Bottom beats top, China Team record an historic win

China team who were the only team not to have won so far, put things right with a win this afternoon against the mighty BMW Oracle Team. With by far the biggest budget (+CHF200 million) this should not happen, but with sail problems added to a great start by the China Team it just shows that the no hopers can have hope.

Round Robin 2 is underway with record crowds

The day set aside for the teams to update their boats was cancelled due to the overunning of the 1st round, so it is straight back to action. With only one race per team per day scheduled, Round Robin 2 will give the race comittee the possibility to set longer race courses which will give the teams new challenges and possibilities to demonstrate their tactical abilities. This weekend has seen over 116'000 visitors to Port America's Cup and with the Spanish team Desafio Espanol doing well (they beat BMW oracle Racing on Saturday) things are looking good for the next two months racing.

Spanish team shock the favourites with a fantastic win

Desafio Espanol beat BMW Oracle Racing this afternoon to breath a breath of fresh air into an event that was starting to become predictable. We are now at the end of Round Robin 1 (all the challengers have raced against each other once) so what have we learn. No boat has enough speed to recover from bad sailing in these light winds. The big three, BMW Oracle Racing, Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand are topping the rankings as expected but the New Zealanders are not looking as good as their form in the Acts has shown, they have now been beaten three times. Further down the field (the battle for the 4th semi final place) could well go down to the wire with the home entry Desafio Espanol, Malscalzone Latino and Victory challenge all recording impressive wins. The South African Shosholoza team still believe in themselves but they will need to come into form very soon to climb up the rankings ladder.

Round robin 1 standings and points(after 11 flights)
BMW Oracle Racing 21
Luna Rossa Challenge 19
Emirates Team New Zealand 18
Desafío Español 2007 17
Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team 14
Victory Challenge 14
Team Shosholoza 12
Areva Challenge 9
+39 Challenge 6
United Internet Team Germany 3
China Team 1

Coffee break Info

Did you know that.
The boats each weigh 24 tonnes, with 95% of this weight being in the bulb (a lump of lead about 7m long fixed below the boat by a 3m long keel fin).

Luna Rossa beats Emirates Team New Zealand

This was a big test for Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand as both teams are both seen as possible Louis Vuitton Cup winners. In the best racing conditions so far (10 knot winds)the Italian team came out on top. After forcing the New Zealanders into a penalty in the prestart area, they managed to control the race winning by 48 seconds. BMW Oracle Racing a still looking very strong, being the only unbeaten team after 9 flights (sets of races). The local Desafio Espanol team are moving up the rankings after a further two wins. With the ex-world match racing champion Karol Jablonski doing an excellent job at the helm.

The favourites are taking command

Over the last three flights (races) BMW Oracle Racing as well as Emirates Team New Zealand have being showing their class each recording a string of wins. At the other end of the rankings The China Team are having problems, a cracking noise was heard and it looks like there is a problem where the keel connects to the bow, there are enormous forces involved when the boats are in action, so fingers crossed that its not too serious and we will soon see them back on the water.

Coffee break info

In Auckland 2000, 32 % of the Louis Vuitton Cup days were lost due to the unsuitable weather conditions. In Auckland 2003 this figure increased to 40 %

Four of the last six winners of the Louis Vuitton Cup have gone on to win the America's Cup

Lack of Wind very frustrating

A week into the Louis Vuitton Cup and we have only had 3 flights so far out of the 10 planned, Friday saw the first racing and the first surprise when Mascalzone Latino beat Emirates New Zealand. China Team proposed that racing could take place in lighter winds but the commision rejected this as it was felt the 7-23 Knt range would offer the fairest racing conditions. Since then nothing much of excitement has happened, we saw Shosholoza briefly lead against BMW Oracle Racing before logic prevailed then Arva Challenge from France beat Spanish boat Desafaio Espanol after the latter experienced some technical problems. Most of the gossip is about the possibility of having a keel that will swing about, helping stability and speed. The rules state that there can be no mechanical help to move the keel but the debate is open on if the natural forces of the water can be allowed to move it or not. The rest day has been cancelled which will irritate the teams as this was to give them a window where they could change and add bits to their boats, they will now only have 9 hours to make changes which will be risky.

America's Cup, become an expert in a few minutes

The 32 nd America’s Cup
What is the event:
A set of races (First to win 5 races wins the cup) between Swiss yacht Alinghi(The Defender) and a similar sailing yacht. (The Challenger,to be decided, it will be against the winner of the Louis Vuitton Challenge Cup). The races are over about 20kms and each race will take about 90 minutes.The races take place in the sea just off the coast at Valencia in Spain.

Four of the past six winners of the Louis Vuitton Cup have gone onto beat the Defender to claim the Cup
Where is the Cup taking place:
In the Mediterranean Sea just off the Spanish Coast (Valencia)

When:
From the 23rd June 2007 to early July (Louis Vuitton Cup from 16th Apr-12th June)

Racing:
The winner will be the 1st boat to win 5 races (best of 9 races) Each race will last about 90 minutes. Aprox 18 Nautical miles. The races will be over a number of days, usually 1 race per day,

Why Valencia:
“Alinghi” Swiss boat representing La Société Nautique of Geneva,(The Defender ) who won the Cup in 2003 had the right to decide when and where they would Defend the Cup.
What’s happening next (16-23 April ) Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins. Each of the 11 challengers will competer against each other in a match race.

Where are the 11 challenging teams from?
3 From Italy,
1 From USA,
1 From NZ
1 From Spain
1 From France
1 From Sweden
1 From South Africa
1 From Germany
1 From China

3 countries are competing for the 1st time
South Africa- Shosholoza
Germany- United Internet team Germany
China- Team China

Louis Vuitton Cup - Boats used
Several Teams will be using their second baots in the Round Robins fro 16th April
Desafaio Espanol
Emirates Team New Zealand
BMW Oracle Racing
Mascalzone Latino Capitale

Boats
· Each of the boats are in principal privately funded.
· The budgets range from CHF 20- 200 million per team for the project.
· All yachts had to be constructed in their home country
· The sailors can be from any Nationality
· There has been no transfer market of sailors between teams (against the rules)
· There are strict rules governing the dimensions of the yachts, very similar principal to F1 Motor racing.
· The Yachts make up the “American Cup Class”. Dimensions decided in 1992 and we now have the 5th revision.
· Rough dimension
1. 24 m long-
2. Mast 32 m high,
3. Weight 24 Tonnes
4. Crew 17
5. Only powered by wind (sails) and human power (winches to hoist the sails)

Sails.
· Main sail 215 m sqr
· Genoa sail 170 m sqr
· Spinnaker 520 m sqr

General Stuff
1. The worlds oldest sailing trophy called the “Auld Mug”
2. First competed for in 1851 when the schooner “America” which had sailed over from New York especially, beat 14 of the finest British yachts in a race around the island of Cowes (which is just off the South coast of England),
3. Over the last 150 years many of the world’s most wealthy business men have been battling for “The Auld Mug” A silver plated trophy built by Garrards the Jewlers in London.
4. Since then 23 captains have won the Cup.
5. With Alinghi winning the Cup in Aukland in March 2003 (this was the first time the Americas cup came to Europe in 152 years) they had the right to decide where and when this would happen
6. 12 Teams – 11 Challengers plus the Defender (Alinghi) will be competing for the Cup
7. Anyone who fulfilled the entry criteria could enter a yacht. ie stacks of cash and a commitment to race an accredited yacht in the Louis Vuitton cup during the build up in 2004,2005,and 2006.

Challengers
The challengers can be roughly grouped into 3 levels.
Top teams who have a good chance of winning the Cup, Huge budgets,top crews and very experienced teams
1. Emirates team New Zealand (Top of the rankings in the Louis Vuitton Cup )
2. BMW Oracle Team (backed by Oracle’s Larry Ellison)
3. Luna Rossa Team (backed by Prada)

Middle Teams
Lacking the extra millions for research and top salaries to win.
· Desafio Espanol (Spain)
· Mascalzone Latino (Italy)
· Victory Challenge (Sweden)
· +39 Challenge (Italy)
· Areva Challenge (France)
. Shosholoza (South Africa)

Lower Teams
Lacking the experience and funds to make a serious challenge
· United Internet Team Germany
· China Team

Teams comprise 3 expert groups-
1. The Sailing Team,
2. The Design Team
3. The Construction Team.
Racing
The type of racing is called “Match racing”- 2 yachts sail against each other.

Match racing has three key segments,
· The pre-start – the five minute countdown to the start gun,
· The first leg – the section from the start gun to rounding the first mark about one sixth of the way into the course,
· The rest – from rounding the first mark of the course to crossing the finish line, the remaining five sixths of the distance.

The race
The 2 boats approach the starting line at maximum speed with the view of crossing it immediately after the start gun sounds. A false start results in an immediate penalty (the boat must makes a 270 degree turn) They then race to a windward mark about 4km away, this is rounded on the starboard side, the spinnakers are then hoisted as the boats race downwind back down to the start line completing a lap of the course. A second lap is then completed the winner crossing the start/finish line. The race distance varies depending on the weather conditions but is about 30kms and will take about 90 minutes to complete
Americas Cup Timings 2007

April 16-19, 21/22 Louis Vuitton Cup Round 1
Match racing of the challenging teams

Teams take forward bonus points that they earned from the Acts .
4pts- Emirates team New Zealand
3 pts BMW Oracle,Luna Rossa, Desafio Espanol
2 pts +39, Shosholoza, Victory Challenge,Mascalzone Latino,
1pt Areva,United Internet team Germany, China Team
All teams race against each other , the winning team gains 2 points

April 25-29th Louis Vuitton Cup Round 2
Match racing of the challenging teams

May 1-6 Louis Vuitton Cup Round 3
Match racing of the challenging teams
The top 4 teams from the Round Robins will go forward to the semi-finals.
The top team has the right to choose their opposition in the semis

May 18-20 Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals
Match racing of the challenging teams

May 22-24 Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals
Match racing of the challenging teams

June 1-3 Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Match racing of the challenging teams

June 5-6 Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Match racing of the challenging teams

June 23-24 Americas Cup
June 26-27 Americas Cup
June 29-30 Americas Cup
July 1 Americas Cup
July 3-4 Americas Cup