Category: america’s cup

DATES FOR THE AMERICA’S CUP

The dates for the America’s Cup have been published.  Get ready San Francisco.

Louis Vuitton : July 13-September 1, 2013

America’s Cup finals: September 7-22, 2013

34th America’s Cup dates confirmed

But San Francisco Host Venue Agreement provides more detail

Tuesday January 25th 2011, Author: James Boyd, Location: United States

The dates for the 34th America’s Cup in 2013 and for the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series were confirmed today by Regatta Director Iain Murray.

The Louis Vuitton Cup will run from 13 July until 1 September 2013

The America’s Cup match will run from 7-22 September 2013

However the timetable laid out in the Host Venue Agreement provides a little more detail:

The Louis Vuitton Cup round robin – 13 July-4 August 2013 (including eight laydays)

Louis Vuitton Cup quarter finals (best of three) – 8-11 August 2013 (0 laydays)

Louis Vuitton Cup semi finals (best of five) – 16-19 August 2013 (0 laydays)

Louis Vuitton Cup challenger finals (best of seven) – 23 August-1 September (3 laydays)

The America’s Cup Match itself will be a best of nine affair with one race per day of one hour duration. Potential race days are 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 18, 20-22 September 2013.

USA 17 HEADED FOR SAN FRANCISC0

USA 17 heads for San Francisco

Oracle Racing’s monster tri due to arrive on 1 March

Tuesday January 25th 2011, Author: James Boyd, Location: Spain

USA 17 has only ever competed twice, but she sailed the races of her life to dominate the Swiss defender, Alinghi, off Valencia, Spain, last year to win the 33rd America’s Cup.

The extraordinary carbon-fibre trimaran is currently being loaded onto the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord this week for the delivery trip to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. The freighter carrying both USA 17 and her 223ft tall wingsail is scheduled to leave Valencia on 29 or 30th January for the 7,900-nautical-mile passage to San Francisco. Her ETA, dependent upon on-time loading, sea conditions en-route and transit time in the Panama Canal, is 1 March.

The trimaran’s arrival will mark the first time that USA 17 visits the city that Oracle Racing calls home. She was launched in Anacortes, WA, in August 2008, and after initial testing there moved to San Diego, CA, for a further period of training before being moved to Valencia for the 33rd Cup Match last February.

Measuring more than 100 feet long and 90 feet wide and powered by a 20-storey tall wingsail, USA 17 is the fastest yacht to ever win the America’s Cup. It has been in storage in Valencia since winning the Cup on 14 February, 2010.

With the Oracle Racing team fully focused on laying the groundwork for its 34th America’s Cup campaign in 2013, the provisional plan is to continue to keep USA 17 in storage after unloading. An announcement about the vessel’s sailing plans will be made later this year.

“The handful of us privileged to sail on USA 17 would love to sail her again in an instant. I dare say all those who never had this chance would like to as well,” said Oracle Racing skipper James Spithill. “But the stark reality is that every aspect of the boat, every component, was built right to the limit so that for every hour’s sailing USA 17 required 20 hours of painstaking and rigorous maintenance. For the time being the team’s focus will be on the America’s Cup ahead.”

CHANGE COMES HARD TO SAN FRANCISCO

Change is a difficult thing. We are creatures of habit. When you add the usual regulations of business, which we all know is often better left untouched once in place. The displaced business owners will likely survive the change but it is not unlike having a natural disaster force you out.

Another story that merits following is the rumor of a new parallel competition in monohulls.

Cecilia Vega

More: Bio, E-mail, Twitter, News Team

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — We are now getting a better idea of the potential for negative impacts when the America’s Cup yacht race comes to San Francisco Bay in 2013.

Race organizers will pay the city $55 million for the use of Piers 19 through 29. They will also lease Piers 30 and 32 for decades. Many businesses love the sound of this, but the number of businesses taking a hit continues to grow.

Up to 80 businesses now might have to relocate because of the event. At the earliest, some would have to move by the end of this year, at the latest, some by the end of next year. Even with the lengthy timeframe, there are many nervous business owners along the Embarcadero.

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From the pedi-cabs, to the soccer players in the parking lot of Piers 27 and 29, to Mr. Toad’s vintage car tours, they are all included in the list of businesses along San Francisco’s waterfront that are about to begin a wild ride.

When the America’s Cup comes to town, the Port of San Francisco says as many as 80 businesses could be forced to move to make room for the venue’s viewing areas and racing village. While Larry Ellison’s yacht race is expected to bring millions in revenue to San Francisco, some business owners say it will not be good for their bottom line.

“I absolutely would love the America’s Cup to come to San Francisco, but I think that it could be brought here without a sort of slash-and-burn approach to the waterfront,” Michael Denny says.

Denny runs American Wine Distributors in Pier 23. Moving out of his 1,400 square foot space will mean a major headache. All his business licenses are tied to his Embarcadero address

“I have about 65 licenses all over the country that are all posted to that address, and if I move, I have to move them all,” he says laughingly.

However, it is really no laughing matter. Businesses like Teatro Zinzanni and Bauer’s Limousine and Transportation are sitting on piers where Ellison’s team plans to hold a public viewing area for the regatta. San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu says they should not worry.

“The city absolutely values these businesses and we’re going to do what we need to do to assist some of these businesses in relocation,” he says.

The board is still trying to decide which businesses will get to stay and which will have to pack up and move. Many of them lease warehouse space along the Embarcadero and Chiu says that should make it easy for those types of businesses to relocate into other port properties.

AN ALTERNATIVE?

It would appear that the 34th Americas Cup as imagined by Larry Ellison has some powerful detractors, some of who call it too radical, expensive and conceived without a consensus. Whilst the Californians continue to give form to the race in 2013, there is a group of syndicates that are working behind the scenes to create a new and ambitious competition that could be capable of throwing a shadow over the oldest trophy in sport.

According to information the people behind this new rebel fleet include Sir Keith Mills of Team Origin, Ernesto Bertarelli of Alinghi, Patricio Bertelli of Luna Rossa de Prada and Grant Dalton of Team New Zealand. Others hint that the man behind the project is Mr Bertarelli, but Alinghi has consistently denied this, stating that it is a group of people who are working on a personal project.

ALTERNATIVE?

The idea is to create a new class of boat for a regatta circuit similar to the 32nd edition of the Americas Cup, and the head of the design team is Rolf Vrolijk, the Dutch designer of the previous two Alinghi boats before BMW ORACLE/Golden Gate Yacht Club started their court action in New York, who has dusted off the designs of the AC90, the class originally chosen for the 33rd Cup.

Another powerful yachting figure behind the project is Grant Simmer, who has now joined Team Origin, and is coordinating the sports and technical aspects of this new event. The project is still in its embryo stages, seeking a concrete philosophy, and finding out if it could be viable commercially, or if private capital would be required from the heads of the syndicates involved. The main point now is to finance the event, starting on the basis that no regatta has the tradition and prestige of the Americas Cup.

Several syndicates involved in the 32nd edition of the Cup have been consulted over whether they would participate on these AC90s in an effort to determine the size of the fleet. It may be envisaged that 2013 could see the birth of the new regatta, if it goes ahead, it will be in exactly the same year that the Americas Cup races take place in San Francisco. Source: The Valencia Life Network, http://www.valencialife.net

NEWPORT STILL PREPARING FOR THE AMERICA’S CUP

NEWPORT, R.I.—Gov. Lincoln Chafee says the state will help pay for infrastructure improvements needed so Newport can host sailing races that lead up to the America’s Cup finals.

The “pre-regattas” are planned for Newport and locations around the world before the final races in 2013 in San Francisco.

In Newport, Oracle Racing is planning races in the east passage of Narragansett Bay this year between Sept. 17-25. On Friday, Chafee toured Fort Adams State Park and told The Newport Daily News, the state “will do our part” to pay for upgrades needed to host the races there.

“I’m big on creating infrastructure,” he said. “It’s the role of government.”

Chafee said improvements at Fort Adams would pay for themselves by making future events possible there, and also by giving the park more visibility.

“Everyone who comes to Fort Adams, Rhode Island residents and those from outside the state, says how beautiful it is,” the governor said. “Anything that can open up this historic asset to more people is a big plus.”

Among the improvements needed: new docks along the waterfront, two cranes to hoist the catamarans in and out of the water, a barge for additional docking space and a long pier to protect the docking areas.

State funding is available for capital improvements to state parks, and the Department of Environmental Management has money to repave roads in state parks, said Paul Harden, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation’s manager of business and workforce development.

He said Oracle and racing organizers will pay for items such as the cranes.

“We think some federal funding also may be available,” Harden said.

ANDREW MASON ON AMERICA’S CUP TECHNOLOGY

Here is a link to one of the more interesting articles about the future of America’s Cup. For me the America’s Cup is and has always been about cutting edge yacht design. Frankly the gossip and “politics” are never very interesting; one always hopes that it is about the sailing, however naive that may seem.

The only point I might find to disagree with is the idea that the “C” class catamarans would not be an important platform for development. I agree with his observation that the “C” class cats have been budget constrained and have not used CFD for development. The class will non-the-less be an important point of departure.

ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THE RHETORIC?

* From Robert Bausch: (re, story in Scuttlebutt 3253)

What is it with this guy Tom Ehman, is he trying to jinx the America’s Cup

being in San Francisco? Now that we feel good that it is, he seems to be

trying everything he can to cast doubt on it happening, complete with sly

comments like “… if, for any reason, the deal with San Francisco falls

apart…”. Doesn’t he get it, that the Cup is going to be in the City?

THROW A DOG A BONE,MAYBE?

Does this sound like playing both sides? Up is the up side for Newport?

Newport may get America’s Cup pre-regatta races

01:00 AM EST on Saturday, January 8, 2011

By kate bramson

journal staff writer

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Ehman

PROVIDENCE –– Newport’s loss of the America’s Cup final Match races behind them, state leaders and Cup officials went back to the drawing board Friday to try to hammer out a deal to bring pre-regatta races to the City by the Sea.

“Now it’s not a done deal, but I’d say … we’re probably 75 percent of the way there,” Thomas Ehman, head of Oracle Racing external affairs, said Friday at the State House with Governor Chafee at his side.

Ehman said he’s “confident” the state can complete negotiations with America’s Cup officials in the next couple of weeks, when he hopes to reach a final agreement.

Ehman said he traveled to Rhode Island this week with “two asks” for Rhode Island: Could the state be ready to host an America’s Cup World Series event this September and could the state be the Cup’s backup plan for the final Match races in 2013 if, for any reason, the deal with San Francisco falls apart?

“We don’t think there are any problems in San Francisco,” Ehman said. “But if for any reason it falters … we need — as prudent sailors, businesspeople, event organizers — we need a backup plan and from what I’ve heard today from … the governor and on down, everyone has said, ‘Yes, we think we can figure out a way to help you if on the small chance that happens.’ ”

The state’s not counting on such a fumble, but leaders are gearing up to become the site for pre-regatta races.

“I’m an America’s Cup fan,” Chafee said. “I was on the race course in 1983 in the seventh race, I saw on that tragic downwind when Australia II finally passed Dennis Conner’s Liberty and the Cup left Newport. I think our chances of getting it back are slim — Tom’s been very honest — in 2013. But there are other opportunities, and that’s what we’ve been talking about.”

State leaders said the World Series races would be an economic boon to all of Rhode Island. House Speaker Gordon D. Fox said it’s appropriate to try to upgrade Fort Adams State Park as the venue because the money would be spent to improve a state asset.

No one could say how much it would cost to bring the September regatta here — partly because discussions with Ehman before Friday had centered on costs for hosting the final Match races.

“We don’t know it,” said Richard A. Licht, director of administration. “We don’t know the specifics of what they need yet.”

America’s Cup officials are dreaming of a different kind of race to bring sailing to the masses, envisioning pre-regatta races as a way to build enthusiasm and momentum for the final Match, Ehman said.

They’ll call an annual series of four to six regattas, which will begin this summer in Europe and lead up to the final Match race, the America’s Cup World Series. At the end of each series, they’ll name a world champion, hoping to maintain momentum for the sport in between final Cup years.

Newport would be the first American location for the World Series, Ehman said.

“And the idea is that as soon as the 2013 America’s Cup is over, [they’ll go] right back on the racing circuit, back to Newport,” he said.

Also at the State House Friday, state Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed said state leaders hope the “glorious” facilities at Fort Adams will lure even more races to Newport.

“We want people spending money here,” the governor chimed in.

Ehman said the nine-day World Series regatta in Newport is tentatively set for Sept. 17 to 25.

America’s Cup organizers are negotiating for live television coverage — “not just on minor networks” — for that final Sunday of the Newport regatta, he said. Then Ehman, who calls himself a “proud former resident of Newport,” hearkened back to the days of America’s Cup glory in the city, recalling the first live telecast of an America’s Cup race was in Newport on Sept. 25 of the final year Newport hosted the race.

“When it went live on TV in 1983, that’s when the Cup really became a worldwide phenomenon, and that’s what we aim to do here with these America’s Cup World Series events, starting with Rhode Island,” Ehman said.

After the media fanfare subsided at the State House, he added: “It’s important to have a connection to the history and tradition of the Cup. … If we can make this happen, this is a cool thing for all concerned.”

kbramson@projo.com

HOW SAN FRANCISCO GOT THE CUP (OR BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR)

Published on San Francisco Examiner (http://www.sfexaminer.com)
Home > America’s Cup deal was sweetened to bring race to San Francisco
America’s Cup deal was sweetened to bring race to San Francisco

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Into the future: The Oracle Racing team and The City negotiated a last-minute deal that was more favorable for billionaire Larry Ellison and gained him flexibility. (Getty Images file photo
Larry Ellison had more to celebrate on the evening of Dec. 31 than the coming new year. The deal his yacht racing team signed that afternoon to bring the America’s Cup race to San Francisco in 2013 was much sweeter than the one The City floated just weeks before.

In negotiations with The City that occurred after the billionaire’s team made good on a threat to begin simultaneous negotiations with Rhode Island, Oracle Racing secured several potentially lucrative concessions.

The changes included elimination of a guarantee that The City would earn a small share of the revenues from the sale of condominiums to eventually be constructed on a waterfront property south of the Bay Bridge.

The City also clarified how it will get the state to lift restrictions on the 2-acre property so it can be sold outright to Ellison’s development team. And that team now has more flexibility about what it does with the $55 million it has agreed to invest in city property.

On Dec. 14, after a host of last-minute changes, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a host-city agreement that gave the mayor wiggle room to keep negotiating as long as The City wouldn’t have to spend any extra money. Yet the approval didn’t prohibit city officials from negotiating away potential income.

Ellison’s team won the America’s Cup in February, including the power to decide where the next race would be held.

Ellison said he’d like to bring the race to San Francisco Bay, and his team spent 10 months negotiating with San Francisco over a host-city agreement.

Port of San Francisco officials wouldn’t comment on whether the dalliance with Rhode Island was used as leverage to get more from The City. However, Port Special Projects Manager Brad Benson said the team desired greater certainty of return on its investment.

The final deal also allows the team to recoup its money if it invests more than $55 million. Developers are guaranteed 66-year leases if they invest at least $10 million in Pier 28 and $15 million in Pier 26.

In exchange for these concessions, Benson said The City received a promise that the team would invest the $55 million before 2013.

City Budget Analyst Harvey Rose, who has provided several critical analyses of prior drafts of the deal, said he would not be examining the final deal unless expressly asked to do so by the new Board of Supervisors.

kworth@sfexaminer.com

How the deal changed

The America’s Cup Host City Agreement changed between the version approved by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 14 and the version finalized by the Mayor’s Office on Dec. 31. Here are some of the changes:

Reduces revenues: Deletes a provision from prior drafts that would have allowed the Port of San Francisco to earn a small share of the revenues created when condominiums on the site are sold.
Enables property transfer: Laid out The City’s duties to remove all legal restrictions on Seawall 330, so that Ellison’s Oracle Racing team can own the property free and clear, rather than having to lease it for 75 years.
Clarifies developer revenues: Creates a mechanism for The City to pay back the developer for certain improvements on the waterfront, bringing the property back under city control. Spells out and speeds up the timeline by which an infrastructure financing district — a district that would allow developers to collect local taxes for public improvements to the waterfront property they’ve developed — would be proposed.
Established rental rates: Sets rates for the long-term leases of Piers 30-32 as $4 per square foot, and of Piers 26 and 28 as $6 per square foot.