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Alinghi wins third consecutive multihull Championship on Lake Geneva

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:05:00 +0000

The Alinghi Décision 35 team, led by Ernesto Bertarelli, won the Challenge Julius Baer on Lake Geneva.

The Alinghi D35 team won the Switzerland-based Challenge Julius Baer multihull series for the third consecutive year. Alinghi has competed in every D35 championship on Lake Geneva since the 35ft one-design series began in 2004 and this year, as in recent events, the crew of six has been up against some of the most talented multihull sailors in the world throughout the summer-long 12-boat series. The illustrious roll call includes some of Alinghi’s own America’s Cup team members: Loïck Peyron and Alain Gautier, as well as Michel Desjoyeaux, Franck Cammas, Pascal Bidégorry and Karine Fauconnier among others.

Alinghi, helmed by team president Ernesto Bertarelli, won two of the events this year and ranked second in three. Saturday’s performance in Lausanne-Ouchy secured the championship victory for the America’s Cup Defender with Loïck Peyron’s Okalys in second place, just ahead of Alain Gautier on Foncia.

“I am very happy with the result, especially as the level this year has been really high and the fight for the championship has been tight from the start. To finish ahead of Alain Gautier [helmsman on Foncia] and Loïck Peyron [helmsman on Okalys-Corum] is an honour as a helmsman because it’s difficult to find someone as good as them in the world of multihulls,” said Ernesto Bertarelli. “Our result is entirely due to our crew. All sailing boats have to be sailed with everyone doing their job as best they can and we are particularly lucky to have very good people in every single position; it’s a comprehensive victory for all the crew,” he added.

Alinghi has recently completed its sea trials in Genoa, Italy, and will continue to train and test its giant catamaran towards the 33rd America’s Cup in Ras al-Khaimah scheduled to start on 8 February 2010. “Our full focus is on Alinghi 5, we have many things to implement and many things to learn from the boat so there are many hours to put in on the water,” concluded Ernesto Bertarelli.

The team will recommence training in mid-October in the UAE.

Alinghi SUI1 crew

Ernesto Bertarelli, helmsman
Pierre-Yves Jorand, mainsail trimmer and performance
Nils Frei, trimmer
Yves Detrey, bow/mastman and boat captain
Tanguy Cariou, tactician
Coraline Jonet, trimmer

Statement from the Société Nautique de Genève, 33rd America’s Cup Defender

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:26:31 +0000

Fred Meyer, Vice-Commodore of the SNG, comments on the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s latest litigation

“It’s a shame that BMW Oracle and Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) persist with their campaign to win the America’s Cup through litigation rather than on the water. This is the sixth time that they’ve taken the Defender to court. It is possible that Larry Ellison continues to revert to the courts to draw attention away from the fact that their boat does not meet the dimensions as per their Certificate of Challenge.

“Golden Gate Yacht Club’s speculations over the conduct of the Match before the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions have even been written and published are simply premature and self-serving. They are designed to denigrate the reputation and achievements of the Swiss Defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), as well as the America’s Cup itself. BMW Oracle is once again dragging the America’s Cup through the courts on baseless grounds.

“The rules of the America’s Cup Match are as the donors of the Deed of Gift wrote over 130 years ago, when other American yacht clubs were the Defender. They are not as the Golden Gate Yacht Club or BMW Oracle would now, as a Challenger, like them to be, to suit their purposes.

The simple facts are:

1. In absence of mutual agreement between the Defender and the Challenger, the America’s Cup is ruled by the default terms of the Deed of Gift.

2. In accordance with the Deed of Gift, and as with all past America’s Cups, the defending yacht club is the organiser of the Match.

3. The Deed of Gift states that the challenging vessel should not exceed certain measurements. GGYC presented their Certificate of Challenge specifying a 90x90ft yacht. Today they must honour their own volunteered and freely submitted decision and their competing yacht must match those dimensions, as required by the Deed of Gift and ordered by Justice Kornreich. SNG does not wish to see GGYC disqualified; they have enough time to modify their boat so that it measures.

4. The rules of the Match will be the Deed of Gift, and the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing written and promulgated by the International Sailing Federation and used by yacht clubs all over the world, including GGYC and SNG.

5. The rules of the Match will be set out in a Notice of Race to be published on 6 November 2009 and in the Sailing Instructions to be published on 8 January 2010. These dates are considerably earlier than when an American Defender – whose Chief Operating Officer was Tom Ehman – provided the same documents to the then Challenger in 1988 when the Cup was last competed for under the strict terms of the Deed of Gift.

6. SNG has voluntarily provided GGYC with advance details of the rules and procedures affecting the construction and measurement of the competing yachts and continues to answer questions from and provide information to GGYC about these matters to allow them to prepare their yacht “USA”.

7. All Umpires and members of the International Jury will be solely selected by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Like all regattas and sporting competitions they, like the competitors, will be bound by the rules of the competition.

8. The Supreme Court of the State of New York has reviewed the agreement between SNG and ISAF, which follows past agreements approved by GGYC and found that: “[the agreement] is not inconsistent with anything in the Deed or the applicable rules. There is also nothing untoward about the agreement itself.”

BMW-Oracle wants next two America’s Cup to be held in Spain

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:47:12 +0000

US team Oracle reiterated Thursday its wish that the next edition of the America’s Cup, a multihull duel against defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland, be held in March 2010 in Valencia, Spain.

It also said the following edition of yachting’s premier racing event could also be staged in 2011 or 2012 in Valencia, where Alinghi won the 32nd America’s Cup in July 2007, and has asked its Swiss rivals to aim for this.

This position was expressed by two officials, Oracle spokesman Tom Ehman and the team’s skipper Russell Coutts of New Zealand, to local media Thursday in Valencia, and in a letter sent to Alinghi.

In the letter, Oracle recalled that a US court has ruled that the multihull duel must take place no later than next February in Valencia, or if not there in a location selected by Alinghi by August 8 in the southern hemisphere.

The US team left the door open to a mutual agreement on another location in the northern hemisphere with Alinghi, which said earlier this week that it was studying “various locations” for the duel without giving further details.

Oracle suggested as a mediator for the organization of this duel the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), but said it does not want to change the date for the event.

Ehman and Coutts said that no matter what the outcome of the duel is, Oracle would like the 34th America’s Cup to be held soon in Valencia in its traditional format, involving multiple challengers, in what is a departure from its usual position up until now.

They also indicated that racing events similar to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series held earlier this year in New Zealand could take place this fall at Valencia.

Oracle also indicated that its “USA” multihulls yacht for the duel will be launched this summer but did not clarify whether the ship the giant trimaran it is modifying in San Diego or a new multihull under construction.

The multihull Alinghi is building in Switzerland is also expected to be launched this summer. Oracle said the rules of the event forbid it from having two masts, as Alinghi proposed in a recent letter.

via AFP.

The New York Court ruling that the America’s Cup will be in February 2010

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:11:13 +0000

The judge of the Supreme Court of New York Court of Shirley Werner Kornreich ruled today that the 33rd edition of the America’s Cup will be in February 2010, but has qualified to Alinghi and BMW-Oracle can agree another date, Valencia haven’t confirmed to host the competition.
According to the Alinghi sources, the judge has given a list of potential mediators to intercede for the parties to agree on the date of the 33rd America’s Cup, in the case is not achieved, will be held in February 2010 at a venue that the defender must communicate six months before the race.
Failure to reach agreement and have to compete in February 2010, the same sources have stressed that Alinghi will have to “evaluate” whether Valencia would be the right place at the conditions of his race during the winter in the northern hemisphere.
Two releases of both teams litigants, the Alinghi and BMW-Oracle, issued today after the ruling, explain the different nuances of the judicial decision.
Tom Ehman, spokesman for the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), which competes for the BMW-Oracle, said in a statement issued after the hearing that “today is due to end any further delay to the 33rd edition of the America’s Cup and now we can look forward to exciting race early next year. ”
His note said that the April 7, 2009, the Court of Appeals of New York Court ruled unanimously that the GGYC was the rightful ‘Challenger of Record’ edition of 33 and that the next America’s Cup should be held in ten months in early February 2010.
However, in a letter dated April 23 of the Geneva Nautical Society (SNG), which competes on ‘Alinghi’ defender of the America’s Cup, tried to postpone the race until May 2010, which led to a motion of the U.S. team has now been finally resolved in his favor.

The Neverending Story

Following the ratification today by the Court, the NGA has also sent a statement indicating that compliance with this decision and is pleased “clarity” that gives the resolution.
“We now know that the America’s Cup could take place in the northern hemisphere, regardless of date and may be agreed through mediation, according to Judge Kornreich,” says the note from the Swiss team.
The union reported that presides Ernesto Bertarelli also emphasizes that Judge Kornreich “requires” the BMW-Oracle to “adhere” to the specifications of its notification of challenge in July 2007 and that “as soon as possible” present Alinghi boat certificate.
“That means we have the boat in the catamaran for ninety ninety feet in the duel to take place, has to comply strictly with its notification said that in July 2007 because they risk a disqualification,” in If it does not have the same sources clarified.

The BMW Oracle wants all teams in the 33rd America’s Cup

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:19:44 +0000

Is the first report issued by the Golden Gate Yacht Club. BMW Oracle has announced that it intends to negotiate a protocol with Alinghi for the 33rd edition of the Copa America’s involvement in allowing the competition to other teams interested, as announced by the U.S. team in a statement.
This is the first report issued by the Golden Gate Yacht Club, sailing club which competes for the BMW Oracle, after the ruling issued in New York, which meant the team as “Challger of the record and opened the possibility of This was an America’s Cup duel with three races with the exclusive participation of BMW Oracle and Alinghi defender.
In the U.S. release of the club says that this possibility “follows the decision last Thursday by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, which decided that Oracle was the ‘Challenger of Record.”
“The owner of BMW Oracle, Larry Ellison, and the president of Alinghi, Ernesto Bertarelli, has been in communication between them since the court’s decision in New York,” added the text.
“At this time, the Golden Gate Yacht Club cree that it is best to maintain communication between the parties, to achieve successful conclusions as soon as possible,” the note of the yacht club.

The pre-regattas in July 2009

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:16:10 +0000

Will happen from 10 to 19 of July and currently there are 19 teams registered, which must now ratify its participation, as says sources of America’s Cup Management (ACM), organizer of the event. The agreement sets a price of nine million euros plus VAT, while the second competitions in October pending verdict of the dispute between the teams Alinghi and BMW Oracle.

In this way the relationship continues between Valencia and the America’s Cup sailing, even with a race that might not rate in the official competition. Everything depends of the Court of New York.

If BMW ORACLE American syndicate win in Court, the scene changed completely. The rules of the America’s Cup winner said that the trial is up to ten months to fix the dates of the Challenge, which might discourage this pre-rregata in the event of a collision of dates.

The spectator boats are in this kind of competitions in different perimeters, depending on the privileges they have. Similarly, the proximity to the port also facilitates the television to wireless networks.

Now it’s time to realize all these logistics, and advanced according to the councilman of Sports of Valencia, Cristóbal Grau. The representative of ACM, Lucien Masmejan, said that there is still no agreement in sight on what channel will the races.

What will happen with the BMW Oracle in case you lose the trial? Currently is not among those registered for pre-rregatas, which would negate their participation in the 33rd edition of the America’s cup, according to sources from ACM.

The only way to change this is that all equipment approved unanimously to allow the entry of the Americans, something difficult to achieve especially in the case of Alinghi, current holder of the Mug Hundred Guineas and he faces in court Supreme New York.

A matter of contract and absent is striking is that the organizer does not reserve any percentage of the revenues of the restaurants in the dock. This line of business at the marina kept in exclusive Consorcio Valencia 2007, the public agency that undertook the infrastructure at the port for the races.

David Pedrick, new CTO of the 33rd America’s Cup

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:58:36 +0000

Pedrick is the president of the Measurement Committee, which shall comprise a minimum of two additional members, whose task is to ensure compliance with the regulation AC33.

33 America’s Cup has taken a further step towards its next edition and, during their meeting held today the teams in Valencia to discuss the proposals of the rules of the competition, has appointed veteran U.S. designer David Pedrick as technical director of the race.
Grant Simmer, design coordinator for the Swiss team, said that this is a person involved in the design of America’s Cup boats since 1974 and whose appointment has emerged “from a list of several candidates proposed by the teams.”
Pedrick is the president of the Measurement Committee, which shall comprise a minimum of two additional members, whose task is to ensure compliance with the regulations and any other requirements AC33 measurement.
“It is a pleasure to be involved in the Copa America in this way, and contribute to this new class of ship is a success. The shape of the new AC33 class is well defined, but may have some gaps that we have not yet understood and which we must be aware, “he said.
In view of technical director of the race, “the building is set in a simpler manner than with the class ACC and could be situations that should be observed carefully.”
“Since this is a new class of boat and all interpretations are public, I hope that dialogue with competitors if there is such uncertainty that we feel free to ask,” wanted.
Nineteen teams entered in the 33rd edition were listed today on the Alinghi base in the port of Valencia and with the exception of Team New Zealand and China Team, were present representatives of the other teams in a meeting that started on a afternoon and lasted about four hours.
The teams also agreed to a change in the protocol more flexible exchange restrictions for equipment designers.
The group has elected two additional members of the Arbitration Panel, David Kellett (AUS), Vice President of ISAF, and Peter Leaver (GBR), British lawyer since 1967 and President of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who join Henry Peter (SUI ), Luis María Cazorla (ESP) and Graham McKenzie (NZL).
Starting today, and teams can begin to design boats that will compete in the 33 America’s Cup, scheduled for July 2010 in Valencia, which now has closed the final regulation of new vessels modifications made to the equipment.
Simmer reminded that this rule was published on January 30 last days but the team raised their arguments and suggestions and today has announced the final rule.
During prerregatas scheduled for June or July and September or October 2009 and will be held regardless of the opinion of the judges of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New York, teams will compete with the boats of the version 5 of the 32 edition.
The competitors have decided that participation in prerregatas 2009 in the old boats are binding on all equipment and the intention is to allocate the bases after confirming their participation in these prerregatas.
Also during this meeting, the fifth since the organization decided to revive the competition, teams have continued their planning for an America’s Cup in Valencia in 2010, in the hopes of a favorable ruling “of the New York courts, as Simmer wanted.
“There is going to have to wait for a resolution to organize prerregatas 2009 because that is what they want and what the teams want to Valencia,” Simmer said, he hoped to have the sentence “as soon as possible to have one plan in which to work. ”
The next meeting is scheduled for competition March 31 in Valencia.

Bertarelli says that Valencia will Copa regardless of the Court’s decision

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:52:22 +0000

Bertarelli has said he wants to hold the next edition in Valencia, either with a number of teams if they win the lawsuit or in a duel to the best of three races against the American union, in case you lose.

Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi’s owner, said today that Valencia will host the 33rd edition of the America’s Cup and 2010, regardless of the decision of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New York on its lawsuit against Oracle-BMW.
Bertarelli has said he wants to hold the next edition in Valencia, either in conventional form with a number of teams if they win the lawsuit or in a duel to the best of three races against the American trade union, if you lose.
The Swiss mogul has been involved in a conference of owners and organizers of sporting events, framed at the “major sports events: a key to the development of cities” which is celebrated in this city since yesterday.
Both in his lecture “The America’s Cup, a dream, a vision, a success in their subsequent statements, Bertarelli said that if the courts give the reason, Valencia will host a new edition of” unique and spectacular ” and reaffirmed his contacts with the authorities to reality.
“If we win the lawsuit will have an issue with conventional equipment, smaller budgets and more likely to win for all and Valencia will have a unique and spectacular event,” he said, while he said that if the city wants Cup in 2010 while competing BMW only against the will.
“For me it is more important to sign the agreement with Valencia to think that BMW,” he added in proportion to the benefit that might be giving the U.S. team by announcing the headquarters of a hypothetical duel with them when they can release this stored up to six months before the race.
Bertarelli has admitted that “mistake” to announce, just as fast to win the race in July 2007 – Valencia to host the 33 edition and new ideas for the competition: a unique and new vessel and to reduce the holding of two years the next appointment.
“We wanted to move too fast to get the city to remain involved and continue the momentum of success, changing the period from four to two years and announcing our new vision of the competition, and maybe we rushed,” he argued.
Bertarelli would act differently now, “leaving a few weeks before announcing a new contract with the city and a new protocol with the teams. Held the first victory, would after a competition analysis and draw conclusions. Then, calmly, announced the new vision of the Cup, “he said.
However, has argued that his vision was “not wrong” and that, despite being embroiled in a lawsuit, there are teams that have followed, including the eighteen registered so far.
The Swiss sailor has admitted that the balance of the Copa America in part to the budget was not to recover and must keep the sponsors and reduce the cost of equipment.
The average budget of the teams in the 32 edition was 60 million euros were spent, some over 100 – but, as nuanced, “today, with half, we could win the Cup.”
“With the newness of the new ship, teams do not have to acquire technology from the past but all start from scratch with new rules and have the same chances to win,” he highlighted.
Bertarelli has insisted that it was beginning to understand the benefits of change that have emerged in the competition because it will mean “the entry of new teams in the competition and a higher level of competitiveness.”
Asked about the possibility that if the BMW-Oracle loses the trial will open the doors to participate in a conventional 33 edition, Bertarelli has been argued that the decision is up to all the participants. ”
“The cost of litigation has been for everyone, not just for me. I hope to win and then discuss it with the equipment because it is a decision of the entire community of the America’s Cup. What is clear is that they have done much harm,” been completed.

The 33th America’s Cup in the Court

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:47:35 +0000

We will have to wait and see what happens with the race and Valencia.

And there is no option agreement because the parties have long been in two very different planes. And no messages are issued and before, when they did, it never went trails converged.

The latest media cartridge used it yesterday in Auckland, Ernesto Bertarelli. There, the owner of the Swiss syndicate out any glimmer of last-minute agreement: “It was very confusing to negotiate with them. Now we are at the end of the road and there is no other option but to wait as the judges determine.”

After 570 days of litigation, Oracle made the first claim on July 20, 2007, the problem has come to a climax. The options for the defense teams are exhausted. Behind the seven judges who must now listen to the lawyers of Alinghi, BMW Oracle and Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEVA) and there is nothing more to litigate about the need to relate to today.

And legal issues aside, the mundane only interested in knowing what is going to decide in a room where seven judges will hear over 25 minutes to the list of lawyers for the parties after. Then, silence, meditation can be extended to about two months.

White smoke when there are only two options: Alinghi has the right or to be given to Oracle. If the judges determine color of Swiss America’s Cup will be a conventional, most probably in Valencia in 2010 or 2011 with events in 2009. Larry Ellison folded sails and powerful you will not have option to enroll in a Copa America that is now closed to new participants.

If U.S. judges throw the verdict to the homeland, the only thing to be clear is that the two unions litigants will have to see the faces in a race with the multihulls on the site to decide Alinghi.

But the other unions, which care for males. Nobody can predict when a dispute could Cup conventional. Trials and the claims could cascade of either party and prolong the problem even though the two races had already been held.

Ernesto Bertarelli provides two options, and yesterday at the press conference that took place in Auckland said: “We are ready to face any decision taken by judges of the court in New York.”

Bet on Valencia
At the press conference also asked the Swiss for the location of the hypothetical conventional America’s Cup defender and defended the America’s Cup in Valencia should be made where “we have all the bases, infrastructure and support of a city she did very well in 2007. Valencia is the most easy and good solution, “he said but warned that if no agreement was reached with the government” will have to find another alternative. ”

Bertarelli said that several cities in Europe that would be willing to host an America’s Cup in the event of negotiations not lead to Valencia.

The 19 teams registered for the AC33 approved the regulations for the new yacht design

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:45:16 +0000

	ACC Version 5.0	Class AC33
Length overall	24.5m typical	26m maximum
Length waterline	18-20m	26m maximum
Beam	3.3m typical	4.8m maximum
Draft	4.1m	5.0m
Weight in measurement condition	24T	17.5T
Mast height from sheerline	32.5m	33.6m
Spinnaker area	512sqm maximum	unlimited
Mainsail area	214sqm typical	225sqm maximum
I from sheerline	26.1m	28.5m
J	8.3m	10m
Spinnaker tack from mast	11.6m (pole)	13.65m (to end of bowsprit)

The ship will have a maximum length of 26 meters, a depth of 5 and a displacement of 17.5 tons

The surface of the sail plan is greater than the ACC version 5.0 ships, but not overlapping bow and candles, as in the regulation of AC90 which was developed in 2007, the boat will have a bowsprit.

As a child will shift the AC33 will be more demanding in-bound and gives a brilliant performance in the leg.

The maximum breadth is 4.8 m, much higher than the 2007 boats.

Nineteen unions have formalized their registration for the next edition of the America’s Cup, pending the Supreme Court of New York issued a final ruling in the dispute that kept the Geneva Nautical Society and the Golden Gate Yacht Club, have made public the new regulations for the design of boats for this test.

The AC33 is designed through a series of consultations between the Ombudsman ‘Alinghi’, the Challenger of Record ‘Desafío Español’ and the other 17 teams registered. This process has been led by Tom Schnackenberg as consultant to the rules of the classroom and competition for AC Management.

Designers and team leaders of the 19 registered trade unions in the 33rd America’s Cup have met regularly in Geneva and Valencia, since the design process began in early November 2008.

Best Performance

The group has agreed to develop a ship similar in cost to the 5.0 version of the America’s Cup class, but with better performance. The rules of the AC33 evolved into a boat with a maximum length of 26 meters, a depth of 5 and a displacement of 17.5 tons.

The surface of the sail plan is greater than the ACC version 5.0 ships, but not overlapping bow and candles, as in the regulation of AC90 which was developed in 2007, the boat will have a bowsprit and the surface of the spy will only restricted by the limitations imposed by the sheets, not by measuring the dimensions.

As a child will shift the AC33 will be more demanding in-bound and gives a brilliant performance in the leg.

The maximum breadth is 4.8 m. which may seem large for those who are accustomed to the look of the ships with Version 5.0 because, in many cases, this latest generation of ships ACC not had a much greater breadth of 3 meters.

What can you expect from the new class?

Tom Schnackenberg, consultant of the rules of the classroom and competition for AC Management, explained how the whole process has been and what you can expect from the new class.

“We had a very active 10 weeks developing this new regulation for Class AC33. The process was very similar to the original AC90 and we have deliberately used many of the clauses which had already developed for it 12 months ago. Given our past experience, and we were familiar with the process and everything went very well, “he said.

“At first it was suggested that the boat had launched from the bow and stern, as well as restrictions on his sleeve, but when other designers came on the scene that quickly evolved into a kind of boat identified only by their length, weight, width and maximum draft . This allows simple measurement processes for hull and with each change implementábamos, it seemed that the boat would be faster, “he added.

“In the end it will be a little longer than the ACC version 5.0 and several tons lighter, with a sail area and a similar time lever. It promises to have a similar speed upwind and a brilliant performance in empopadas,” he concluded.

The principal designer of ‘Alinghi’, Rolf Vrolijk, for his part said that “for designers, it is always more exciting to be involved in developing a new class, rather than an existing class and highly evolved, where we only We can focus on a very detailed optimizations. ”

“This is a challenge, because it means starting from scratch and this is a class that is unlike anything to anything else we’ve seen before, so if you do your homework well, you can be competitive. Some teams can be very competitive in certain aspects of the regulation, it will be very interesting, “he said.

The opinion of the Spanish Challenge

John Cutler, technical director of ‘Desafío Español’ view on how the new class can match the potential of computers. “We are talking about a blank sheet of paper and, therefore, everyone has the opportunity to succeed and to design a boat or, possibly, to the fastest boat of all, so we believe that this is a good opportunity for all the challenges. ”

Andy Claughton, design team coordinator for TeamOrigin, the British challenger, said that “creating the new regulation has been a tremendous effort between Alinghi and challenges. The vision of the boat was clearly established: it had to be quick, current and difficult to navigate, and not prohibitively expensive to build and maintain. “