Sailing News » History

First saltwater sail for Alinghi 5

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:30:36 +0000

The America’s Cup Defender sailed its giant catamaran, Alinghi 5, for the first time in the Mediterranean.

Alinghi 5 docked out of its temporary base in Genoa, Italy, this afternoon for its first hours of saltwater sailing. Conditions for the first outing were ideal: a light southwesterly breeze and flat seas. “Today was the first day in saltwater for Alinghi 5 and even though conditions were light; everything was good. We are happy to be in Italy for this period of our training programme; it’s a place where everyone would like to live! We have received a great welcome from Genoa and huge support from the Amico yard and the Yacht Club Italiano and we look forward to some more sailing next Monday with a little more breeze,” said team skipper Brad Butterworth.

The 33rd America’s Cup Defender transported its giant catamaran, the first step in the development process towards the America’s Cup Match in February 2010, by helicopter from its base on Lake Geneva to the north Mediterranean port on 7 August. Training will continue in Genoa before the boat is transported to the 33rd America’s Cup Venue in Ras al-Khaimah, UAE.

BMW ORACLE Racing present team and state-of-the-art trimaran

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:07:17 +0000

In the first official presentation of the team since becoming the Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup, team owner Larry Ellison thanked his team for their dedication and promised to leave no stone unturned in their quest to win back the oldest trophy in sports for the United States.

To that end, the team also confirmed the trimaran it has been sailing in sea-trials, BOR 90, will undergo further testing and modifications before emerging as USA, the boat the team will use to challenge for the America’s Cup in six months time. CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts announced that helmsman James Spithill will be driving the team’s boat in the 33rd America’s Cup. The team will continue testing in San Diego until November.

In a day celebrating the team’s preparations to date for the 33rd America’s Cup Match, Larry Ellison encouraged his squad to keep developing the boat to discover the full potential it will take to win the head to head battle with the Swiss Defender.

“We are pushing ourselves to our limit and we’re discovering what the boat can do and what we can do as a team,” Ellison said. “If we’ve done our job well, we’ll go out and race this boat and the win the America’s Cup.”

Coutts, a three-time America’s Cup winner, noted how proud he was of his team’s accomplishments to date.

“The America’s Cup is an incredible challenge. There are so many factors just to get to the start line. This time is perhaps even more challenging than in recent history. But this is what makes this event so rewarding when you do achieve the goal,” Coutts said.

“It’s taken an epic commitment to date from our design team, boatbuilding team, our shore team, our support team and our sailing team. The sailing team is still learning what we have here. Everyone is excited and motivated and we are inspired every day by this unique challenge. Thank you for supporting us and we hope we are back here next year with the America’s Cup.”

Coutts and Ellison introduced the team to the 400 guests that included the media, partners and sponsors, team families, local dignitaries and sailing community friends. The public enjoyed the show from the adjacent public area behind the Convention Center.

Following the dockside presentation at the team’s San Diego base, a San Diego Harbor Police boat will lead the BOR 90 trimaran in a parade of boats to Point Loma. The replica of the 1851 Cup winner, the schooner America, which gave its name to the trophy, followed astern of BOR 90. The two boats represent 158 years of cutting-edge American nautical technology dedicated to winning the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in sport.

More info: http://bmworacleracing.com

America’s Cup History

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:50:57 +0000

The America’s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. The sport attracts top sailors and yacht designers because of its long history and prestige. Although the most salient aspect of the regatta is its yacht races, it is also a test of boat design, sail design, fundraising, and management skills. The cup, originally offered as the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, is now named after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America. The trophy remained in the hands of the New York Yacht Club of the United States from 1857 (when the syndicate that won the Cup donated the trophy to the club) until 1983 when the Cup was won by the challenger, Australia II of Australia, ending the longest winning streak in the history of sport. The skipper of Australia II, John Bertrand, was quoted as saying,”This puts yacht racing back on the map.”

The America’s Cup is a symbol of yachting supremacy. Winning the America’s Cup is one of the most difficult sporting accomplishments possible, and it took 132 years before the trophy was wrestled from the New York Yacht Club in 1983.

The Cup itself was made in 1848 by Garrards of London who were, at the time, the Royal Jewellers. The Cup was one of several identical cups made at the time. It languished at Garrards, unsold, for several years until it was purchased by the Royal Yacht Squadron as a trophy for a special race held in the year of the Great Exhibition of 1851 held in London. Now, it is a priceless sporting treasure.

The Cup itself is an ornate Britannia silver bottomless ewer, one of several off-the-shelf trophies crafted in 1848 by Garrard & Co. Sir Henry Paget, the Marquess of Anglesey bought one and donated it for the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 1851 Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight.

It was originally known as the “R.Y.S. £100 Cup”, standing for a cup of a hundred Gold Sovereigns in value. The Cup was subsequently engraved as the “100 Guinea Cup” by the America syndicate, but was also referred to as the “Queen’s Cup” and the “America’s Cup”. Today, the trophy is officially known as the “America’s Cup” and affectionately called the “Auld Mug” by the sailing community. It is inscribed with names of the yachts that competed for it, and has been modified twice by adding matching bases to accommodate more names.