Posts Tagged ‘genova’

Alinghi arrives in Ras al Khaimah

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Alinghi-genova

The Swiss Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup docked in the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah on Wednesday morning after a 12 day, 4,400nm voyage aboard Rickmers Singapore, a cargo ship.

The 193m ship left Genoa, Italy, on 18 September with the giant catamaran, Alinghi 5, two masts, seven support vessels and approximately 20 containers on board. It travelled across the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal and Gulf, across the Red and then Arabian Sea before docking in Saqr Port, Ras al Khaimah in the Arabian Gulf at 06:30 CET on Wednesday 30 September.

“We are extremely happy that the shipment, including Alinghi 5, arrived safely in Ras al Khaimah,” said Grant Simmer, design team coordinator. “All the equipment that we used in Genoa was onboard so now we can set up our base and workshops and get going. We will be doing some modifications to the yacht over the coming days and the team members are arriving and getting settled so it’s going to be a busy few weeks, we hope to be sailing again as soon as possible. We greatly appreciate the support that we are getting from the local community and from the government of Ras al Khaimah,” he added.

Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO of RAK Investment Authority, added his pleasure at the team’s arrival: “We welcome the arrival of Alinghi to Ras al Khaimah for the preparation of the 33rd America’s Cup event and we also look forward to welcoming BMW Oracle.”

The Alinghi catamaran will travel to the America’s Cup Island of Al Hamra over the coming days along with its entourage and for the next four months the team will be focused on training for the Match for the America’s Cup which starts on 8 February 2010.

Other news:

Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) confirms that it has received the modern day equivalent of the Custom House Registry detailing BMW Oracle’s USA, challenger for the 33rd America’s Cup. SNG published the Measurement Procedures in August of this year. These procedures will be used by the measurers to confirm the dimensions of both the Defender and the Challenger’s yachts; checking that the dimensions of the yachts comply with the Deed of Gift and, in the case of the Challenger, with the dimensions of their Certificate of Vessel provided with their challenge. The Defender remains committed to a race for the America’s Cup on the water starting 8 February 2010 and looks forward to welcoming BMW Oracle at the venue in Ras al Khaimah.


Photos: Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi

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Alinghi 5 Trimaran Video – First sail

Friday, September 4th, 2009

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The giant Alinghi 5 catamaran fly from Geneva to Genova

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

The giant Alinghi 5 catamaran was lifted off Lake Geneva today by helicopter, destination: Genoa, Italy, where trials and training continue towards the 33rd America’s Cup

alinghi-5-fly-to-genova

Hundreds of people came to bid farewell to Alinghi 5 as it was lifted off Lake Geneva by the giant Russian Mil Mi26 helicopter at 09:15 this morning, destination Genoa, Italy, for the next chapter of the Alinghi training programme towards the 33rd America’s Cup.

The mast and boat were flown the 270 kilometres down the Rhone Valley and across the Great Saint Bernard Pass into Italy; where the Mil Mi26 helicopter set Alinghi 5 down to refuel in Biella, before continuing on to Genoa where it landed at 14:30 outside the Yacht Club Italiano.

The Swiss team has completed several weeks of successful trials on its home waters and will continue training in Genoa for a period starting mid-August before travelling to Ras al-Khaimah, the America’s Cup Match Venue in the United Arab Emirates.

“Our stay in Switzerland has been fantastic; the support of the people has been tremendous and we have had a very good initial trial period on the Lake,” said team skipper, Brad Butterworth. “In Genoa – with a bit more sea room – we will be able to stretch Alinghi 5′s legs and sail it for many hours in one direction to try and optimise the boat for the old Deed of Gift race courses, which are 20miles up and 20miles back.”

Looking ahead to the team’s stay in Italy, Grant Simmer, design team coordinator, added: “The Italian public has always been incredibly passionate about the America’s Cup and it’s opportune for us to go to Genoa as it’s the closest port to Villeneuve, Switzerland, where our base is. The support of the local people in Genoa has been fantastic already, particularly at the Amico boat yard and the Yacht Club Italiano. We are also very appreciative of the support from the Italian air control authorities, ENAC, which have allowed us to fly the mast and the boat over Italy to the northern port.”

The weather forecasting for the heli-transportation of Alinghi 5 was courtesy of Météo Suisse. Our thanks go to them for their support during the training period on Lake Geneva.

Today’s weather for the heli-transportation:
Clear skies, high pressure in the morning, becoming cloudy later in the day with some vertical instability. Very light NW breeze at Great Saint Bernard Pass. Temperature: 12 degrees at the Great Saint Bernard Pass and 28 degrees at Lake level.

Please click here for Carlo Borlenghi’s photo selection of the heli-transport from Le Bouveret, Switzerland to Genoa, Italy: http://www.alinghi.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=9246

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