[Source: ISAF] The International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the world governing body of the sport, and the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG), the trustee and holder of the America’s Cup, are pleased to announce that the 33rd America’s Cup Match will be conducted under the Deed of Gift provisions, the SNG rules, the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing and ISAF Regulations as required by the Deed of Gift.
Any changes to the ISAF Rules and Regulations not already covered by provisions within the ISAF Rules and Regulations will require sanction from ISAF.
The Principal Race Officer, International Jury members and International Umpires (if Appendix C is used), will be suitably qualified personnel and will be independently appointed by ISAF. The process of which has already begun.
[Source: Alinghi] Alinghi, Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, welcomes one of the world’s most renowned multihull sailors to the team for this campaign: Loïck Peyron. The 50 year old Frenchman has crossed the Atlantic 43 times; 18 single-handed. He has raced around the world twice, holds three Transat titles and two Transat Jacques Vabres: “In every sailor’s mind, the America’s Cup is part of life. I have been following it for many years and now to be working for a team like Alinghi makes me proud,” Peyron said, adding: “There is a tremendous amount of work for sure, but it’s a big challenge. An interesting strength of Alinghi is that it has a lot of knowledge from a lot of areas of the sport: monohulls, offshore sailing, multihulls; especially here in Switzerland. The way the team works is based on team spirit and the method works really well; they have proved it many times. Now like everybody here, I am impatient to go and sail on the lake to see the potential of this amazing machine.”
Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper and four-time America’s Cup winner welcomes Peyron: “We are looking forward to working with Loïck; he brings a lot of multihull experience – from both a design and sailing point of view – to a team that already has quite a bit of depth in this area of our sport. I think he will be an asset to this project and a good addition to the team.”
Sailing career highlights 43 Atlantic crossings; 18 single-handed 2 Round the Worlds 3 Transat ‘Anglaise’ wins, single-handed 2 Transat Jacques Vabre wins 2 Bol d’Or wins
[Source: Alinghi] America’s Cup Defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), statement in reaction to the latest Golden Gate Yacht Club legal action: “It is again a disappointment that the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) chooses to pursue its litigious strategy instead of fighting for the America’s Cup on the water. It is now the fourth time the American team goes to court, this time in an attempt to prevent the SNG’s legitimate right to use its yacht club rules – as prescribed in the Deed of Gift – and the ISAF rules and regulations to their full extent, as it has been the case in previous editions of the America’s Cup and in any international regatta in the world. While GGYC continues to put pressure on the SNG through the New York courts, SNG continues to wait for the GGYC to provide their yacht’s Custom House Registry as soon as possible, as per the Deed of Gift and the New York court decisions.”
The 33rd America’s Cup is getting closer. Less than 48 hours after she was airlifted from the boatyard to her new temporary base on the banks of Lake Geneva, Alinghi 5 was masted on Friday afternoon.
Alinghi 5 is masted. Le Bouveret, 10 July 2009. Photo copyright Alinghi
Mr Fred Meyer Vice-Commodore Chairman, SNG’s America’s Cup Committee Société Nautique de Genève Port Noir CH-1223 Cologny SWITZERLAND
Dear Vice-Commodore Meyer,
We write in response to your letter of July 6, 2009
Let us again reiterate, the Deed and the Order and Judgement are clear that you may not select a Northern Hemisphere venue, other than Valencia, without our mutual consent. Justice Kornreich’s May 14th order contains nothing that even suggests, let alone “stated”, otherwise. To the contrary, Justice Kornreich ordered “SNG to hold the race as per the order of the Court of Appeals and Justice Cahn in February as the order required.”
As further proof that our reading of the Deed and the Judgement and order is correct, you agreed with it when light and truth were original to you. In your May 11, 2009, court papers you agreed that “the Deed of Gift unambiguously prohibits sailing a match between November 1 and May 1 in the Northern Hemisphere… There is nothing in the order that suggests that a race should be held in contravention of the terms of the the Deed of Gift.”
What is more, during the May 14th hearing when your attorney attempted an about face by asserting that SNG has the right to select a Northern Hemisphere venue other than Valencia without our consent, Justice Kornreich stated that “that’s not what the Court of Appeals said”.
Your letter also again fails to respond to the inescapable conclusion that the Deed and the Order and Judgement my be read harmoniously, giving force and effect to the terms of each, requiring a February race in Valencia or any other Southern Hemisphere location selected by SNG, unless otherwise consented to by GGYC. There is therefore no basis to conclude that the phrase “any other location” in the Order and Judgement intended to alter the Deed of Gift’s Northern Hemisphere restriction; just as there is no basis to conclude that this phrase intended to alter the Deed’s requirement to select a location free of headlands or a location that has an ocean water course.
You also misconstrue Justice Kornreich’s order and the Deed when you assert that they require GGYC’s Custom House Registry to “conform exactly” to GGYC’s challenge certificate. To the contrary, the Deed is unambiguous that the dimensions provided on a challenge certificate “shall no be exceeded”. Justice Kornreich’s order is entirely consist with the Deed and the Order and Judgement; and you are simply wrong in your repeated assertions that Justice Kornreich’s order in any way contravened the terms of the Deed or the mandate of the Court of Appeals.
Sincerely,
GOLDEN GATE YACHT CLUB
Marcus Young Commodore
cc: Ernesto Bertarelli, Team Ainghi Brad Butterworth, Team Ainghi Russell Coutts, BMW Oracle Racing Tom Ehman, BMW Oracle Racing Larry Ellison, BMW Oracle Racing
[Source: BMW Oracle] BMW ORACLE Racing today started sea trials of their 90-foot by 90-foot high-tech racing machine in the waters off Point Loma in San Diego.
Helmsman James Spithill (AUS) guided the newly modified BOR 90 trimaran off the dock at 11:30am sharp local time. The 16-story mast was installed on Monday and on Tuesday the team conducted a series of engineering tests to ensure the boat was ready to take to the water for the next phase of sea trials.
The team will ease into this next round of testing as structural and other tests continue on the water. “As we gain more confidence with the boat, we’ll certainly be out there pushing it and seeing what we can get out of it,” Spithill said.
“It’s breaking new ground,” says the team’s 30-year-old helmsman. “This has never been done before, so it’s an incredible opportunity for the sailors on both teams, and all the people involved; designers, builders. These boats have the most amazing power-to-weight ratio. There’s nothing else that’s ever been done on this sort of scale.”
BMW ORACLE Racing is the Challenger for the 33rd America’s Cup. The team will meet the Swiss Defender Alinghi in a best two-of-three head-to-head duel starting February 8. The venue for the competition will be named by the Defender by August 8.
First sea trials of the newly modified BOR 90 trimaran. San Diego, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
First sea trials of the newly modified BOR 90 trimaran. San Diego, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
First sea trials of the newly modified BOR 90 trimaran. San Diego, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
First sea trials of the newly modified BOR 90 trimaran. San Diego, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
[Source: Alinghi] The heli-launch planned for this morning has been delayed due to weather and will hopefully happen this afternoon.
The heli-launch planned for this morning has been delayed due to weather on Lake Geneva, but the mast operation went ahead and a KAMOV KA32 helicopter arrived at 09:15 to lift the 17-story high mast from Villeneuve to the Alinghi base in Le Bouveret…
There is hope for a weather window this afternoon to launch Alinghi 5, the catamaran…
Mr. Marcus Young Commodore The Golden Gate Yacht Club #1 Yacht Road San Francisco California 94123 USA
6 July 2009
33rd America’s Cup
Dear Commodore,
We write to correct your erroneous letter of June 19, 2009 and to address news reports of a recent interview with Russell Coutts.
In the June 19 letter, you curiously claimed that naming a Northern Hemisphere venue other than Valencia without your “express agreement” would “flaunt the Deed of Gift and/or the Court’s Judgment and Orders.” This statement is baseless.
To be perfectly clear: the last court orders of Justices Kornreich and Cahn stated that SNG is entitled to select Valencia “or any other location” for the next Cup, without qualification or limitation. “Any other location”, of course, includes any Northern or Southern Hemisphere venue. The orders also make clear that SNG has until 6 months prior to the race of the next Cup to announce a location. SNG will specify Valencia or any other venue in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere in due course.
We also take issue with a report of an interview of Russell Coutts that appears in the August, 2009 issue of Seahorse Magazine. When asked, “[D]o you feel bound by the 90ft x 90ft dimension of the challenge document?” Mr. Coutts stated, “We won’t exceed the dimensions as stipulated. The Deed is clear that you are not allowed to exceed the dimensions.”
This is, of course, a blatant misreading of the requirements of the orders and the Deed of Gift. The Deed, as Justice Kornreich reiterated at the May 14, 2009 hearing, expressly requires GGYC to challenge in, and provide a Custom House Registry for, a challenge vessel that conforms exactly to the measurements contained in the boat certificate that accompanied GGYC’s notice of challenge. As Justice Kornreich said at the hearing, and as we noted in our letter of May 26: “I am stating right now that … the Deed does require that the vessel conform to the challenge dimensions. If the [Custom House Registry] does not conform to the challenge dimensions, it is this Court’s belief, and my direction, that Golden Gate will be disqualified, and I am directing Golden Gate, in good faith, to abide by the Deed, to make application for the CHR as soon as possible and providing it as soon as possible”.
That’s the order of the Court. Should you challenge in a vessel that does not conform to the challenge dimensions, we will seek your GGYC’s immediate disqualification. We look forward to the immediate receipt of the Custom House Registry.
Your letter and Mr. Coutts’ interview make clear that your favored means to compete for the Cup is through litigation. We encourage you to stop these tactics and agree to meet us on the water in a boat that conforms exactly to those dimensions listed in the Challenge.
In the same interview Mr. Coutts said that the challenge received by SNG from Circolo Vela di Gargnano (CVG) was “unrealistic”. As far as we know you have not responded to the latest letter of CVG dated June 12, 2009. Please advise as soon as possible if GGYC is going to give the opportunity to other challengers to compete in the 33rd America’s Cup or will continue to exclude challengers from competition.
Yours sincerely.
Fred Meyer Vice-Commodore and Chairman of America’s Cup Committee
According to an article that appeared in today’s edition of Las Provincias, Valencia’s main newspaper, Alinghi might have definitely ruled out Valencia as a venue for the 33rd America’s Cup. As we have stated quite often here, Las Provincias enjoys very good relations with the current local and regional governments of Valencia and it is most probable that some source within these two official bodies passed on the information. Nevertheless, the article’s author doesn’t unveil his sources.
According to the same article, although Valencia offers unquestionable advantages, such as the existence of the bases and the infrastructure used in the previous edition of the event, the Defender has based its choice solely on weather conditions. According to Las Provincias, Alinghi will choose a venue in the Northern hemisphere that can guarantee, as much as possible, light and stable conditions, not more than 8 to 9 knots of wind. Valencia cannot guarantee such conditions because weather conditions in winter are very unstable.
It appears that, always according to the article, BMW Oracle are aware that Valencia is to be ruled out and “fear” that an Arab country will be the venue of the 33rd America’s Cup match, because of the light wind conditions and flat seas that prevail during the month of February. Nevertheless, other options closer to Valencia are also under consideration by Alinghi, such as Turkey.
Valencia Sailing contacted Alinghi asking for a comment on the article and the reply was that “the venue will be announced six months before the America’s Cup Match”.
Alinghi carries out first two-catamaran training session under VERY light conditions in February 2008. Valencia, 23 February 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing
Alinghi resumes catamaran sailing under VERY light wind conditions in February 2008. Valencia, 22 February 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing
United Internet Team Germany and +39 Challenge training under VERY light conditions in February 2006. Valencia, 7 February 2006. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing
[Source: BMW Oracle] BMW ORACLE Racing today launched their trimaran in San Diego as the team prepares to sea trial the 90-foot by 90-foot high-tech racing machine. The mast will be installed dockside and the boat will be load-tested before the huge multihull is tested by the crew in the waters off Point Loma.
“We are really excited to get out on the water,” said helmsman James Spithill (AUS). “We still have plenty to do to complete sea trials and be ready for the America’s Cup in February so every day counts. It is only seven months until the America’s Cup so we are now in the home stretch.”
BMW ORACLE Racing is the Challenger for the 33rd America’s Cup. The team will meet the Swiss Defender Alinghi in a best two-of-three head-to-head duel starting February 8. The venue for the competition will be named by the Defender by August 8.
The team will test the trimaran in San Diego this summer.
“This is cutting-edge technology and sailing. We look forward to testing how fast is fast,” said Spithill.
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
The newly modified BOR90 is back on the water. San Diego, 6 July 2009. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle
