America’s Cup – Valencia – Verranno resi noti il prossimo 13 dicembre alle ore 13.00 la data, la nuova classe e il Protocollo della 34ma America’s Cup. Lo ha annunciato oggi il Golden Gate Yacht Club che, secondo il programma comunicato a inizio maggio, si era impegnato a pubblicare entro la fine del meso di agosto il Protocollo – presentato come bozza alcune settimane fa – della 34ma edizione.

La conferenza stampa si svolgerà a Valencia presso la base di BMW Oracle Racing e sarà trasmessa via web tramite il sito ufficiale dell’America’s Cup.

Per conoscere la località scelta dal defender bisognerà aspettare sino a fine anno. Le trattative sono ancora in corso, assicura il Golden Gate Yacht Club. Intanto, sul web e lungo le banchine, rimbalzano le voci. Secondo alcuni la prossima edizione si svolgerà a La Maddalena, secondo altri, nonostante i problemi economici, la California non si lascerà scappare l’evento… ma Valencia non si da per vinta.

Notizie che hanno odore di multiscafo, invece, circolano attorno alla classe. E’ di oggi l’indiscrezione che la Coppa si disputerà su multiscafi lunghi 72 piedi dotati di ala rigida… in merito a questo, il 13 settembre, ne sapremo di più.

AMERICA’S CUP, ON SEPTEMBER 13TH WE WILL KNOW DATE, CLASS AND PROTOCOL
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] Organizers for the 34th America’s Cup plan on September 13 to host a press conference in Valencia to reveal three of the four cornerstones of the next competition:
- the year in which it will be held;
- the new Class of Boat for the competition;
- the competition rules (The Protocol).

The objective for the 34th America’s Cup has been to create the fairest-ever competition, sustainable to teams and their partners with transformed racing to attract the widest possible audience for an event planned for either 2013 or 2014. A new, dynamic and exciting class of boat will be revealed. The year of the 34th America’s Cup will also be confirmed.

Negotiations over the host city venue – the fourth cornerstone – continue, but organizers are confident of making an announcement ahead of the December 31 objective.

The Protocol is now finalized and will be formally signed by the defending Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Challenger of Record, Club Nautico di Roma, in a live- streamed ceremony on the official America’s Cup web site www.AmericasCup.com.

America’s Cup – Stando a un breve articolo apparso sul New Zealand Herald, BMW Oracla Racing starebbe pensando di portare la Coppa America a La Maddalena. Secondo il noto commentatore Peter Montgomery, infatti, il defender avrebbe ormai rinunciato all’idea di eleggere San Francisco a sede della 34ma edizione a causa della scarsa copertura finanziaria garantita dallo Stato della California. Da qui la scelta di puntare sull’arcipelago de La Maddalena, dove BMW Oracle Racing ha recentemente preso parte all’appuntamento italiano del Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Sempre secondo Peter Motgomery, Larry Ellison e il suo entourage sarebbero ormai orientati verso i multiscafi, considerati più spettacolari dei monoscafi. Una decisione del genere potrebbe portare a una piccola rivoluzione da parte dei challenger: Team Origin ha già annunciato di non essere interessato a una Coppa del genere.

AMERICA’S CUP, ORACLE SET TO SHUN US AS HOST
[Source New Zealand Herald] BMW Oracle Racing is set to shun the United States and hold the next America’s Cup in Europe.

It’s understood there isn’t the financial willpower in the US to stage the regatta with the State of California broke.

Commentator PJ Montgomery says Larry Ellison is also poised to announce the Cup will not be raced in mono-hulls.

He says we should know in the next couple of months that the America’s Cup will be raced in multi-hulls in La Maddalena in Italy.

Montgomery says there could be a small revolution from challengers on BMW Oracle Racing‘s hands.

He says Team Origin has already indicated it is not interested in multi-hulls.

America’s Cup – Cowes – Presente a Cowes per assistere ai match validi per la The 1851 Cup, Russell Coutts ne ha approfittato per incontrare skipper, sponsor e team potenzialmente interessati a prendere parte alla 34ma America’s Cup.

“Da quando abbiamo vinto la Coppa non abbiamo mai spesso di dialogare con le parti interessate” ha spiegato il CEO di BMW Oracle Racing al termine della serie di meeting.

Tutto ciò mentre i due gruppi di lavoro indipendenti stanno lavorando alla stesura dei nuovi regolamenti di classe, uno per un multiscafo, l’altro per un monoscafo. Box rule comunque molto simili per quanto riguarda le caratteristiche principali: lunghe ventidue metri, entrambe le imbarcazioni dovranno infatti essere veloci con un ampio regime di venti, semplici da trasportare e disegnate per montare telecamere in alta definizione, microfoni e quant’altro necessario alle teconologie più moderne per trasmettere l’emozione della Coppa America.

Grande interesse ha suscitato la presenza di Russell Coutts al meeting dedicato ai multiscafi: “Gli specialisti dei multiscafi hanno voce in questo dibattito. Lo stesso i partenre commerciali e i rappresentati delle località candidate. Noi stiamo parlando ma non dimentichiamo di ascoltare”.

A chi gli ha chiesto se la scelta della barca potrà infliuire sul numero dei challengere, Coutts ha risposto: “Ci sono molti team pronti ad eccellere. Questo indipendentemente dal tipo di barche scelte. Il problema è: quale barca serve per la prossima Coppa? Ecco perchè abbiamo coinvolto nel dibattito i sostenitori di entrambe le bandiere”.

Date chiave della 34ma America’s Cup:
Pubblicazione Protocollo, 31 agosto 2010;
Regole di classe, 30 settembre;
Località e anno, 31 dicembre;
Periodo di presentazione delle sfide, 1 ottobre – 31 gennaio 2011.

AMERICA’S CUP, TALKING ABOUT THE 34TH EDITION
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing, came to Cowes, birthplace of the America’s Cup, to update potential teams about plans for the 34th America’s Cup, scheduled for 2013 or 2014.

He met skippers, sponsors and team owners competing in the Extreme Sailing Series for 40-foot catamarans.

“Since winning the 33rd America’s Cup in February we have had ongoing dialogue with interested parties,” commented Coutts.

Independent rule writers are currently simultaneously creating a new class of monohull and multihull boats. Though different in type, the two concepts share common characteristics: high speed and capability across the wind range; 22 meters overall length; logistical simplicity; and designed from the outset to incorporate innovative camera, audio and data systems to generate the best-ever television of America’s Cup racing.

Coutts’ briefing to the multihull meeting was warmly welcomed. “The multihull sailors, designers and team owners have a voice in this debate. So do the commercial partners and the venue candidates. And so does television. That’s why we are talking and listening,” he added.

Asked if the monohull or multihull choice would affect the number of teams in the next Cup, Coutts said, “I think there are solid potential teams who are intent on excelling no matter what type of boat is raced. The question is which choice will result in the best America’s Cup? That is why we are holding these workshops with both monohull and multihull stakeholders.”

Key dates:
Protocol rule: published by August 31;
Design rules: published by September 30;
Venue & Year: confirmed by December 31;
Challenges accepted: October 1 – January 31, 2011.

America’s Cup – Valencia – Sulla scia dei TV trials conclusosi da pochi giorni, il Golden Gate Yacht Club ha annunciato di aver messo online un nuovo sito internet – www.acmediaevaluation.com – contenente tutte le clip girate nel corso del week end.

I TV trials sono stati organizzati per esaminare ogni possibile aspetto delle regate in ambito America’s Cup, incluso il tipo di imbarcazioni (multiscafo o monoscafo), il format dell’evento, il tipo di percorso e, altrettanto importante, le modalità migliori per lo streaming video, tanto online quanto nel broadcasting.

“Abbiamo promosso la messa online di questo sito perchè abbiamo generato tantissimo materiale che non poteva essere raccolto in un semplice highlights – ha spiegato Russell Coutts, CEO di BMW Oracle Racing – Valuteremo con grande interesse i commenti che i velisti e non posteranno in risposta al nostro materiale”.

Altri due trials sono stati programmati: uno per il mese prossimo e uno per autunno.

AMERICA’S CUP, MEDIA TRIALS WEBSITE LAUNCHED
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] Following on the heels of Sunday’s conclusion of four days of highly successful America’s Cup media trials, a new web site has been launched – www.acmediaevaluation.com – where all the clips have been posted and comments are welcome.

The media trials were geared to examine every aspect of America’s Cup racing, including the type of boat (monohull or multihull), the format of the racecourse (upwind, downwind and start sequences) and, importantly, the video output for broadcast and online viewing.

“We launched this site because we generated so much material that we needed to consolidate edited highlights in one place,” said BMW Oracle Racing CEO Russell Coutts. “We welcome sailors and non-sailors alike to offer comments and feedback.”

More than 150 hours of video requiring 10 terabytes of memory was captured in the trials, which used a pair of BMW Oracle Racing’s RC 44 high-performance monohulls and Extreme 40 catamarans.

Another two rounds of trials are planned for next month and later in the fall, where additional layers of features will be included.

Next month, positioning, performance and biometric data will be experimented with during the 1851 Cup in Cowes, England, followed by proof of concept technology trials in October.

The trials are necessary because many of the cameras, microphones and data systems will have to be custom designed and built, employing specialized housings and mounts.

Foto courtesy Gill Martin Raget.

America’s Cup – Valencia – Vento di mare teso per l’ultimo giorno dedicato dal Golden Gate Yacht Club ai TV trials in vista della prossima edizione dell’America’s Cup. Al tirar delle somme, secondo gli 0rganizzatori, l’evento è stato utilissimo perchè ha permesso di testare soluzioni per far interagire vela e televisione mai provate prima.

Gli organizzatori hanno provato di tutto, finanche diversificare la percentuale di bolina e poppa da coprire nel corso di una regata, sbilanciandola talvolta a favore della prima, talvolta a favore della seconda.

“Non posso far altro che ritenere questi trials un grande successo – ha commentato il CEO di BMW Oracle Racing, Russell Coutts – Riproporremo la stessa serie di test tra qualche settimana, ma già in occasione di queste prime uscite abbiamo trovato alcune soluzioni che paiono essere molto funzionali. Bisognerà lavorare su alcuni particolari”.

Su tutte, a togliere il fiato sono state le immagini riprese da testa d’albero con una telecamera HD e audio in surround.

Nel corso della settimana che si sta concludendo i team impegnati nelle acque di Valencia si sono dati battaglia con una coppia di RC44 e una di Extreme 40.

Sommando la dichiarazione di Coutts al programma di regate del team statunitense è facile ipotizzare che i prossimi evaluation trials si svolgeranno a Cowes in occasione della riedizione della storica regata attorno all’Isola di Wight che vedrà impegnati Team Origin e BMW Oracle Racing.

AMERICA’S CUP, EVALUATION TRIALS: FINAL DAY
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] A strong sea breeze on the final day of the America’s Cup television trials concluded what has widely been regarded as a highly successful evaluation.

Over the past four days two high-performance monohulls and multihulls have been loaded with a plethora of cameras and microphones and put through match racing maneuvers to help find new camera angles and test surround sound format.

Racecourses were also modified by changing the percentages of upwind and downwind work to see if it helped keep the yachts engaged at close quarters.

“I’d have to rate the trials an unqualified success,” said BMW Oracle Racing CEO Russell Coutts. “We plan to do this again in the coming weeks and months, but I think we found some things that work that we’d like to explore again down the road.”

One camera angle that got people’s attention was at the top of the mast looking down on the yacht. In HD format, the picture jumped off the screen with clarity and crispness. Those angles combined with the surround sound format helped create an immersive experience.

The trials were also used to test monohulls versus multihulls and the excitement they lend to television. A new yacht design is being created for the 34th America’s Cup, and concept papers have been issued to rule writers to create a monohull and multihull design.

The monohulls were the focus of the trials on Days 1 and 4, while the multihulls were featured on Days 2 and 3. Each design was sailed in light to strong winds during its time on the water.

Next month, positioning and performance data will be experimented with during the 1851 Cup in Cowes, England. The regatta features BMW Oracle Racing and Team Origin of the U.K. in a series of match races aboard V5 America’s Cup Class sloops off the Isle of Wight.

“We have a long way to go still, but we’re very upbeat about this process,” said Coutts. “We really want to transform the next Cup to make it appealing and enthralling for television, and we feel we’re heading down that path.”

Daily rushes from the trials can be viewed on the 34th America’s Cup YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/34thac. Viewers are encouraged to post comments on the America’s Cup blog site at www.americascup.com/blogpage.

Video courtesy 34th America’s Cup.

America’s Cup – Valencia – Si è da poco conclusa la prima giornata dei TV trials organizzati da BMW Oracle Racing con l’obiettivo di rendere la Coppa America più appetibile dal punto di vista televisivo. Purtroppo per gli organizzatori il vento ha latitato: sullo specchio acqueo antistante la città spagnola la brezza non ha mai superato i dieci nodi e il mare è stato pressoché piatto.

Un’iniziativa che ha visto impegnati due RC44, timonati da James Spithill e Russell Coutts, e una schiera di cameraman che hanno raccolto il girato di sedici telecamere, incluso quando registrato da una telecamera 3D montata su un elicottero. Più di sessanta ore di incroci e passaggi ravvicinati sono finiti in archivio e verranno lavorati nel corso delle prossime ore per trarne il meglio e renderlo disponibile sul sito della 34ma America’s Cup.

I momenti più intensi si sono vissuti quando il Comitato di Regata ha deciso di ridurre il box di partenza a un quadrato di cinque lunghezze per lato, obbligando gli equipaggi a non uscire dallo stesso.

“Sono contento perchè abbiamo soddisfatto tutti gli obiettivi che ci eravamo posti a inizio giornata: raccogliere immagini da un elevato numero di angolazioni da utilizzare per compararlo con quello che gireremo nel corso del weekend, quando in acqua avremo gli Extreme 40 e proveremo campi di regata alternativi”.

AMERICA’S CUP, TELEVISION TRIALS START TODAY OFF VALENCIA
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] The America’s Cup television evaluation trials began today with a pair of RC44 high-performance monohulls put through the rigors of match-race maneuvers under the watchful eyes of HD and 3D cameras.

With 16 cameras shooting over four-plus hours of sailing, more than 60 hours of video were captured today as Russell Coutts and James Spithill of BMW Oracle Racing threw their boats through a series of close-proximity maneuvers.

Three onboard cameramen (two on one boat) augmented the fixed and remote control cameras, and upwards of 25 microphones, including surround-sound microphones,
captured the crews’ voices and ambient noise.

“I thought we certainly achieved what we set out at the beginning of the day, which was to get baseline viewing angles for comparison later in the weekend when we try to alter the racecourse and carry out similar exercises in X40 multihulls – said Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing – This evaluation process is all about testing new ideas, and we did that”.

The wind blew between 6 and 10 knots on a flat Mediterranean Sea, and the two crews went through match racing procedures. Specifically, multiple practice starts followed by
a few complete races.

There were also moments when the two crews were pressed up against the breakwater to King Juan Carlos Harbor in downwind jibing duels, with one boat trying to escape the other’s clutches.

The action became intense when the start box was limited to five boatlengths in width and depth. Required to stay inside the box, the two crews circled around each other for three minutes before breaking off to head to the start line.

The entrance of a helicopter with gyro-stabilized 3D camera was one example of the latest technologies being evaluated. The chopper blew hats off heads and soaked observers when it was just 50 feet off the water, trying to get a tight viewing angle.

Rushes from today’s action will be available to view on the blog of the official America’s Cup web site, www.americascup.com. There will be a section where viewers can post feedback and comments.

America’s Cup – Valencia – Le “prove tecniche di trasmissione” in vista della 34ma America’s Cup inizieranno domani a Valencia. Un piccolo esercito di tecnici tenterà di capire come rendere la prossima edizione della Coppa altamente spettacolare dal punto di vista televisivo.

“Dobbiamo capire cosa funziona per fare audience a livello televisivo e quale formato utilizzare per conquistare il pubblico” ha spiegato il CEO di BMW Oracle Racing, Russell Coutts.

Saranno più di trenta tra produttori, registi, ingegneri, editor e cameraman a tentare esperimenti con telecamere in alta definizione e 3D. Alcune saranno utilizzate da tecnici direttamente a bordo delle barche, altre posizionate in postazioni fisse, come i pulpiti di poppa o i bompressi. Ogni unità sarà poi equipaggiata con almeno otto microfoni che registreranno l’audio in Dolby 5.1.

I test inizieranno domani con una coppia di RC44 e la presenza a bordo dello skipper di USA, James Spithill. A partire da venerdì, invece, in acqua ci saranno due catamarani Extreme 40, portati dal due volte oro olimpico Roman Hagara e da Murray Jones.

AMERICA’S CUP, TV TRIALS STARTS TOMORROW
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] The America’s Cup television evaluation kicks off tomorrow with a small army on hand to carry out a water-borne lab experiment the likes of which the “Auld Mug” has never seen.

The trials are geared specifically to examine every aspect of Cup racing including the type of boat (monohull or multihull) the format of the racecourse (upwind, downwind or reaching starts) and, importantly, the video output for television.

“We must make sure the television is right for the audience, and the race format is right for television,” commented Russell Coutts, CEO of the America’s Cup-winning team BMW Oracle Racing.

With regards to television, more than 30 people including producers, directors, engineers, editors and cameramen are on hand. They’ll be experimenting with HD and 3D video formats, and have 11 cameras to use. Some will be hand held by on board cameramen while others will be fixed in certain locations on the boats, such as the stern scoop or bowsprit.

Each boat will also be equipped with at least eight microphones to capture sound, including a microphone that records in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

“This is an exciting project. It’s cutting edge stuff,” said producer Cliff Webb, producing the trials under the direction of Denis Harvey. “It gives us a chance to experiment with things that have never been tried before. I don’t think a 3D camera has ever been used in a yacht race.”

The trials begin midday tomorrow with the two RC44 high-performance monohulls taking to the water. BMW Oracle Racing Team skipper James Spithill will guide Boat 17.

The trials continue Friday with the two X40 catamarans. Guest helmsmen Roman Hagara of Austria and Murray Jones of New Zealand will lead those crews. Hagara is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the Tornado class and Jones raced multihulls extensively in the lead-up to the 33rd America’s Cup Match.

One of the goals in the trials is to determine where to mount fixed cameras on the yachts that will be used in the 34th America’s Cup. Event organizers want to install the cameras while the yachts are in construction, rather than mount them just before racing.

“We may not re-create the wheel, but if we can find a better camera angle or view that makes the action more compelling, then we’ve uncovered something,” said Harvey, the BMW Oracle Racing television consultant.

The output of the trials will not be a finished program, but rather a matrix of angles, views and sounds used for evaluation, with up to 30 hours material recorded on each of the four days.

Daily rushes will be available to view on the blog of the official America’s Cup web site, www.americascup.com. There will be a section where viewers can post feedback and comments.

“We want sailing fans, sports fans or those just getting interested for the first time to join the debate,” said Coutts.

America’s Cup – Valencia – E venne il giorno degli esperimenti. Mentre il mondo dell’America’s Cup cerca di capire quale barca darsi per il futuro – un monoscafo di 72 piedi o un multiscafo di 70? – a Valencia, il Golden Gate Yacht Club ha indetto quattro giorni di trials per capire come rendere più avvincente la trasmissione delle regate in televisione e per toccare con mano la portata di alcune modifiche regolamentari già ampiamente pubblicizzate, come la riduzione del numero dei membri di equipaggio (da diciassette a dodici-tredici).

Tra il 22 e il 25 luglio, infatti, la città spagnola accoglierà una reunion di personaggi altamente specializzati nel mondo del broadcasting, dei media di ultima generazione e delle compagnie di telecomunicazione. Figure di alto profilo provenienti da tutta Europa e dagli Stati Uniti che dovrebbero dare suggerimenti su come fare della vela uno show meritevole della ribalta televisiva.

“Stiamo testando concetti molto differenti – spiega a tal proposito Russell Coutts, CEO di BMW Oracle Racing – Fare il primo bordo di poppa anzichè di bolina potrebbe essere meglio? L’uno contro uno sarà possibile con i multiscafi? Ci sono percorsi alternativi che potrebbero avere un miglior appeal televisivo?”

I trials saranno condotti con due Extreme 40 e due RC44. A portare i catamarani saranno chiamati il campione austriaco Roman Hagara, vincitore di due ori olimpici in Tornado, e l’ex di Alinghi Murray Jones, mentre sugli RC44 si alterneranno più velisti, tra questi lo skipper di USA, James Spithill.

Telecamere 3D e HD saranno montante a bordo delle imbarcazioni che saranno impegnate in regate con partenze di bolina e alle portanti.

AMERICA’S CUP, ORGANIZER PLANS LAB EXPERIMENT OFF VALENCIA
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] With a view towards helping determine if a monohull or multihull is better suited for America’s Cup racing, event planners have scheduled four days of trials here to develop methods for making the racing more enthralling for fans, more challenging for crews and better portrayed on television screens around the world.

Concept papers for a new monohull and multihull design were issued on July 2 to independent rule writers in the United Kingdom and U.S.

The trials, July 22-25, will help confirm certain parameters of the new yacht, including reduced crew numbers to place a premium on boathandling.

Not only will the format of racing and type of boat come under scrutiny, but also television production. The America’s Cup Media Evaluation Team has solicited opinions from a wide array of broadcasters, digital media and technology companies in Europe and the U.S. on how to make the racing more dramatic on-line, on-screen and on TV.

Accepted standards of Cup racing are being challenged in the trials and no thought will be ignored in the quest to create the most compelling television production and delivering it to the widest-ever audience.

“We are testing many different concepts,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing. “Would making the first leg downwind instead of upwind be better? Can you have exciting boat-on-boat action with multihulls? Are there alternative race course formats which might provide more overtaking opportunities?”.

The trials will be conducted with two pairs of X40 catamarans and RC44 sloops. 3D and HD cameras will be experimented with to see if the onboard action is more dramatically portrayed, and the race format testing will include downwind and reaching starts.

Guest helmsmen such as Roman Hagara of Austria and Murray Jones of New Zealand will lead the crews aboard the X40s. Hagara is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the Tornado class and Jones raced multihulls extensively in the lead-up to the 33rd America’s Cup Match.

Multihulls have been paired in the America’s Cup only once before, during the 33rd Match last February. And while there were some exciting moments, such as stalls on the start line and port-starboard crossings at the windward mark, the jury remains hung on whether or not multihulls can mix it up in close proximity to each other or whether they offer the boat behind more opportunities to pass.

A pair of RC44s will provide the high-performance monohull baseline for the trials. James Spithill, the youngest ever America’s Cup winning skipper will be at the helm of one of the two yachts. They will race short-handed, eight-person crews to see if that adds a level of drama to boathandling that would be compelling for television.

“Only by reviewing the accepted wisdom can we decide if there are smarter ways to challenge crews and excite fans,” Coutts said.

America’s Cup – Londra – Team Origin ha annunciato recentemente che il dialogo con lo studio del designer argentino Juan Koujoumdjian, progettista tra gli altri dei VOR 70 dominatori delle ultime edizione della Volvo Ocean Race, si è interrotto.

Grant Simmer, che è stato nominato CEO del team di Sir Keith Mills lo scorso giugno dopo aver speso dieci anni in Alinghi ricoprendo ruoli di responsabilità incluso quello di coordinatore del design team, ha intrapreso un riesame delle opzioni di progettazione del sindacato britannico.

Il motivo di tale decisione è da ricondurre alla differenza di approccio verso la nuova box rule dell’America’s Cup Class che sarà presto annunciata.

Le settimane di colloqui tra il CEO di Team Origin e i responsabili della Juan Yacht Design non hanno portato a nessun risultato concreto e così il team britannico ha deciso di guardare altrove.

AMERICA’S CUP, TEAM ORIGIN DECIDE NOT TO WORK WITH JUAN KOUJOUMDJIAN
[Source Team Origin] Team Origin today announced that discussions with JYD for the 34th America’s Cup are not progressing.

Grant Simmer, who joined Team Origin in June after ten years with Alinghi in various senior roles, including design coordinator, has been undertaking a review of the team’s design options.

Simmer holds a strong view that with a new design rule soon to be announced, teams need to be in a position to be able to build their design capabilities to reflect the new rule.

As preparations for the next America’s Cup gather momentum, several weeks of discussions have taken place between Team Origin and JYD.

Last week however, Team Origin decided to take an alternative approach than the one offered by JYD and, as a result, terminated discussions with JYD.

America’s Cup – San Francisco – Grazie a una candidatura forte e ben definita, San Francisco è rimasta l’unica città statunitense in gara per ospitare la prossima edizione dell’America’s Cup. La città, ricordiamo, è sede del Golden gate Yacht Club, yacht club defender della Coppa America.

La 34ma edizione della regata per eccellenza si svolgerà nel 2013 o nel 2014 a seconda dei tempi necessari per approntare  nella città scelta come sede della manifestazione, le infrastrutture necessarie.

“Il nostro team è convinto che San Francisco e la sua baia abbiano il potenziale per offrire ed ospitare una Coppa America indimenticabile – ha commentato Russell Coutts, CEO di BMW Oracle Racing – Il nostro armatore, Larry Ellison, ha definito la baia un fantastico anfiteatro naturale”.

L’essere l’unica città statunitense candidata ad ospitare le regate della prossima America’s Cup darà modo all’amministrazione locale di lavorare seriamente sui piani necessari per preparare le infrastrutture, cercando di nazionalizzare lo sforzo grazie alla collaborazione dello Stato della California e il governo centrale.

Il sindaco di San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, ha dichiarato: “Siamo onorati di guidare gli sforzi della nazione verso l’organizzazione di un evento come la Coppa America. Larry Ellison ha una visione rivoluzionara e innovativa della manifestazione e noi siamo motivati a realizzarla, creando un qualcosa che sia coast-to-coast”.

La decisione finale sarà presa entro la fine dell’anno.

AMERICA’S CUP, SAN FRANCISCO SOLE UNITED STATES CANDIDATE
[Golden Gate Yacht Club Press Release] San Francisco has put forward a strong, wellrounded venue proposal, and is now the only city in the USA under consideration to host the 34th America’s Cup match. The city is home to the Golden Gate Yacht Club, whose team BMW Oracle Racing, won the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain on 14 February.

The 34th America’s Cup is scheduled for 2013 or 2014, the year to be determined by infrastructure development lead-times.

“Our team has said from the outset that San Francisco and the Bay Area have the potential to provide a superb stage on which to host a memorable America’s Cup,” commented Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing. “Our team owner, Larry Ellison, has called the Bay ‘a fantastic natural amphitheatre’.”

In being granted status as the sole venue candidate in the USA, San Francisco can forge ahead with plans to provide the necessary facilities for the America’s Cup along the City’s waterfront, south of the Bay Bridge. It also now allows San Francisco to “nationalize” their efforts and to seek support from the State of California and the federal government in Washington, D.C.

Under the Cup’s governing rules, the Deed of Gift written in 1852, the winner and hence Defender for the next Match chooses the venue.

San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom said, “We are very honored to lead a national effort to host the 34th America’s Cup. Larry Ellison has a transformative vision for hosting the Cup on San Francisco Bay, and we are prepared to leverage the nation’s support to make this a coast-to-coast campaign and to realize that vision.”

Other US cities have been excited by the prospect of hosting the America’s Cup match, notably Newport, Rhode Island where Cup racing was held from 1930 through 1983, San Diego, California which hosted Cup defenses in 1988, 1992 and 1995, and Long Beach, California, site of the 1984 Olympic yachting regatta and the annual Congressional Cup.

Coutts said, “We are extremely grateful to the other American candidates. Their disappointment is understandable as each would have been a great host city in its own right. And we appreciate their offers of support to San Francisco going forward.”

Strong expressions of interest from four European countries are also being studied by the American Defender. Golden Gate Yacht Club/BMW Oracle Racing will announce a final decision on the venue, along with the date and other details of the next America’s Cup by the end of this year. The America’s Cup has been defended only twice outside of the holder’s home waters in its 159 year history – at Valencia, Spain in 2007 and 2010. The City of San Francisco will be making its own announcement today.

America’s Cup – Valencia – Le autorità nazionali statunitensi e brutanniche in fatto di rating sono state incaricate di scrivere la bozza del regolamento della prossima America’s Cup Class. Nello scegliere la US Sailing e il Royal Ocean Racing Club, BMW Oracle Racing ha assicurato la neutralità e l’indipendenza del processo. Nello specifico, la US Sailing si occuperà tramite Pete Melvin di stilare le regole del multiscafo, mentre il RORC affiderà a Nick Nicholson e James Dadd quelle del monoscafo dotato di canting-keel.

“Abbiamo sempre affermato che la nuova classe sarebbe stata per l’intera comunità dell’America’s Cup. E’ vvio quindi che si debba andare verso una classe definita da regole indipendenti, non verso una classe del defender – ha spiegato il coordinatore dei progettisti di BMW Oracle Racing, Ian Burns – L’intera comunità ci ha fornito importanti feedback e la bozza del regolamento rifletterà tali indicazioni”. In tale ottica, tanto la US Sailing quanto il RORC invieranno contemporaneamente copia delle bozze ai team iscritti alla prossima edizione della Coppa America in modo da permettere a tutti di lavorare sulla base degli stessi documenti.

“Sarebbe ad oggi prematuro parlare oggi di monoscafo o multiscafo – ha aggiunto il CEO del team, Russell Coutts – Quale tipo di barca sia migliore per le regate e per l’impatto sui media lo decideremo nei prossimi mesi”.

Le uniche cose che è dato sapere è che le barche dovranno garantire ottime performance e scongiurare il più possibile il rinvio delle regate a causa del vento troppo leggero. Inoltre, su richiesta dei team preoccupati dai costi troppi elevati, le barche saranno lunghe 22 metri, contro i 26 originariamente previsti. Un motore potrà essere utilizzato per basculare la chiglia dei monoscafi e muovere le appendici dei multiscafi. I redattori delle regole dovranno individuare dei motori a basse emissioni e, di conseguenza, a basso impatto ambientale. Altre misure atte a contenere i costi sono le limitazioni imposte al numero di scafi, alberi, appendici e vele che ogni team potrà realizzare nel corso della prossima campagna.

Per garantire una competizione equilibrata e barche dalle prestazioni simili, le regole di classe saranno piuttosto blindate: in pratica, l’obiettivo dei legislatori, è quello di creare una sorta di box rule.

Le regole di classe saranno pronte per la fine di settembre.

Monoscafi e multiscafi
- high-performance e regate combattute
- capaci di regatare con ampio range di condizioni
- semplicità di trsporto
- lunghezza fuori tutto limitata a 22 metri

Monoscafi
- velocità di bolina pari a 1.0 x
- velocità in poppa pari a 1.4 x
- ristretto range relativo al dislocamento
- prue intercambiabili e timoni gemelli ammessi
- bompresso
- superficie del gennaker illimitata
- 13 uomini di equipaggio

Multihull
- velocità di bolina pari a 1.2 x
- velocità in poppa pari a 1.6 x
- dislocamento compreso tra i 4000 e i 4200kg
- fino a quattro appendici mobili
- vele alari consentite
- semplicità di smontaggio e rimontaggio dell’intera imbarcazione
- 12 uomini di equipaggio

AMERICA’S CUP, NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE YACHTS FOR 34TH AMERICA’S CUP
[BMW Oracle Racing Press Release] Rating rule authorities in America and Britain have been commissioned to draft the rules for the next generation of America’s Cup yacht.

In asking US Sailing and the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Seahorse Rating affiliate to write the rules, BMW Oracle Racing and Golden Gate Yacht Club, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup last February, has ensured the process is neutral and independent.

“We’ve always said that the new design will be for the America’s Cup community. The result with be a ‘non-partisan yacht’ rather than a ‘defender’s yacht’,” said Ian Burns, Design Coordinator for BMW Oracle Racing. “A great deal of input was sought from the America’s Cup community and the concept briefs given to the rule writers reflect that feedback.”

In a twin-track process, US Sailing will author a multihull rule and the RORC’s Seahorse Rating a canting-keel monohull rule.

“It would be premature to rule either a monohull or multihull in and the other out at this stage,” commented Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing. “Which type of boat is best for racing and media impact is one of many evaluations we will be testing over the coming months.”

The choice between monohull and multihull will be made after the conclusion of these trials, the first round of which is scheduled for Valencia in late July.

“Either option will provide high performance, exciting viewing and challenges to design, build and sailing teams,” commented Burns.

Versatile performance in light and strong winds is considered essential to minimize delayed or postponed racing. In response to feedback from potential teams, the original concepts for both types have been scaled back from 26m (82 feet) LOA to 22m (72 feet) for tangible cost reduction. An engine will be used to cant the keel on the monohull and move appendages on the multihull. The rule authors have been tasked to specify an environmentally friendly, smart, low-emission engine or power-pack.

“This offers a great opportunity for the America’s Cup community to take a leading role in this increasingly applied technology,” said Burns. “But there will be no powerassistance for crews to trim or hoist sails. Both the monohull and multihull will be very athletic boats to race hard.”

To ensure fairness, all teams will simultaneously receive updates and information from the authors with regards to progress. The briefs to the rule authors outline parameters for both types of boat to give base-line dimensions.

This ‘box rule’ method should ensure boats designed by different teams are similar in style to guarantee the close racing the America’s Cup thrives on. Otherwise, the instructions to the rule writers are deliberately open to afford them full creative freedom.

Seahorse Rating has asked Nick Nicholson and James Dadd, with their wide experience of previous America’s Cup class rules, to lead the monohull development.

The multihull rule is under the purview of multihull designer Pete Melvin, a two-time A Class catamaran world champion, and US Sailing.

Other cost-cutting measures include limitations on the number of hulls, masts, appendages and sails a team can build. And the reduced crew size will mean fewer personnel.

“These boat concepts are all about similar performance between competing yachts throughout the wind range,” said Burns. “Unique configurations are the expensive part of the America’s Cup. We don’t want a light-air boat taking on a heavy-air boat. The rule should ensure close racing while being able to sail in a wide range of conditions.”

Rule writing is the seventh stage in an exhaustive process. The objective is to publish the new America’s Cup Class Rule by the end of September.

The Concept Paper for each design is available at www.americascup.com.

Monohull & Multihull
- high-performance and close racing
- light to strong wind range capability
- ease of shipping & transportation
- 22 mt max overall length

Monohull
- 1.0 x wind speed upwind performance
- 1.4 x wind speed downwind performance
- narrow displacement range
- combination of bow and twin rudders allowed
- bowsprit
- unlimited gennaker area
- 13 crew

Multihull
- 1.2 x wind speed upwind performance
- 1.6 x wind speed downwind performance
- displacement 4000-4200kg- up to four moveable appendages
- wing sails permitted
- demountable assembly
- 12 crew

America’s Cup – Washington – BMW Oracle Racing ha celebrato la vittoria dell’America’s Cup niente meno che alla Casa Bianca, dove ad accogliere la delegazione del team statunitense è stato il presidente degli Stati Uniti, Barack Obama.

La Coppa era già stata alla Casa Bianca nel 1987, quando l’allora presidente Ronald Regan ricevette Dennis Conner di ritorno dalla vittoriosa edizione disputata a Perth.

L’incontro con Obama ha segnato l’inizio del Victory Tour lungo la costa est del nord America. Oggi, infatti, James Spithill, dopo aver preso parte all’Early Show della CBS, ha avuto l’onore di suonare la campanella che ha dato inizio alle contrattazioni del NASDAQ.

Domani la Coppa, fresca di restauro (come si può vedere nel video postato qui sotto) sarà a Newport nel Rhode Island, dove verrà esposta al pubblico tra gli stand del Sail Newport e verrà mostrata ai giovani velisti a Fort Adams.

Video courtesy BMW Oracle Racing.

AMERICA’S CUP, BMW ORACLE RACING CELEBRATES THE WIN AT THE WHITE HOUSE
[BMW Oracle Racing Press Release] The BMW Oracle Racing team celebrated their historic America’s Cup win at the White House with President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Led by team owner Larry Ellison and representing San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, BMW Oracle Racing won the America’s Cup in February – the first time an American team has won the Cup in 18 years.

“We are enormously proud to bring the America’s Cup back to the United States after a very long absence,” Ellison said. “This team represents what can be achieved when talented people pursue their dreams with a single-minded sense of purpose. The America’s Cup is the pinnacle of every sailor’s ambition; now that we’ve won, we will focus equally hard on successfully defending the oldest trophy in international sport.”

The America’s Cup represents one of the most demanding sporting and technological achievements in the world. The oldest trophy in international sport, it has been contested 33 times, and held by just six yacht clubs over its 159-year history.

Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing team is an international line-up of the best sailing, design, engineering and boatbuilding talent in the world. With 150 people from 17 nations, the team built an innovative 90-foot trimaran, powered by a towering wing sail – the largest wing of any type ever constructed – to prevail 2-0 over the Swiss defender, Alinghi in a match off Valencia, Spain in February.

The trimaran, USA-17, was a reflection of the American tradition of innovation and cutting-edge technology. USA-17 is the fastest and most technologically advanced Cup boat in history and, like several of Ellison’s previous America’s Cup boats, USA-17 was built in Anacortes, WA. The sailing team then spent over one year testing and refining the design at its training base in San Diego, CA.

The America’s Cup has been to the White House on one other occasion – President Reagan welcomed the iconic Cup skipper Dennis Conner to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue after his American team won the trophy back from Australia in 1987.

The visit to the White House marked the beginning of an East Coast tour for the BMW Oracle Racing team and the America’s Cup.

On Wednesday, the team made an appearance on ‘The Early Show’ on CBS in New York City, before skipper Jimmy Spithill rang the opening bell of the NASDAQ exchange.

The tour continues on Thursday in Newport, Rhode Island, where the Cup will be on public display and the team will be featured at a Sail Newport luncheon and a special presentation for junior sailors at Fort Adams.

America’s Cup – Punta Ala – Appare ormai certo: Luna Rossa non sarà tra i protagonisti della 34ma America’s Cup. Le voci che da alcuni giorni rimbalzavano lungo le banchine hanno trovato conferma da parte dell’ufficio stampa del team di Patrizio Bertelli.

Davvero una doccia fredda per tutti quei supporter che, visto l’ingresso di Luna Rossa nel circuito del Louis Vuitton Trophy, erano tornati a sperare nel ritorno alla piena attività del challenger italiano. Ricordiamo inoltre che, dopo aver dedicato la stagione 2009 allo sviluppo di un nuovissimo STP 65, il team italiano è attualmente impegnato nell’Audi MedCup a bordo di un TP52 charterizzato ed è ancora proprietario della base utilizzata nel corso della Coppa America del 2007 e di due ACC Versione 5, ITA-86 e ITA-94.

A meno di improvvisi ripensamenti esce così di scena uno dei team che ha fatto la storia delle ultime tre edizioni della Coppa America. Guidata da Francesco de Angelis e Torben Grael, Luna Rossa ha vinto infatti la Louis Vuitton Cup nel 2000 contro America One ed è arrivato nuovamente in finale delle Challenger Selection Series nel 2007 – al timone James Spithill – dopo una poco convincente partecipazione alla Coppa del 2003.

AMERICA’S CUP, LUNA ROSSA WILL NOT ENTER THE NEXT EDITION
America’s Cup – Punta Ala – It seems almost certain: Luna Rossa will not be among the protagonists of the 34th America’s Cup. The news is confirmed by the press office of the italian team.

Less than sudden changes of mind comes out of the stage one of the team that made the history of the last three editions of the America’s Cup. Led by Francesco de Angelis and Torben Grael, Luna Rossa won the Louis Vuitton Cup 2000 against America One and reached the final again in the last Luis Vuitton Cup with James Spithill at the helm, after an unconvincing participation to the America’s Cup campaign in 2003 .

America’s Cup – Venezia – Un account Twitter (Venezia_34AC) attivato da poco, un sito internet a regime minimo (www.veneziachallenge.com), un marchio registrato presso la Camera di Commercio di Milano su richiesta dell’avvocato Emanuala Pulcino, socio dell’imprenditore lombardo Carlo Magna. Questo per ora è Venezia Challenge, progetto allo stato embrionale che ha in animo di svilupparsi, aggregando sponsor e imprese, sino a raggiungere lo status di sfidante ufficiale della prossima America’s Cup.

“Riteniamo la bozza del protocollo sostanzialmente positiva – ha affermato Carlo Magna all’ADN Kronos – anche se la richiesta di iscrizione di 1.5 milioni di Dollari e i 3 milioni di fondi garantiti non ci sembrano coerenti con quanto dichiarato dal defender sulle misure di contenimento dei costi. Comprendiamo, e apprezziamo, che l’obiettivo del defender sia quello di selezionare challengers di elevato livello tecnico, ma c’e’ il rischio che questa scelta limiti la partecipazione solo ad armatori molto ‘liquidi’ e scoraggi progetti emergenti, come Venezia Challenge che nascono con l’intento di aggregare piu’ aziende”.

“Apprendiamo comunque con piacere – ha concluso Magna – che c’e’ sensibilita’ per la misurazione di redditivita’ per gli sponsor e i partner, cosi’ come la scelta di un’autorita’ organizzatrice indipendente, di management neutrale e di poteri della Giuria indipendente”.

AMERICA’S CUP, TALKING ABOUT VENICE CHALLENGE
America’s Cup – Venice – Maybe a new challege for the America’s Cup is going to be born in Venice. The brand name Venezia Challenge was filed by lawyer Emanuela Pulcino at the Chamber of Commerce of Milan under the number of MI2010C006587. The application refers to categories 25 (clothing, footwear, headgear) and 12 (vehicles, apparatus for locomotion by land air or water).

“We believe that the draft protocol is essentially positive – states businessman Carlo Magna – although we consider that the US$ 1.5 million inscription fee and US$ 3 million bank guarantee do not seem consistent with what has been previously stated by the defender on cost containment measures. We understand, and appreciate, that the objective of the defender is to select challengers with a high technical level, but there is a risk that this choice limits the participation only to very ‘liquid’ owners and discourages emerging projects, such as Venezia Challenge, that come with the intention of having more companies joining the project”.

“We learn with pleasure, though – continues Magna – that there is a sensitivity towards the return on investment for the sponsors and partners, as well as the choice of an organizing independent authority (called America’s Cup Race Management, ACRM), neutral management (the Regatta Director will be designated and appointed by the WSTA) and the powers of the independent Jury”.