AMERICA’S CUP preview: PArt 2 52 YACHTING WORLD The America as we know it Cup thathasbeenmired incontroversy. Nowtheyare due tomeet d off andMatthewSheahananticipateshowtheywillfare andBMWOracleastheyprepared fora33rd America’s o Last monthwetookacloselookatthetwogiantmultihullsof g C ma on anewtypeofcourseatchallengingtimeyear tch FEBRUARY 2010 up, bu t no t ’s ’s G Martin-Raget/BMW Oracle Racing long- running there was the Challengers. flurry of new beaten and recipitated a the Americans could be attention to the fact that brought the world’s II validity of wrangling over the to the J Class. machines of the day, leading consecutive Challenges, each in extreme it pre-empted the Lipton era and his five asking whether the Cup could survive. Yet, 1890s was so acrimonious that it left many better. The bitter Dunraven affair of the always resulted in a major change for the Historically, such public punch-ups have Cup off on a new and exciting heading. machines ever seen. Valencia aboard the most extreme racing 2007 will be played out on the water in Gift. Now a battle that started ashore in ’s advantages under the Deed of expect to have their full entitlement to a developing the 32nd and 33rd events, might having paid out for organising and would at least measure. And the Defender, before the start of the regatta that their boat campaign, would want some assurance having spent over US$200 million on a with. Both have valid points. A Challenger, the America’s Cup have been tampered come and even for in general. could set a precedent for Cup Matches to the arguments have involved issues that rules of fairness have been questioned and much more than that – the fundamental richest men in the world. But it has been ego-fuelled squabble between two of the might seem to have been no more than an the casual observer the courtroom battles Cup will be used to its convoluted path. To followed the acrimonious road to the 33rd prestigious event. Yet those who have uncertainty can hang over such a story in On the Wind, page 17). before the Cup was due to start (see our would be the venue came only eight weeks be fought. Final confirmation that Valencia the battle for the 33rd America’s Cup would plenty of argument about where and how T ’s wing keel in 1983 And then The legal What happens next will set the America’s Both sides feel that the cornerstones of It’s extraordinary that so much build-up to the event there was still for 8, 10, 12 February 2010, but in the and tested and the date has been set he weapons have been chosen, built 8

C Borlenghi/Alinghi THE TEAMS

saga in 1987/8 between the Americans and the Kiwis as to what type of boats were allowed, leading to the exploitation of a Moving to powered systems meant taking a hard extra weight, so the crew list had to go on a diet. shortly before the start of the event. But here’s loophole in the Deed of Gift and the biggest look at the team. Powered systems may have Neither team is expected to announce the names, the pool of talent that each of the teams has at its mismatch in Cup history. Yet that one-sided TEAM talk provided extra grunt, but the technology also means or even the number, of crew it will sail with until disposal in their sailing squads. Match between Dennis Conner’s 60ft wingmasted cat and Michael Fay’s 120ft Loïck Peyron t 2 r t PA pre v ie w: monohull led to a new and exciting design, Skipper Trimmer Multihull sailor the IACC class. Just short of 100 boats were ALINGHI built to that class over 19 years and never had Loïck Peyron (FRA) “These boats are “It makes a change “One of the big the Cup seen such financial success. Simon Daubney (NZL) designed to get from a Version 5 potential problems The America’s Cup is an event of Dean Phipps (NZL) fast around a DoG Cup boat when with a extremes, both on the water and off. In 2007 Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA) the 32nd edition in Valencia provided some Franck Proffit (FRA) match. To put these you’d high five after is that it might not Yves Detrey (SUI) of the best match racing we’ve ever seen in boats head to head could see an finding an extra one-tenth of a knot be stiff enough, but this is a very some of the most closely matched boats – (NZL) though by today’s standards, they were Lorenzo Mazza (ITA) approach speed of 50 knots and I’ve of boat speed. If we’d been able to stiff one. Most of the time on big Rodney Ardern (NZL) heavy and slow. In 2010 the race will be Francesco Rapetti (ITA) Alain Gautier (FRA) got a lot of friends on the other boat employ just one of ten options that multihulls you see the hulls move (NZL)

AMERICA’S CUP AMERICA’S contested in no-holds-barred, lightweight (USA) – and I’d like to see them in the future! we’ve developed on this boat in the and eventually the rest of the boat monster multihulls created by the two Nicolas Texier (FRA) helmsman protagonists at the diametrically opposite Warwick Fleury (NZL) We’d like to keep them apart and see previous Cup you’d have won hands picks up and you fly, but on this boat Ernesto Bertarelli – team end of the design spectrum. Pieter van president (SUI) who’s the fastest and sails the best.” down. This time it’s a case of pin your it flew immediately.” But one factor that won’t change is that Nieuwenhuijzen (NED) Curtis Blewett (CAN) the America’s Cup will remain the most Nils Frei (SUI) ears back and go.” Will McCarthy (AUS) valuable trophy in sailing, the oldest Juan Vila (ESP) Brad Butterworth – international sporting trophy in the world skipper (NZL) Dirk Kramers – Chief engineer Murray Jones – Strategist and an event that, thanks to its unique structure, is also the most resilient event in “The risk of breaking things is huge, but it’s “You’re going into the unknown with our sport. People can talk of rivalling the Cup going to be difficult to go back upwind at loads that are absolutely horrendous, but with a new purpose-built event, with an ten knots again!” that’s where the knowledge of the design independent organising authority and a worldwide reach, but no one can erase 159 is invaluable to appreciate this.” J Delgado/Alinghi. Inset: G Trombetta G Inset: Delgado/Alinghi. J years of competition history. And most of all, Borlenghi) C Cameron, (C Alinghi Photos: no one can change the fact that you keep the Cup until someone else challenges you for it. James Spithill Mike Drummond CEO and skipper Helmsman Design team The first five minutes BMW ORACLE No one knows how these two giant Shannon Falcone (ANT) “You can complete “I think one of the director multihulls will compare, not even the crews. Thierry Fouchier (FRA) a tack much faster biggest issues is how “It’s a big step, but With so little time at the venue and with two Ross Halcrow (NZL) with the wing they’re going to it’s still only an very different extreme machines – one a cat, (USA) the other a tri – the first few minutes off the Joe Newton (AUS) than the sail. That umpire the racing. evolution of what’s line in the first race will be crucial. Matteo Plazzi (ITA) eliminates a loss in the time it takes But I think we’ll see huge amounts been done before. We’re trying to Their relative speeds towards the weather Max Sirena (ITA) mark (VMG) will be what counts. This may Russell Coutts (NZL) – James Spithill (AUS) – you to tack and adjusts the distance of separation. Compared to a typical sail the boat on one float all the sound obvious, but there are several ways of skipper and CEO helmsman you need to sail to complete a tack.” bow-on-bow match race, the racing time. Above a certain wind speed we achieving this and in multihulls the options Simeon Tienpont (NED) Simone de Mari (ITA) may not be as exciting, but the speed act like a catamaran, we’re only a are more extreme than in heavy- Dirk de Ridder (NED) Brad Webb (NZL) displacement monohulls. Noel Drennan (IRL) “One of the toughest days we’ve had of the boats will be.” when we tack.” In ORMA 60 trimaran racing round the Larry Ellison (USA) – so far was when we had to tell the cans teams were pointing high, sailing at team principal speeds typically of 15 knots upwind. But over eight grinders they were coming off “We did some match racing with “When we started the design of the time some learnt that footing a little and the boat because of the court ruling ORMA 60 and at the start boat we didn’t know the venue and sailing broader angles meant sailing faster that allowed the engines. It’s not we were both doing over 30 knots. we didn’t know what Alinghi’s boat (around 17-18 knots) for a better VMG. Both BMW Oracle and Alinghi might know really the way you want to sail an It all happens pretty quickly. And was targeted at. We’ve now gone their boats well and how they will perform in America’s Cup.” neither team is going to be able to get more extreme although now we different conditions and headings, but they don’t know how they’ll stack up against their any practice.” know they were looking at extreme opponent. So the first five minutes could be light airs.” All photos: G Martin-Raget/BMW Oracle Racing Oracle Martin-Raget/BMW G photos: All the most stressful of the event.

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