AMERICA'S CUP 2013: San Francisco, California, USA.

[baron-pierreIV]

It’s good to work out all these hiccups to prepare for an even bigger regatta at San Francisco in 2016

Ya think?

[paul]

in the bag

[Alexjc]

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO

RACE 1

TEAM NZ V LUNA ROSSA

....TEAM NZ LEADING SO FAR....BECAUSE LUNA ROSSA DIDN'T START!!!!!

[expletive deleted] YOU.

SOONER IN AUCKLAND...THE BETTER

[paul]

Props to team NZ

On Saturday afternoon Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 issued a press release stating it will not race its first scheduled match of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, tomorrow against Emirates Team New Zealand.

“This isn’t unexpected, but it’s still disappointing,” said Stephen Barclay, the CEO of the America’s Cup. “It’s a case of won’t race, not can’t race.

“The people really hurt by this are the fans, who have waited for more than two years to see the first race in these spectacular AC72 catamarans.

“This is particularly disappointing considering Luna Rossa was out sailing on the race course on Saturday,” said Barclay.

The Luna Rossa statement reads: “As already informally stated in the last few days, Luna Rossa is waiting for the International Jury decision on its protest against the measures introduced by the Regatta Director.”

“What I don’t understand is they sailed today (Saturday), they say they will sail if they win or lose the protest, but they just won’t sail against Emirates Team New Zealand on Sunday,” Barclay said.

Emirates Team New Zealand will need to start the race on Sunday at 12:15 pm PT and sail the course to collect the first point in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

At Friday’s press conference, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker confirmed his team “will be out there, ready to race.”

[mattygs]

SOONER IN AUCKLAND...THE BETTER

Bias I know, but I fully agree.

The America's Cup is always going to have an element of court room drama of some description, to an extent, it does add to the event.

However. ever since the Cup left Auckland , the billionaires have soured the event big time (in saying that, Valencia still put on a great event).

I'm confident that having the Cup back in the City of Sails can only be a good thing for the Auld Mug, back to basics to an extent I guess. Maybe then we can have a good Aussie syndicate, the Brits can come back, a few good yacht clubs from the States etc etc.

Would be interesting to see how the event would work in with the new developments at the Viaduct and Wynyard Quarter.

The Black Boart boat seems to be fast, faster than some expected - Im hyped at the prospect of eventually getting some great racing , it's a fantastic setting for it this year.

[Alexjc]

Its such a shame that San Francisco has been let down by this event, considering the build up was so exciting.
Yet todays "race" if you could call it that, showed what this event could have been. IMO now totally tarnished by even Larry Ellison's total apathy to the everyday yachties out there, let alone the millions of shore sailors that were hoping for more. Prada has lost all my support as a fellow LV compeditor I'm afraid...Artemus? Well...

as for a future in Auckland, yes a return of all those teams that walked away from this event, especially if the AC45s or the creation of the AC55 class.

[Alexjc]

WOOOOO HOOOOO...RACE 2....TEAM NZ V ARTEMUS!!!!

NEW ZEALAND IN FRONT!!!! YAAAY!

COULD WIN THIS ONE...

BECAUSE ARTEMUS DIDN'T SHOW UP!!!!!

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!!

[paul]

Fear the bay.

[Alexjc]

Fear the lawyers!!!

The only winners in this whole debacle!

[Alexjc]

AC Tribunal Results.

Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand have WON the contentious issue over the forced modifications to their rudders after Artemus' accident caused an illegal design change by Oracle.

Luna Rosa is now out on the course taking on Artemus...They have led around every mark so far...

...Oh by the way, Artemus didn't show up...

Artemus is now in a conundrum as their new AC72 is only configured for the illegal, 'new' slow rudder design and to change back would further delay their already ruined enough campaign. LR and TNZ have said they will support a bid for dispensation with Jury to allow Artemus to sail with the rudder until the Semi Finals.

[baron-pierreIV]

Oh the Games the Billionaire boys play. How does it affect your life and mine? Didn't make it any easier for me to shop for a car this week. Got pre-approved by my brother's bank/credit union. They have a certain procedure to cut the check. The stupid dealer has their own way The battle resumes Monday.

[Alexjc]

A RACE...A REAL RACE!!!

LUNA ROSA V TEAM NZ...

TEAM NZ WAY OUT IN FRONT IN RACE 2...Half way round.

WONDERFUL SIGHTS OF THESE SUPER CATS GOING FOR IT...AND AN AMAZING VIEW OF THE COURSE. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE LOOKS AMAZING.

Early days racing in the round robin series but a good indication on how the three challengers are placed.

[Alexjc]

AND WE'RE HOME...TEAM NZ HOME, But Luna Rosa breached the time lag of 5 mins (5m23sec) and get a 'did not complete' penalty...albeit a few seconds over.

Good work both teams!

TEAM NZ looks good!

[Alexjc]

YET ANOTHER SOLO RACE BY TEAM NEW ZEALAND TODAY...

...Artemus still a no show.

[Alexjc]

WELL...It's Luna Rosa's turn to go solo today...Still, every point counts and Artemus is just sinking further into the abyss by not fronting.

[Sir Rols]

Looks like the event is losing its gloss, across both the Pacific and the Tasman:

America's Cup Needs to Set Sail for Real

So far, the 34th America's Cup, the first one on U.S. shores since 1995, has felt like a test run and a dizzying, confusing one at that.

It opened smoothly enough on July 4 amid international and local fanfare celebrating the arrival of the world's most important sailing competition onto the San Francisco Bay ("the fastest boats, the best sailors," is the event's tagline). But soon after, ill-winds, literally and figuratively, set in, as they had for months. A corny metaphor yes, but, in this case, apt.

What's the Sound of One Boat Racing?

Wind conditions prompted the cancellation of the event's "pageant" on the second day, when the four competing teams were to parade their technologically cutting-edge 72 ft. racing catamarans along the water. The following day, when the first race was set to occur, Italy's Luna Rossa Challenge team refused to participate, as a protest around a proposed last-minute rule change. This meant that Emirates Team New Zealand ran the first competition by itself.

That was weird enough until New Zealand ran the course alone again in the second contest because Sweden's Artemis Racing team was still rebuilding its boat after it capsized in a practice run on May 9, killing one of its crew men, Andrew Simpson. The problems with the Artemis boat resulted in Luna Rossa also competing unopposed. Since then, New Zealand and Italy have run more solo "races."

No Real Races, No Crowds

By the end of opening weekend, the only possible collective response was "Really?" and the crowds stayed away. The staff within the America's Cup Park, the finish line enclave built on the Bay specifically for the "summer of racing," was trying hard to maintain enthusiasm as they scrambled to look busy.

By the end of the first week, the America's Cup Village staff members at the Marina Green, the America's Cup outpost stationed near the beginning of the race course, were checking smart phones and chatting among themselves to fill time as customers were scarce. If someone asked a question, three America's Cup staff members responded. These were people hungry for something to do.

Finally, last weekend -- nine days after opening -- the first competition with two boats actually took place as scheduled. Thousands of spectators lined the shore of the iconic race course, which begins against the stunning backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, passes Alcatraz and finishes around the bend at the America's Cup Park. The day was gorgeous, and the boats were impressive when, as promised, they lifted off the water, as if they were flying. Except, it wasn't really much of a contest after all, as Emirates New Zealand so out performed Luna Rossa that the boats -- once again -- appeared to race mostly alone.

Reality Sets In

Now, bars, cafes and food booths are considering toying with or even cutting back menus. Louis Vuitton, a 30-year sponsor of the nine-week phase of challenger competitions, dubbed the Louis Vuitton Cup, demanded the return of $3 million of its sponsorship money. Artemis broke the negative momentum with some good news, estimating that the boat would be ready to sail by this weekend. But they still may need to compete under a special dispensation that all the teams have yet to agree upon.

Meanwhile, the winds are still a factor. If they blow too high before or during the race, officials will cancel the contest or immediately stop it if it is underway. Now, San Francisco's winds are so unpredictable that you can walk the street enjoying a summer day, then four blocks and five minutes later take a right turn and feel like autumn is approaching early. No one advised the America's Cup about San Francisco's summer weather? Good luck with that.

At this point, the America's Cup seems to be making it up as it goes along, with the Louis Vuitton Cup more like a barely organized dress rehearsal for September when the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will race against local billionaire Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA.

If this is true, what a waste. The America's Cup has much to offer immediately for locals and visitors.

New and Good on the Bay

The America's Cup Park has brought to life Piers 27 and 29, a part of San Francisco's Embarcadero that was all but dormant. Inside the Park, The Sports Bar, the Flute Bar with Mumm's Champagne tastings, a New Zealand's Moa beer bar, the Nespresso Café and the Napa Valley Wine bar have set up in different, creative seating indoor/outdoor environments, some with water views. One of Auckland's top chefs opened on-site a first-rate New Zealand-influenced, six-month pop-up restaurant, the Waiheke Island Yacht Club.

There are areas for kids, performance spaces for the free bands, shops with America's Cup and Louis Vuitton athletic gear, and the America's Cup Pavilion, a new 9,000-seat waterside facility with twenty big-name concerts scheduled. Oh yes, and the super yachts are lolling along the pier. Completely cool or ostentatious display of wealth? You choose.

The Marina Green's America's Cup Village serves as a casual version of the Park and both areas contain exhibits that explain the America's Cup and racing.

The entire event, which continues through September 21, happens on one of the most spectacular water-meets-land strips in North America and it is free to enter. Once in, you can hear people complaining about the prices. ($5.50 for a cappuccino?)

Nonetheless, without handing over even a dollar, euro, pound or yen, anyone can stand along the race course edge and watch these state-of-the-art boats sail closer to shore than in any other America's Cup.

Now What?

We will know more about how the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger series will fare probably by the end of this week. Artemis needs to race. Luna Rossa has to step up its game. And two boat competitions have to be the rule not the exception.

Yet, despite the in-fighting, local indifference, bad luck and, perhaps most specifically, Ellison's decision to race with the untested, expensive 72 ft. catamarans that excluded many competitors and pushed the safety limits, this is the world's premier sailing event.

The San Francisco America's Cup just needs to start acting like one.

San Francisco Around Town (via Huffington Post)

Pity - San Fran's such a beautiful setting for it.

Anyway, and from the Kiwis:

Ghosts of America's Cups past

The Government has invested $36million in Team New Zealand's bid to win the America's Cup. We want to know whether our readers think this money is well spent.

The origins of our obsession with the America's Cup was when, in 1983, Australia won it. We vicariously shared in the upset caused by our trans-Tasman cousins taking this trophy from the American blue bloods. Until then, I doubt many New Zealanders had heard of the America's Cup.

But we wanted it to be us, not the Aussies, who had scored this upset. This ambition coincided with 1980s upwardly mobile Auckland yachting culture. We ultimately won the Cup for ourselves, but the fact is the Aussies did it first.

In the meantime, we learned that the America's Cup culture in particular and yachting culture generally is not democratic or particularly sporting. It is mainly the domain of the rich and selfish, despite the ability of many in New Zealand to still have cheap access to the sport.

I suspect it was these ghosts of 30 years ago that prompted the last government to front up $36 million. Throwing money at this rich man's sport was not money well spent.

Our Coast Guard and Surf Lifesaving are staffed by volunteers. The money should have gone to them if we wanted to acknowledge our water-based cultures.

Stuff.co.nz

Sounds like you're learning what we did - it was a great moment for us in Oz to be the first to ever wrest the cup off the US, but we quickly learned it's a billionaire's plaything ... and one of the most boring of all spectator sports.

That said, I'm not sure I agree with the "waste" sentiment of the stuff.co.nz article above. Yes, it's easy to kake the case it's a waste and a case of misguided priorities. But in the scheme of government budgets, it's not a lot - it would scarcely cover a campaign pitch campaign for a big event. And if NZ wins, the payoff in terms of the national "feel good" factor would be huge.

[Alexjc]

Yeah...No one here has that "Buzz" that was around in 1995...and really, $36mil is bugger all compared to what Larry Ellison has. But the payback will be huge. The 1995 victory created a boat building industry worth billions$$$ and turned a really grotty corner of Auckland's wharf area into a play land.

What impresses most are the AC72s...They are truly amazing. Just a shame only ETNZ, Luna Rossa and Oracle can handle them.

This will most likely be the last NZ challenge for the America's cup, and ETNZ knows this...If they win it, well good.

I hope more teams show up...

I do feel for San Francisco...What a wonderful venue. Oracle really got it wrong dropping the AC45s and their action packed antics.

[paul]

lets not forget who build a bad boat and brought much of the current cloud of question.

i think the comp will heat up and i'm looking foward to an American victory and return to SF.

at least thee luna rossa boat is stylish. too bad prada fought the village.

still planning to head up at some point.

it's going to be very sad around GB if NZ can't win.

[baron-pierreIV]

So, will the 2016 yachts be 144s?? And then 288s by 2019??

[Alexjc]

TEAM NZ...Around, alone...againnnnn!

There's nothing overly wrong with the AC72s, just the crews that can't handle them.

America's cup IS the sharp end of yachting development, I'm not overly fussed at the moment as to who will win this year's ruined event...

San Francisco must feel guttered that these one boat lap arounds are all that there is for now.

[Sir Rols]

So how many "races" have actually had more than one boat so far?

[Alexjc]

So how many "races" have actually had more than one boat so far?

... errr...one ?

Next two boat race on Sunday morning.

Seriously, outside the farce of 1988...(and 2010 at a stretch). This 2013 event is a real let down, mainly for San Francisco who paid big $$$ to try and liven the Cup up...and would've if super ego's were kept in temper.

When this regatta is over, and planning for the next one begins, wherever it will be, the inquiry board will be tearing into why Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison didn't listen to the upset syndicates that would've stayed if we were racing in the AC45 hotrods.

[Sir Rols]

So we have a "traditional" edition of the America's Cup - most of the real "competition" is happening in the courtrooms.

[Alexjc]

So we have a "traditional" edition of the America's Cup - most of the real "competition" is happening in the courtrooms.

Yeah in a way...but that part is over.

The problem is Artemus and the huge delay in getting them out onto the water with the new Cat...

...Really it's just simply the lack of competition!. Team GB walked away disappointed and Mascelzone Latino went under because the funding and learning curve for the new AC72s proved too much.

[Alexjc]

A real Race!!!

ETNZ blew it's Jib on leg 4...Cut it free and is now sailing only with it's wingsail...And they are still out in front on the final leg over Luna Rossa!!!

Now this is what it should be like...if ETNZ wins today, they qualify straight through to the LV Finals. They could flip the bird at Artemus and 'pass' on racing them but most likely will race them for the points, and this will help Luna Rosa in the repecharges they will have with Artemus.