting is Yachting World's features editor. This commentary from her blog today:

Louis Vuitton's marriage to the America's Cup ended with an acrimonious divorce yesterday when they delivered a sharp slap to the America's Cup Management (ACM). The news that they are withdrawing from sponsorship of the Challenger trials was accompanied by carefully worded censure of ACM's plans for the next Cup.

The French luxury goods company has become synonymous with the America's Cup, which they have sponsored since 1983. But the news that they are dropping out confirms rumours that they are unhappy with the way the event is being run and the escalation in the costs of sponsorship and participation.

The most intriguing element of the announcement is its criticism of the naked commercialism of the Alinghi-led management, and the power struggle that is brewing about how the next event will be run.

'Louis Vuitton have decided not to sponsor the next Challenger trials but will carefully observe the future evolution of the event,' they say. 'The new rules of the America's Cup imply a more commercial approach and the protocol is already disputed by some teams. In addition, there is a risk of a significant reduction in the number of teams taking part.'

If the dispute about the protocol is one of the reasons for withdrawing, that's strange: you would think that such a major decision would been made in principle well before the shenanigans this week. If anything, the announcement reads like a veto: Louis Vuitton will watch the event 'carefully' and they reserve the right to sponsor another event with a Louis Vuitton Cup.

The announcement drew a wonderfully haughty, huffy response from Michel Hodara, chief operating officer of ACM. "Now, we will simply have to find a partner that shares the same values of the Cup and this sport," he said dismissively.

As for getting the Louis Vuitton Cup trophy back for the company to use again, that's out of the question. ACM would not be asking Emirates Team New Zealand to hand it back.

"It can remain theirs for all of eternity," Hodara said.

The next America's Cup is already proving to be a first-rate spectator sport.




Gone, at least for the moment, but not forgotten.

Weather or Not

Two more days of nada de nada? Slide courtesy of the BBC Weather Centre.

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.

CC Meeting Tonight

UPDATE - 19:30 Friday: Today we have made good progress on a revised Notice of Race and schedule of racing for the balance of the rounds robin. Together with getting two flights completed today, it was decided to postpone the CC meeting scheduled for this evening to tomorrow (Saturday) evening. In the meantime, and as agreed and announced this morning with the Regatta Director, we are proceeding tomorrow with Flights 3 and 4 and the current pairing list. Now let's hope there is some wind again tomorrow.




Postscript to this morning's meeting: It was also agreed that the CC would meet again this evening, in the jury meeting room at the ACM offices, 90 minutes following the end of racing (or another "AP over A" postponement). Purpose, to discuss open points from this morning's meeting after delegates have a chance to consult their teams, and giving the Regatta Director and the Chair of the CC's Notice of Race working party time today to sort through various options.

MEDIA STATEMENT -- CC Meeting, 20 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 at 0800 this morning, Friday 20 April. Representatives of all eleven Challengers were present.

Main decisions and points of discussion:

+ The Regatta Director's proposal to "re-boot" (our word, not his) Round Robin 1 was unanimously supported. This means Flights 1 and 2 previously re-scheduled for today, originally a reserve day, would be sailed (attempted!). Going forward, subsequent flights will be raced in sequence, two flights per day, i.e., Flights 3 and 4 tomorrow (Saturday), etc. If one or both of today's flights are postponed, they would be rescheduled for tomorrow, kept in sequence, and the balance of the RR1 schedule pushed back accordingly. RR1 will be completed before any races of RR2 are started. However, when some but not all matches of a given flight (of ten matches) are completed, the uncompleted matches will be rescheduled later in RR1 (on a race or reserve day) as the Regatta Director deems equitable and expedient.

+ The Regatta Director will work on the pairing list to equalize to the extent possible use among teams of the buoyed courses and the north inner course (the so-called "stadium course") which will be the primary racing area later in the LVC and for the Match, and to minimize if not eliminate the need for any team to have to swap course areas on a two-race day.

+ There will be no relaxation of the minimum 7kt wind limit or shortening of courses, nor more than two flights scheduled per day.

+ The CC kept their options open so far as how to proceed beyond the end of RR1 given the challenging forecasts for continued light air today, Saturday and Sunday. Open issues include whether or not an "off day" should be scheduled at the completion of RR1 regardless how late RR1 ends. Also under consideration is whether to delay the start of the LVC Semifinals by a day or two assuming RR2 runs long.

+ The CC affirmed its long-held view that a high priority for RR2 is to have no more than one race per day and over the longer (3.3nm) course that will be used in the LVC Semis, Finals and the AC Match.

CC Meeting Today

At 0800 this morning at the Jury Meeting Room in the ACM offices there will be a meeting of Louis Vuitton Cup competitors. This has been called by the Regatta Director, Dyer Jones, to consider a significant rescheduling of racing for Rounds Robin 1 and 2.

This in response to the unprecedented (at least for the LVC) four days of postponed racing, and with the prospects for more postponements today and through the weekend due forecasts for continuing light winds.

This meeting will also, in effect, be a meeting of the Challenger Commission as the CC's advice and consent is required for what would be a significant amendment to the Notice of Race governing the Louis Vuitton Cup regatta.

The past two evening the CC's Notice of Race working party has met with Commodore Jones, ACM's CEO and COO, and Race Officers Peter Reggio and Harold Bennett to go over the "what-ifs", and a proposed new schedule of racing for Rounds Robin 1 and 2 has been drafted.

If embraced by the Challengers at this morning's meeting, it means, in effect, that we would "re-boot" the regatta. Under the current schedule today is already a reserve day, and in accordance with the NOR Flights 1 and 2 postponed from Monday have automatically been rescheduled to today. The idea is to start anew, and reschedule racing from tomorrow (Saturday) as if the RR1 started today. That means Flights 3 and 4 tomorrow, 5 and 6 Sunday, etc., with a re-shuffle of race and reserve days to fit in all 20 races of RR1 and RR2 between now and the 8th or 9th (or maybe 10th) of May.

Of course we will post the results of this morning's meeting here on the CCB when we get a change later this morning.

LVC: Round Robins Pairing List Schedule

Issued Sunday by Regatta Director Dyer Jones:

This is the pairing list based on the Louis Vuitton Cup Notice of Race and established from the final challenger rankings following Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13. Under normal circumstances, Matches one to three of each Flight will be sailed on the northern race area with the ‘Romeo’ Race Committee while Matches four through six will be on the southern race area, with the ‘Juliet’ Race Committee.

For Round Robin One the Race Committee intends to start no more than two flights of races each day, with the first warning signal scheduled to sound at 14:05. If, due to weather conditions, it is impossible to run all the scheduled Matches on a day, the Regatta Director will respect the original pairing list as much as possible and re-schedule the un-sailed matches on the first available slots available (reserve days and one race days).

For Round Robin Two the Race Committee intends to start no more than one flight of races each day, with the first warning signal scheduled to sound at 14:05. If, due to weather conditions, it is impossible to run all the scheduled Matches on a day, or if there are matches un-sailed remaining from Round Robin One, the Regatta Director will respect the original pairing list as much as possible and re-schedule the un-sailed matches as the second start of the day until the schedule is back on track and then on the first available reserve day.

The Media Centre will publish every race day a document called the Morning Briefing. It will always contain the day’s programme and should be referred to for the day’s pairings, the current results table, the weather forecast and highlights of the previous day’s racing.

AC 32 Format

We get asked almost daily to explain how the somewhat complicated (at least for the Challengers) AC32 format works. Believe it or not, for this 32nd edition the Louis Vuitton Cup series is the simplest and most straightforward since probably the first LVC was conducted in 1983. Just think back to 2003 LVC format and the mystifying "repechage" round!

AC 32's format is, however, made a bit confusing by (a) the accumulation of "ranking points" by Challengers during the Acts, (b) the resultant bonus points carried into the Round Robin phase of the LVC by each of the 11 Challengers, and (c) the two points per win during the RRs.

On the theory that a picture is worth a thousand words, BMW ORACLE Racing produced a graphic that many say explains the AC 32 format and schedule very well. This helpful graphic is posted and available for download on their team blog.

"To win the America's Cup, first win the Louis Vuitton Cup."