Judgment day brings elation for five teams selected for Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in September

San Francisco, Calif., 02/24/2013

Five of the best youth sailing teams in the world have qualified for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup following a grueling two-week Selection Series in San Francisco. The 12 crews, from 11 countries, were pushed to the limit as they fought for the right to compete in September’s races.



© Balazs Gardi / Red Bull content pool Download


© Balazs Gardi / Red Bull content pool Download



© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download


© ACEA 2013/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download


National crews from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland, made the cut to advance to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup where they will meet five crews supported by current America’s Cup teams.

Double Olympic Gold medalists Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher, the Sports Directors for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, made the selections after closely monitoring the teams on and off the water during the two back-to-back selection weeks. With the high talent level and extreme motivation of the crews, there were hard choices to make.

“This has been very difficult,” Hagara said. “The level of each team is much higher than we could have hoped for, which is good. But only five of them are able to race with us in September so today’s decision wasn’t easy to make.”

Race results made up 60-percent of the selection criteria. Teams were also evaluated on professionalism on and off the water, as well as on the training programs they have set up to develop their skills further between now and September.

“We always said we were looking for the best of the best,” said Steinacher. “And that’s what we have now. I believe any of these five teams will be capable of winning in September.”

The teams proved their mettle in challenging winter conditions on San Francisco Bay, one of the most challenging race venues in the world. Cold and strong winter winds made taming the AC45 catamarans, with their towering wing sails, difficult. But the youth sailors, aged 19-24, were up to the task.

“We went into this with a plan not to let them sail in over 15 knots of wind and to keep the teams inside the Bay Bridge,” Steinacher said. “We broke both of those rules on the very first day! Fortunately, the teams have shown us they are able to handle the boats in conditions that are on the limit.”

The five teams selected today have now qualified to race in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup from September 1-4, in a fleet that includes five additional youth crews supported by current America’s Cup teams.

In their own words:

Lucien Cujean (SUI), skipper, Team TILT: “It feels good, very good. It’s great news. Even though we won the racing portion of the selection series, that’s not the only criteria. So we were nervous about the selection.”

Bernardo Freitas (POR), skipper, ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team: “We’re excited for the announcement. Excited for September. I believed we’d have a chance. In the racing we showed we’re a good team and we have good skills on the water.”

Will Tiller (NZL), skipper, Full Metal Jacket Racing: “We’re pretty psyched. It’s about 5:00 in the morning (the team is in Oman training ahead of an X40 regatta) and we were all sitting around the phone, nervous. But we’re very happy to have made the selection. The opportunity to race the RBYAC is fantastic, but now the hard work begins. We have to put together a training program.

Philipp Buhl (GER), skipper, STG/NRV Youth Team: “It was a brilliant week. We didn’t expect to be first, but we stayed grounded through the week and kept improving. We really improved our maneuvers and team work. In the end, we learned not to talk so much. Everyone learned to do their job and just did it.”

Jason Waterhouse (AUS), skipper, Objective Australia: “It was a mind-blowing week. We learned so much. It’s our first time racing together as a crew, but we gelled well… Our preparation was sound.”

Jimmy Spithill, skipper, ORACLE TEAM USA, and a driving force behind the Red Bull Youth America's Cup: “My pathway to the America’s Cup was one of good luck. When I was a youth sailor there wasn’t a clear pathway to the Cup. But the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup gives these guys a great opportunity, and the game’s opened up to much wider participation. The level of organization from these teams is impressive.”

Russell Coutts, CEO, ORACLE TEAM USA, and a driving force behind the creation of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup: “The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is meant to be a way for youth sailors to show their talents and make it to the pro sailing ranks. This (on the AC45 wing sail catamaran) is some of the best and most fun racing I’ve done in years. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it too.”

Selection Series Teams advancing to Red Bull Youth America’s Cup
Australia – Objective Australia
Germany – STG/NRV Youth Team
New Zealand – Full Metal Jacket Racing
Portugal – ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team
Switzerland – Team TILT

Youth crews supported by America's Cup World Series Teams
France – Energy Team/Name TBC
New Zealand – Emirates Team New Zealand/Name TBC
Sweden – Artemis Racing/Swedish Youth Challenge
USA – ORACLE TEAM USA/American Youth Sailing Force (SFO)
USA – ORACLE TEAM USA/USA45 Racing (USA)


NEWS (national and international) and selected interviews of all participating teams will be available for broadcasters starting Monday, Feb 25 at
www.redbullnewsroom.com / www.redbullcontentpool.com.

VIDEO: It’s not just a job

Fonte: ETNZ

Ask anyone at Emirates Team New Zealand, and they will tell you that working for the team is so much more than just a job.
It takes long, hard work, big sacrifice and total commitment, but the end goal and the chance of winning the America’s cup will make it all worthwhile, and of course the chance to do what you love everyday.

AC72 Mk II goes sailing for the first time

Fonte: ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand took its second AC72 catamaran sailing for the first time today. It was a much-anticipated day, another big step on the way to the 34th America’s Cup competition at San Francisco.Chris Cameron’s pictures from today are here and here



Racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the challenger elimination series, start in less than five months.

Before that, the team has to complete an exhaustive two-month testing and training programme on the AC72 at Auckland, before packing the base and shipping race yachts, chase boats and the team’s entire support infrastructure to San Francisco.

The team expects to be sailing on San Francisco Bay towards the end of May.

Today, after waiting for the breeze to fill in, the cat left the dock at 12.30pm in a north-easterly between 8-11 knots.

Under the watchful eyes of designers, engineers, and system specialists on chase boats, the sailing crew eased into the day’s sailing programme.

The race yacht returned to base late afternoon, having completed the day’s schedule. The team stays on shore tomorrow with the second sailing day on Thursday.

Oracle Team USA deducted five AC72 sailing days for spying on Luna Rossa

[Fonte: America's Cup]

The International Jury for the 34th America’s Cup has deducted sailing days from ORACLE TEAM USA as the final decision in the espionage case brought against the defender by Italian syndicate Luna Rossa Challenge 2013.

Last week the International Jury announced that it found in favor of Luna Rossa, which alleged that ORACLE TEAM USA had breached part of the Reconnaissance Article (37.2(g)) of the Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup by being within 200 meters of the Italian AC72 during a training session in New Zealand in early November.

Citing the importance of the Reconnaissance Article in the Protocol and the importance of a meaningful penalty, today the International Jury announced that it has deducted from ORACLE TEAM USA the final five sailing days, April 26-30, 2013, of the Second AC72 Sailing Period (Feb. 1-Apr. 30, 2013).

The International Jury acknowledged that ORACLE TEAM USA has returned 10 photos as instructed and also levied costs of €11,500 (approximately $15,200) against the team.


The International Jury for the 34th America’s Cup (from left): Josje Hofland, John Doerr, David Tillett, Bryan Willis, Graham MacKenzie. Photo copyright America’s Cup / Gilles Martin-Raget

ORACLE TEAM USA "17" Capsize - The Whole Story

Fonte: Oracle Racing Team

Reparação do AC72 quase concluída

Fonte: Oracle








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With a little more than a week remaining in the year, the focus for ORACLE TEAM USA hasn’t changed. All eyes have been on 2013 for months, for years, with the same goal in mind: defending the America’s Cup in San Francisco next September.

Ask any member of the team their New Year’s resolution and it likely involves winning the Cup. Or more immediately, it’s sailing ORACLE TEAM USA 17 again.

“The capsize has definitely been a setback,” said ORACLE TEAM USA general manager Grant Simmer. “We have lost a lot of sailing time and a lot of time for the team to figure out the new boat, which will be difficult to recover. We’re a sailing team, and it’s not great to be watching your competitors sailing when we’re unable to – that’s been tough. But, all of the team has really focused on fixing the issues, fixing the boat and getting back on the water as soon as possible.”

When the team’s AC72 pitch-poled in San Francisco Bay on October 16, the schedule changed. The wing was in pieces, the pod beat up, the hulls damaged from both water and as a result of the wing breaking apart.

Instead of waiting until the end of the year to reflect, the team found itself evaluating the program a couple months early.

“We’ve used the time to really reassess the entire program, to be more realistic about our planning, to be careful not to try to do too much, but to do everything that’s important and critical to development,” Simmer said. “We’ve become more mindful of the risks.”

The boat was dismantled – beams disconnected, systems removed – and the broken wing stripped down to salvageable pieces.

Work began immediately, and two major boat build projects were soon underway at the team base at Pier 80. Repairs of boat 1 began side-by-side with the build of boat 2.

“We’re very grateful for all of the guys here who have had to dig deep to make this all happen,” said Mark Turner, ORACLE TEAM USA shore team manager. “The repairs of boat 1 certainly haven’t been the easiest of tasks to accomplish, and the list wasn’t small. That’s all been going on in parallel to building boat 2. So, there’s been a lot going on here, just as there’s been a lot going on in New Zealand with getting wing 2 built. Both places – here and in New Zealand at Core Builders Composites – have been going along at a good clip.

“The entire shore crew has pitched in and done things they’re not really accustomed to doing, whether it’s helping with the repairs on boat 1, composite work, putting together flaps for wing 2, or helping out with boat 2’s assembly process,” Turner said.

The second AC72 wing was already under construction, so timeline on completion was adjusted. That wing is scheduled to arrive to San Francisco early in the new year.

“After the capsize, the first step was assessing the extent of damage,” Simmer said. “Clearly we had almost totally lost the wing. Luckily we had another wing in production at that time, and so we accelerated that process. With the platform we found there was quite a lot of water ingress in the hulls and the areas where the boat had suffered damage. So, we’ve repaired all of that, and the platform is currently going back together.”

Composite repair work has been completed and beams reattached. As the team heads into a much-needed holiday break, the work list on boat 1 will be whittled down.

At the start of the year, “it’s all going to happen pretty quickly,” Turner said, with hydraulic systems, wench systems, nets and more going back in place. The new wing will arrive and testing will commence.

At the same time, boat 2 construction remains full steam ahead.

While the schedule may have changed, and plans adjusted, all have remained clearly focused on 2013. All are anxious to get the first AC72 back on the water. And, all have the same goal in the new year – to win.

“The team has really had to stand up to take on the extra work on getting the boat fixed, and they’ve responded fantastically,” Simmer said. “You end up with more resolve at the end of a process like this. That’s true for this team, and I think we will be stronger because of it.

“We’ll be out sailing again at the beginning of February in our repaired and modified boat. We’re looking forward to a long list of testing and development that will ultimately lead us to the Cup. It’s going to be a busy and exciting year for all of us.”

America's Cup boat's capsizing sparks questions, fears

Fonte: mercurynews.com



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Oracle Team USA capsizes boat

In this photo taken Tuesday Oct. 16, 2012 and provided by Oracle Team USA, crew members hang from the mesh netting after the Oracle Team USA AC72 boat capsized on San Francisco Bay in San Francisco. The America's Cup champion syndicate is assessing the damage to its 72-foot (22-meter) catamaran, after it capsized and was swept by a strong current more than four miles (six kilometers) past the Golden Gate Bridge before rescue boats could control it.(AP Photo/Oracle Team USA, Guilain Grenier)


SAN FRANCISCO -- When Larry Ellison's new 72-foot America's Cup boat capsized on a practice run and was sucked through the Golden Gate in a crippled mess, the second-guessing and doubts among the sailing community began: Has Ellison's plan to turn the world's most famous yacht race into a high-tech white-knuckle NASCAR of the sea gone too far for speed?

"Everyone wants the fastest boat," said Richard Spindler, founder and publisher of Latitude 38, a sailing magazine based in Mill Valley. "But you can't win the race unless you finish."

Now, a month after Oracle Racing's new, custom-made USA 17 cartwheeled into San Francisco Bay, hurled its hotshot crew into the cold waters and crumpled the main sail structure, Ellison's pride is on the line as the sailing syndicate races against the clock to perform repairs and be ready to compete by September's America's Cup finals.

After winning the last Cup, Ellison was allowed to dictate the size and basic design of the boats for all the entries in this year's race. But some doubters are wondering whether the towering catamarans are too unwieldy and expensive and should follow the lead of Howard Hughes' giant flying boat, the "Spruce Goose" -- which was shelved for good after one flight.

Even America's Cup officials are talking about downsizing the catamaran for future races. But there's no time to turn back for this race.

"It's definitely a setback," Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill

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said of the newly built boat's capsize Oct. 16. He was at the helm and blames his risky maneuvers in especially rough conditions, not the boat design, for the catastrophe. "But it's not one that will stop us from winning the Cup," he said.



The boat's wreck on only its eighth practice run has focused scrutiny on the fundamental design of the so-called AC72 -- a new class of America's Cup boat built for excitement and speed. All three challengers have launched their customized versions, and at least one competitor is already complaining that the rigid wing serving as a mast and sail is too big.

If Ellison's team loses, the event he won in Spain in 2010 and brought for the first time to San Francisco -- promising millions of dollars in economic development and a thrilling spectator experience -- would move to the winning boat's home port.

Stephen Barclay, CEO of the America's Cup Event Authority, said the 72-footers are not too dangerous for the bay, but they are being reconsidered for future races because they are so expensive and big, requiring upward of 30 people to get them in and out of the water by crane. Only three teams, New Zealand, Sweden and Italy, could afford to challenge Oracle for the trophy next

he Oracle Team USA AC72 catamaran is capsized Oct. 16, 2012, on San Francisco Bay. (Guilain Grenier/Oracle Team USA)summer, compared with roughly a dozen challengers in past years.



Still, the capsize exposed the fundamental dilemma of the America's Cup: How extreme can a boat design be when it is racing in the bay's already extreme conditions with the most competitive sailors on the planet intent on going as fast as possible?

Along with wearing crash helmets and sharp knives strapped to body suits, Spithill's crew will now tuck into their chest pockets mini oxygen canisters. If sailors end up trapped underwater, they'll have 10 to 15 breaths to cut their way out from beneath the netted trampoline that spans the twin hulls.

"We have to plan for the worst," Spithill said. Still, "I think the boat has to be a challenge. It needs to have all the horsepower and risk. If you can only race to the top of first gear, it's boring. You need to be pushed."

He was pushing the limits a month ago in 30-knot winds clashing with the strongest ebb tide of the year. No one was injured when the boat pitch-poled end over end. But the rigid wing became a battering ram on the helpless hulls as it was flushed through the rough waters of the Golden Gate and then collapsed. Pieces of the wing are still washing up at beaches.

Spithill received a call from Ellison, his billionaire boss who founded Oracle, the next morning. —‰'Champions get through this. I have no doubt you'll get through it,' " Spithill recalls Ellison saying. "It's what I needed," Spithill said, "that outlook and attitude."

But the capsize spooked competitors. So far, Team New Zealand has had little trouble navigating its AC72 in strong winds, but when it heard the news of the capsize while out sailing off the New Zealand coast, it immediately "buttoned back," said Richard Gladwell, who covers the team for Sail-World.com in Auckland.

When Sweden's Artemis Racing launched its 72-footer out of Alameda last week in similar tidal conditions, "we didn't go anywhere near that part of the bay," said CEO Paul Cayard.

There is no fatal flaw to the AC72, Barclay said. But he acknowledges that "decisions were made early to make these boats exciting," including choosing a larger, faster 38-meter wing sail over a slower 32-meter one.

Cayard is already questioning the wisdom of that decision: "We would have been better off with a small wing."

The America's Cup has always been as much a test of sailing skills as a design competition -- and the history of the Cup is littered with examples of teams pushing the limit. . In 1995, One Australia cracked like an egg during a challenger series and sank in seconds.

"If nobody takes risks there will be no progress. Howard Hughes did that. So did Boeing," said Dirk Kramers, Oracle's chief engineer who led the design of the AC72. "Whatever lessons are learned from one cycle will be applied to the other. That's what's kept this game alive for 100-and-some-odd years."

AC72 - Team Oracle Capsize - All Story

Já está o AC72 Oracle 17, mandou um capsize. Algo que já se esperava com a intensidade dos treinos e aumento do risco das manobras.

A asa ficou destruída, e desmanchada, o salvamento do AC72 alongou-se até à noite.

Copyrights: Chris Ray

Copyrights: Chris Ray

UPDATE:

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

UPDATE 2:

View more videos at: http://nbcbayarea.com.

Update 3: 

fonte: Oracle 

SAN FRANCISCO – ORACLE TEAM USA 17 – the team’s AC72 racing yacht – capsized during training on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at approximately 3 pm PT on San Francisco Bay. All crew are safe. It was the boat’s eighth day on the water since the launch in August.

“We did something we had hoped we would never do, and that’s capsize an AC72,” said skipper Jimmy Spithill. “The most important part is that all the crew are safe, and no injuries.

“A big thank you goes to our shore team, our support crew and the U.S. Coast Guard as they were standing by,” Spithill said.

The team was training throughout the afternoon in San Francisco, with winds slowly building as the day progressed.

“We called for a bear-away as we were out training,” explained tactician Tom Slingsby. “The winds were blowing about 25 knots, and there was strong ebb current at the time. We started the bear-away, and as the boat accelerated it pitch-poled.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen with the new boat,” Slingsby continued. “When the nose went down, the wing hit and a few guys went in the water. We were unsure if the wing would snap, so we all climbed off the boat. Luckily, everyone is accounted for and no one was hurt. The wing is pretty badly damaged.

The boat and crew safely returned to the team base at Pier 80 early Wednesday morning, Oct. 17. ORACLE TEAM USA support boats were on hand throughout the training period, and they towed the AC72 from the capsize area near the Golden Gate Bridge back to the team base. The team is now assessing the damage.

“There’s no question this is a setback,” Spithill said. “It’s going to be a big test for this team. But, I’ve seen this team in a similar situation in the last campaign, before we won the America’s Cup. A strong team will bounce back, and this won’t stop us from winning the America’s Cup. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of work, and we have to look at our plan now. I’m still confident in the team we’ve got and we can go out and win again.

Update 4:

© Guilain GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA

© Guilain GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA

© Guilain GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA

© Guilain GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA

Update 5:

ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL wins second consecutive America’s Cup World Series San Francisco

© ACEA/Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget Download


© ACEA/Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget Download



© ACEA/Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget Download


© ACEA/Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget Download




ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL (Jimmy Spithill) rebounded from last place at the first turning mark of the “Super Sunday” fleet race finale to win the America’s Cup World Series San Francisco Championship.

Spithill and crew Dirk de Ridder, John Kostecki, Jono MacBeth and Joe Newton were “dead last” off the start line, but fought their way back through the fleet. They rounded the last windward gate first and held on for a 17-second win over teammates ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS (Russell Coutts).

Spithill won 40 points for the race and totaled 79 points for the series. That put the crew in a tie with J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie) for the series championship, which placed fourth in the final race. Spithill won the championship based on the final race finishes.

“The difference is the four guys on the front of the boat,” said Spithill, referencing his crew. “We were dead last off the start line but it didn’t faze these guys. We have a real team of fighters here. We’re really, really happy.”

ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL put an emphatic stamp on this regatta. Yesterday the crew won the Match Racing Championship after capsizing and breaking frames in the wingsail during a fleet race. The crew also won the August AC World Series San Francisco Championship by 1 point, previously the closest finish at an AC World Series event. The tiebreaker surpasses that mark.

“We’ve always said we need to be able to come from behind and overcome adversity,” said Spithill, who skippered the team to victory in the 2010 America’s Cup. “I thought I gave them that yesterday with the capsize, but it's really a sign of a strong team. The shore crew, our coaches, it's been a fantastic team effort.”

Artemis Racing – White (Terry Hutchinson) placed third in today’s race and finished third overall. Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker) placed fourth overall and ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS fifth.

AC World Series San Francisco Fleet Racing Championship (After 7 of 7 races)
1. ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL (Jimmy Spithill) 8-1-6-5-DNF-2-1 – 79
2. J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie) 1-3-1-2-4-1-4 – 79 points
3. Artemis Racing – White (Terry Hutchinson) 10-2-2-1-3-3-3 – 72
4. Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker) 2-8-5-6-1-4-7 – 57
5. ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS (Russell Coutts) 3-5-8-7-8-10-2 – 56
6. Artemis Racing – Red (Nathan Outteridge) 4-4-4-4-9-8-5 – 52
7. Energy Team (Loick Peyron) 6-7-7-3-6-7-6 – 47
8. Team Korea (Peter Burling) 5-9-10-8-2-5-10 – 40
9. Luna Rossa Piranha (Chris Draper) 9-6-3-10-10-6-9 – 36
10. China Team (Phil Robertson) 7-10-11-9-5-11-8 – 28
11. Luna Rossa Swordfish (Iker Martinez) 11-11-9-11-7-9-11 – 20
(Scoring, Races 1-6: 1st = 12 points, 2nd = 10, 3rd = 9, 4th = 8, 5th = 7, 6th = 6, 7th = 5, 8th = 4, 9th = 3, 10th = 2, 11th = 1; Race 7: 1st = 40 points, 2nd = 25, 3rd = 20, 4th = 16, 5th = 13, 6th = 11, 7th = 10, 8th = 9, 9th = 8, 10th = 7, 11th = 6)

AC World Series San Francisco Match Racing Championship
1. ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL,

2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 

3. Artemis Racing – White,

4. Artemis Racing – Red, 

5. ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS, 

6. Energy Team, 

7. J.P. Morgan BAR, 

8. Team Korea, 

9.China Team, 

10. Luna Rossa Piranha, 

11. Luna Rossa Swordfish

Luna Rossa thrills crowd - wins grand finale Fleet Racing Championship at the America’s Cup World Series in Naples

Fonte: AC

Chris Draper led his Luna Rossa crew to a thrilling win in the final fleet race in Naples, Italy, collecting 50 points for his efforts to vault up the leaderboard and win the AC World Series Naples Fleet Racing Championship. The victory kicked off celebrations among the tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans lining the Naples waterfront to catch a glimpse of their heroes.




© ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download


© ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download



© ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download


© ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Download






“We’re very pleased with the event, with the team effort,” an excited Draper said afterwards. “We didn't have huge expectations, but to come away with a first (in the fleet racing) and a second (in the match racing) is awesome."

Conditions were light, tricky and testing on Sunday, but Draper and his crew were up to the challenge. As was James Spithill and his ORACLE Racing crew, who appeared to be dead and buried in last place early in the race, only to recover and claim an impressive second place.

“The key thing was hanging in there and looking for the opportunities, and there were plenty out there,” Spithill said. “JK (tactician John Kostecki) and the guys did a very nice job… In those sorts of conditions you can go from hero to zero in a matter of seconds. We knew we just had to hang tough and wait for the opportunities. The guys found some good ways back and got us up there.”

Earlier in the afternoon, the Match Racing Championship was decided when Terry Hutchinson and his Artemis Racing team took advantage of a pre-start mistake by Chris Draper’s team to sail away with a win in the sudden-death Final. The victory was a vindication of sorts for Artemis, who had capsized in the first race of the regatta, damaging their wing and being shut out of the points on Wednesday.

“I can't say enough about the effort from the guys on the boat and on the shore,” Hutchinson said. “After Wednesday, we’d have taken today's result, that's for sure. Our team trainer says it's not how you fall down, but how you get up. Now we have to come back in a few weeks in Venice and work on our consistency.”

No records were set in this edition of the AC500 Speed Trials, as the light winds meant the fastest runs came at the end, during a brief period of stronger conditions. ORACLE Racing Bundock was able to fend off Artemis Racing by a microscopic .02 seconds to post the fastest time.

A major story in Naples has been the enthusiasm of the city as shown by the size of the crowds in the event village. Sunday was no exception, with the crowds lined deep along the waterfront to watch the action. Much of the support, unsurprisingly, was for Luna Rossa.

“We sailed along the shore after the finish and it's insane to see how many people are here,” said Luna Rossa’s Draper. “As a sailor you'd never imagine having so many people watching. It's great for the sport, and great to be part of an Italian team in front of all these people. We're very proud.”

The America’s Cup World Series now packs up and moves north to Venice, for the fifth stop on the circuit in May.

The results from Naples mean there is a new leader on the overall AC World Series Championship leaderboard. ORACLE Racing Spithill has overhauled Emirates Team New Zealand to lead by a slender one point after four events. The 2011-2012 AC World Series concludes in Newport, Rhode Island on July 1, where it appears the Championship will be decided.

Fleet Racing Championship - Standings (seven races):

1. Luna Rossa - Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper); 92 points
2. ORACLE Racing - Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill); 77 points
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker); 60 points
4. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard); 54 points
5. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge); 49 points
6. Luna Rossa - Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James); 41 points
7. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson); 40 points
8. ORACLE Racing - Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock); 37 points
9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec); 15 points


Match Racing Championship – Sunday’s races

Final – Artemis Racing beat Luna Rossa Piranha
SF1 – Artemis Racing beat Luna Rossa Swordfish
SF2 – Luna Rossa Piranha beat ORACLE Racing Bundock



2011-12 America’s Cup World Series Provisional leaderboard


Place Team Match Points Fleet Points TOTAL POINTS

1  ORACLE Racing - Spithill 30 37 67

2  Emirates Team New Zealand 30 36 66

3  Artemis Racing 33 21 54

4  Energy Team 25 23 48

5T  ORACLE Racing - Bundock 26 21 47

5T  Team Korea 25 22 47

7  China Team 12 14 26

8  Green Comm Racing 11 12 23

9  Luna Rossa - Piranha 9 10 19

10 Luna Rossa - Swordfish 7 5 12



See full results here

Oracle treina com vista aos 72's

Ben Ainslie @ AC45

Ben Ainslie teve o seu primeiro contacto com o AC45 em São Francisco e logo com o seu tutor, Russell Coutts, na vela grande.

Good Luck Ben for yours next adventures!

ORACLE Racing Spithill Takes the Double, Winning Today’s Fleet Racing Championship at the America’s Cup World Series in San Diego

Fonte: America's Cup

© 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget Download © 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget Download © 2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget Download © 2011 ACEA/Bob Grieser Download

San Diego saved the best for last, testing the international America’s Cup World Series fleet with the strongest winds of the week, with gusts approaching 20 knots on Sunday afternoon, making for great racing conditions. The teams didn’t disappoint the fans gathered on Broadway and Navy Piers – the race was full of intrigue, with plenty of lead changes on the race course, and lots of near misses and thrills and spills from start to finish. ORACLE Racing Spithill, winners on Saturday of the Match Racing Championship, came from behind to win the Fleet Racing Championship, becoming the first team to secure a double win at the AC World Series. Once again, team principal Larry Ellison was on board with the team today. “We really wanted to win the double,” said skipper James Spithill following the race. “We started okay, but got mixed up in the pack. But JK (tactician John Kostecki) got us back into it and then the boys did a fantastic job. We were able to stretch away and use our speed.” It was Emirates Team New Zealand who exploded off the starting line to lead the fleet of nine AC45s into a tense, action-packed turn at the first mark just a few hundred yards away. While the Kiwi team led early, the long leg upwind allowed several teams to shine, none more so than Artemis Racing who worked their way up to the front of a very tight pack by the top gate. But ORACLE Racing Spithill chose the favored mark at the top and was soon leading the fleet downwind at speeds near 25 knots, slowly extending away from the pack of boats giving chase. Artemis Racing had a near disaster at the bottom mark, their headsail not deploying cleanly, with a near-capsize dropping them well down the fleet. While Spithill moved away from the fleet, Team Korea, Emirates Team New Zealand, Energy Team, and Aleph were locked in a dogfight for second place. The advantage was first with Korea and then the Kiwis, but the two were just yards apart for most of the race, until a poor gybe on Korea allowed the Kiwis and both French boat to go past. At the finish, it was Emirates Team New Zealand in second, with Energy Team just one second ahead of Aleph for third, and Team Korea in fifth. Artemis Racing’s Terry Hutchinson made a late charge to take sixth place just one second ahead of China Team, with Green Comm Racing and ORACLE Racing Coutts at the back of the pack. Earlier, in the AC500 Speed Trial, the fastest runs came on the teams’ second attempt down the course. First it was Emirates Team New Zealand setting the pace. But then came the ORACLE Racing juggernaut. First Spithill and then Darren Bundock, skippering ORACLE Racing Coutts, broke the record, with Bundock’s speed of 26.87 knots standing up as the winning speed. San Diego is the last event of the calendar year for the America’s Cup World Series. The teams will now have four months of winter training before the next AC World Series stop in Naples, Italy from April 7 to 15, 2012. Venice, Italy then follows from the 12 to 20 of May, 2012. “We're going to go to some fantastic venues,” said Regatta Director Iain Murray. “The ACWS has grown legs of its own, it has proven itself as a concept. It excites the people, we fit it into the geography of the bays, and creating the stadium racing means we can broadcast our racing from the inside out. I see the World Series going from strength to strength. The AC72s are starting to be built, teams are getting stronger and more confident. We're heading towards some great events.” “It is very easy to forget how far we've come in a very short space of time,” said Richard Worth, Chairman of the America’s Cup Event Authority. “Three months ago the America’s Cup World Series didn't even exist. Now, we have had three spectacular events, thanks largely to our sailors, these sportsmen of outstanding quality. We have created a stunning sporting event. We saw that today, with some outstanding sport, inches between the boats at the end and real drama throughout. So through a very short space of time the America’s Cup World Series has absolutely come alive.” Results – San Diego Fleet Racing Championship 1. ORACLE Racing Spithill 2. Emirates Team New Zealand 3. Energy Team 4. Aleph 5. Team Korea 6. Artemis Racing 7. China Team 8. Green Comm Racing 9. ORACLE Racing Coutts Results – AC500 Speed Trial ORACLE Racing - Coutts - 26.87 knots ORACLE Racing - Spithill - 26.79 knots Emirates Team New Zealand - 26.56 knots Artemis Racing - 25.98 knots Energy Team - 25.96 knots China Team - 25.67 knots ALEPH - 25.19 knots Green Comm Racing - 24.74 knots Team Korea - 24.30 knots For the latest photos, please download from the America’s Cup Image Bank atwww.americascupmedia.com. For media resources, please visit the online America’s Cup Press Center at http://mediacenter.americascup.com/.

AC Plymouth Resumo

ACWS Day 3

An epic day of racing at the America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth

Fonte: America's Cup

Three capsizes tell the story of an epic final race in the Plymouth AC Preliminaries with winds gusting close to 30 knots (35 mph; 55 kph) across Plymouth Sound. The race course was pushed up close to The Hoe, and once again, the crowds on the hill were rewarded with thrilling racing just meters from shore.

© ACEA (2011)/ Photo G. Martin-Raget Download © ACEA (2011)/ Photo R. Pinto Download © Ricardo Pinto Download © Ricardo Pinto Download The blustery conditions pushed the crews and the boats to their limits, and in some cases beyond. Three teams capsized; the French Aleph, Team Korea and just meters from the finish, Spain’s Green Comm Racing. In each case, the crews escaped unscathed, the boats, with minor damage to their wings. During the race, the ORACLE Racing Spithill crew had many near misses and was lucky not to capsize as they passed the first mark with the lead. Other boats challenged them for their early advantage, with first Artemis Racing, then Emirates Team New Zealand taking their turn at the head of the fleet. But it was a game of least mistakes, a war of attrition that eventually went back in favor of James Spithill and his slick ORACLE team. France’s Energy Team sailed a strong race to finish fourth, after battling around the course with Russell Coutts for a podium spot. China Team too, sailed well in the conditions to finish in fifth place. Artemis Racing, meanwhile, was forced to retire, moments after relinquishing the lead on the second lap of the course, with equipment problems. Aleph was the first to capsize, nose-diving right in front of the crowds gathered along Plymouth seafront, early in the race. Then, at the top of the course Team Korea speared their bows into the waves and flipped over. And tantalizingly close to the finish, Green Comm Racing was toppled by a gust on the final leg of the race. Luca Devoti, sports director from Green Comm commented later: "Nobody has been hurt and the wing has been damaged; we'll need two days to fix it." All day, the sailors and the boats were racing at their very limits, unless a nonchalant James Spithill was to be believed after the race. "It was great racing for sure, not even at the limit of the boats; still a way to go." Brave words after a race that had spectators gasping with disbelief. While Spithill won the race, his rival Dean Barker's second place was sufficient to give victory to the Kiwis in the Plymouth AC Preliminaries. In Sunday’s AC500 Speed Trials, it looked like the Kiwis had it in the bag with two great runs while others were spinning off the race track. James Spithill's words nearly came back to haunt him as the ORACLE AC45 flipped right on to its edge - there were a few moments of doubt as to whether it would capsize - before it slapped back down on its floats. With Spithill out of contention in the speed trials, it was up to the remaining teams - and ORACLE Racing Coutts in particular - to take the fight to the Kiwis. Once again Russell Coutts had the bit between his teeth and turned in a scorching final run to post a winning time of 37:48 seconds. Monday and Tuesday are off days at the America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth allowing the teams a chance to rest and repair both man and machine. Racing resumes on Wednesday with qualifying races for the Plymouth AC Match Race Championship. All racing can be seen live on www.youtube.com/americascup.                         Results – Plymouth AC Preliminaries  Place Team RACE #1 RACE #2 RACE #3 RACE #4 TOTAL POINTS Place Points Place Points Place Points Place Points 1 Emirates Team New Zealand 1 10 3 8 1 10 2 9 37 2 ORACLE Racing Spithill 2 9 1 10 4 7 1 10 36 3 Artemis Racing 3 8 2 9 2 9 DNF 3 29 4 ORACLE Racing Coutts OCS 3 4 7 3 8 3 8 26 5 China Team 6 5 5 6 6 5 5 6 22 6 Aleph 4 7 7 4 5 6 DNF 3 20 7 Energy Team 8 3 6 5 7 4 4 7 19 8 Team Korea 5 6 DNF 3 8 3 6 5 17 9 Green Comm Racing 7 4 8 3 9 3 DNF 3 13 Plymouth AC500 Speed Trials - Sunday Place Team Speed (km/h) 1 ORACLE Racing Coutts 48.00 2 Emirates Team New Zealand 47.36 3 China Team 44.12 4 Energy Team 34.34 ORACLE Racing Spithill DNF Artemis Racing DNS Team Korea DNS Green Comm Racing DNS Aleph DNS