Russell Coutts, CEO and skipper of BMW Oracle, is currently in Malcesine, Italy, racing with Larry Ellison on his team’s RC44 yacht. After the day’s races he made a VERY brief comment on Alinghi’s new catamaran, Alinghi 5. He didn’t really say much, but here is the video, just for the record.
Russell Coutts comments on Alinghi’s new catamaran, Alinghi 5. Malcesine, 8 July 2009. Video copyright RC44 Championship Tour
[Source: Alinghi] Alinghi, the Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, launched its new 90ft catamaran today on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, by helicopter.
At 16:00 this afternoon, Alinghi 5, the Swiss America’s Cup Defender’s new catamaran, was lifted out of the tent where it was built in Villeneuve, Switzerland, and into the air by a Mil Mi-26 helicopter, the biggest and most powerful in the world, to be launched on Lake Geneva.
Alinghi 5 represents a first step in the development process towards the 33rd America’s Cup and the team will now focus on preparing it to sail over the coming weeks.
Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi team president, who was present to congratulate the team and for the boat christening by his wife Kirsty, commented: “As a passionate multihull sailor I am extremely excited to see Alinghi 5 launched and for the next stage of this campaign to begin: over the coming weeks and months the team will work towards defending the 33rd America’s Cup next year. The team has done an excellent job to make this happen; we are all looking forward to going sailing now.”
Watching as the helicopter lifted Alinghi 5 out of the tent and on to the water, Grant Simmer who, working alongside a team of designers, boat builders and sailors, has coordinated the project said: “I feel very proud of what we have achieved; there have been so many people involved who have worked really hard. They have done a fantastic job and this is the product of their hard work.”
Judging from our website traffic and number of hits as well as the record number of photos on other websites and forums, this must be the equivalent of Michael Jackson’s funeral in the sports of sailing; history’s most followed boat launch.
Alinghi’s brand new catamaran, Alinghi 5, is now safe on the waters of Lake Geneva.
Alinghi’s brand new catamaran, Alinghi 5, is launched on lake Geneva. Le Bouveret, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Stefano Gattini / Alinghi
Alinghi’s brand new catamaran, Alinghi 5, is launched on lake Geneva. Le Bouveret, 8 July 2009. Photo copyright Stefano Gattini / Alinghi
[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
We thought the case was settled but we just received the following notifiaction from the NY Supreme Court. It appears a hearing is scheduled for July 30th.
Court: New York Civil Supreme Index Number: 600662/2008 Case Name: TEAM NEW ZEALAND LIMITED, vs. SOCIETE NAUTIQUE DE Case Title: Contract Track: Standard Upstate RJI Number: Disposition Date: Date NOI Due: NOI Filed: Disposition Deadline: Calendar Number: RJI Filed: 03/06/2008 Jury Status: Justice Name: KORNREICH, SHIRLEY WERNER
Attorney/Firm for Plaintiff: BOIES SCHILLER & FLEXNER LLP 575 LEXINGTON AVENUE – 7TH FLR NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 Attorney Type: Attorney Of Record Status: Active
Last Appearance: Appearance Date: 02/02/2008 Appearance Time: On For: Motion Appearance Outcome: Motion Decided-Open Appearance Justice: CAHN, HERMAN Part: ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE PART Comments:
Future Appearances: — Information updated Appearance Date: 07/30/2009 — Information updated Appearance Time: — Information updated On For: Supreme Initial (first time on) — Information updated Appearance Outcome: — Information updated Justice: KORNREICH, SHIRLEY WERNER — Information updated Part: IAS PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE 54 — Information updated Comments: 11:30P.CARD — Information updated
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that with conditions like the ones on the photo below Alinghi’s shore crew would postpone the helicopter launch of their brand new catamaran, Alinghi 5.
Initially scheduled to take place on Wednesday morning, it will be delayed due to the unfavorable weather forecast and could take place later in the afternoon, if of course conditions get better.
Regardless of what opinion one might have about Alinghi, it is extraordinary how they have embraced the latest communication tools. This photo, and many many more, can be found on the Alinghi Friends twitpic. It’s definitely worth taking a look.
Adverse weather conditions on Lake Geneva. Villeneuve, 7 July 2009. Photo copyright Alinghi
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
