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.

Nice Ink: Taking South Africa to the America's Cup

America's Cup Semifinals Taking Shape
South Africa's Shosholoza Shows Spark in Close Loss

By Angus Phillips
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, May 6, 2007; Page E04

VALENCIA, Spain, May 5 -- The top two challengers guaranteed themselves spots in America's Cup semifinals with easy victories Saturday, but it was the best-loved team in town that tugged heartstrings, falling from contention with another narrow defeat.

After regatta co-leaders BMW Oracle and Luna Rossa secured their slots in the next round, South Africa's Shosholoza absorbed a 47-second loss to Desaf?o Espa?ol that ended the first-ever African entry's chance to advance.

Shosholoza has three races left and won't go meekly. The rookie South Africans gave all the good teams a scare over the last two weeks and scored one shocking upset, beating top-ranked Luna Rossa.

Not bad for a team with a $23 million budget, 15 percent of what the big spenders have, and a crew that hadn't sailed these big, complex boats before.

The inclusion of two black sailors boosted the global image of a nation that only two decades ago was mired in apartheid. Did he ever imagine he would sail in the America's Cup? Not in his wildest dreams, said Zulu bowman Golden Mgedeza of Johannesburg.

Miracles do happen. The last few weeks, Shosholoza has been seen off the docks with a blessing from Andrew Mlangeni who spent 26 years locked up on Robben Island with South Africa's most famous freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela, who became president and oversaw the nation's overhaul to democracy.

But Shosholoza's entry wasn't symbolic. Of three teams trying the Cup for the first time, it was by far the most successful. China and Germany battled for the cellar. Whenever Shosholoza went out, a potential upset was in the air. In the first round robin, they won half their races to widespread surprise.

"We never thought we'd give the big boys such a hard time," said Erika Spilhaus, whose son Johann is a grinder and whose husband, John, takes care of hydraulics -- with her help. She was bicycling to the Cup village with a smile as the clock wound down.

"We're happy," she said. "We never expected to make the semifinals, but we never expected to do this well."

Saturday was typical. Shosholoza battled up the first leg on a bright, breezy day and rounded the first turning mark five seconds ahead. The win was critical for the fourth-place Spaniards, fighting for the last semifinal berth. They attacked on the downwind run, slid ahead on a puff of breeze, then held off the Africans in a tight, tactical race.

Shosholoza's financial and emotional leader, transplanted Italian shipping executive Salvatore Sarno, reckons the effort won't end, assuming he can find help to carry on. That seems likely.

"It was huge back home," team spokeswoman Di Meeks said. "On live TV every day and we've had front-page articles in all the papers."

"I'm absolutely stuffed," said mastman Charles Nankin. "It's the end of the road. We put so much into it and came so close to so many good teams. To be in this league, with so much potential to win, and have it end . . . "

Full story

Ernest G Taylor

We were sad to hear the news that Ernie Taylor (AUS) passed away on 25 April after a long illness. He served as executive director of the Challenger Commission's forerunner, the Challenger of Record Committee (CORC), for the 1992 and 1995 Cups. The Kiwi challenger, Black Magic, defeated Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes at San Diego in 1995 thanks in part to the strength of the challengers as a group in the '95 LVC.

From ACM's statement: Dyer Jones, currently Regatta Director of the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia, Spain and who worked with Ernie in both events stated: "Ernie was a determined and forceful leader of the Challenger Committee who, because of his background in television, helped bring this event into the forefront of public attention. We extend our sympathy to his family; he will be missed by all of us in this event who knew him."

Valencia Crónica #69 -- Two Years!

Congrats to Bridget Baker on the two-year anniversary of Valencia Crónica, her email newsletter for AC families here in VLC.

Bridget's first issue in 2005 was sent to 30 of her AC friends on the various teams. Today more than 600 families receive it by email or read it (and back issues) here on the CCB.

Issue #69 of Valencia Crónica is now available here. The usual fine print.... Bridget issues VC approximately every other week, and it is intended solely for AC 32 team members and their families. Accordingly, VC is password-protected to ensure the privacy of contributors' contact info.

To obtain the password, or to be added to the email distribution list for Crónica, please write Bridget at valenciacronicaspain [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] nz. Over 500 families are now receiving VC by email.

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."

Regatta Notice #60 -- Schedule of Deadlines & Meetings

It has been said that the AC is three years of meetings followed by three months of yacht racing. At least for AC32 we have had three years of racing as well. And we will have a few more meetings, per RN #60 issued today by Regatta Director Dyer Jones.

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.

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.

2007 LVC Notice of Race is Published

Update 2150 Sunday: Am pleased to report that Commodore Jones has just issued the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13 NOR as well, which has been forwarded by email to all Challenger Reps and Alternates same as the LVC NOR was earlier this evening.


VLC 1745 Sunday

Just over an hour ago, Regatta Director Dyer Jones issued the Notice of Race for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup.

The CC has worked with Dyer on this document for more than a year. Your Ed. chairs the NOR working party, and it is with great pleasure and more than a bit of a relief that we are able to report this achievement to you tonight.

Our goal had been to have the NOR out before Christmas; we didn't quite make it, but at least it is out before the end of the year, even if only just.

My thanks to the all of the CC for their guidance and support, especially to Chair Alessandra Pandarese (Mascalzone), past Chairman George Clyde (AREVA), and working party members Jim Farmer (Emirates TNZ), Bruno Finzi (Luna Rossa) and Luis Saenz (Luna Rossa). Rules advisors Jack Lloyd (Emirates TNZ), Marco Mercuriali (Luna Rossa), David Perry (Victory Challenge) and Richard Slater (BMW ORACLE) also played important roles.

Special thanks to Commodore Jones for his leadership in bringing the NOR to a timely conclusion, and to PRO Peter "Luigi" Reggio for his many contributions.

Early in the New Year we will post the NOR here on the CCB, and explain some of the nuances and novel features. When you read it, I think you will agree that the NOR helps fulfill the CC's goals of selecting the Challenger that will face the Defender in the Cup, and developing the best possible Challenger -- one that can achieve the CC's mission "To relieve the Defender from the burden of holding the Cup."

Happily, this will be our final post of 2006. May we take this opportunity to thank all of our Challenger colleagues, fans and readership for your continuing support and interest. On behalf of Alessandra and the entire CC, best wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Now, anyone for a glass of Moët?

Leonard M. Greene

Leonard M. Greene, 88, an aviation-safety innovator who received patents for helping pilots avoid deadly wind hazards and who used his fortune to fund an economic policy think tank, a group that flies cancer patients to hospitals and ventures into America's Cup racing, died Nov. 30 at White Plains (N.Y.) Hospital Center. He had lung cancer.

An avid sailor, Mr. Greene became a technical adviser to several America's Cup races before buying two-time winner Courageous from Ted Turner in the early 1980s. Despite several of Mr. Greene's modifications to the keel, the boat's age remained a problem, and his team withdrew during the 1986 competition in Fremantle, Western Australia. Mr. Greene's syndicate represented the Yale Corinthian YC, and was one a record six challenges from the USA for the 1987 Cup.

Full story from the Washington Post