Month: December 2011

BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR

SANTA IN A HURRY

A closing note about the America’s Cup event in Newport, Rhode Island in June 2012.

PROVIDENCE – A committee to take charge of the many arrangements needed for the America’s Cup World Series regatta slated for Newport next year was formally established Thursday when Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee signed an executive order creating the panel, to be chaired by Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport.

 

“The America’s Cup World Series races have great potential to bring job creation and revenue to Rhode Island,” Chafee said. “Newport has long, strong ties to the America’s Cup and these races renew that historic connection. The host committee established today, led by renowned sailor Brad Read, will help to coordinate important preparation efforts to ensure that this exciting event is thoroughly successful.”

 

Joining the governor at the Statehouse signing ceremony were Read, Russell Coutts, CEO of Oracle Racing, current America’s Cup champion that will defend the title in finals set for San Francisco in 2013, and Richard Worth, chairman and CEO of the America’s Cup Event Authority.

 

The America’s Cup World Series Host Committee will serve as the state’s principal entity for coordinating the races and affiliated events. The local committee will coordinate marketing, business outreach, public support, event logistics, traffic, public safety and public infrastructure preparations.

 

The panel will consist of at least 23 members, yet to be named, including representatives of: Aquidneck Island towns; the Newport County Chamber of Commerce; the convention and visitors bureaus based in Providence and in Newport; various state departments; the commercial shipping industry; and the marine industry.

 

The races, featuring high-tech AC45 wing-sailed catamarans, are scheduled for June 23-July 1 in Newport Harbor and will comprise the final event of the first World Series circuit, established to ocean racing during America’s Cup off years.

The local committee will coordinate marketing, business outreach, public support, event logistics, traffic, public safety and public infrastructure preparations. State officials have estimated the event will generate $72 million in new spending and create 400 jobs.

SOMETHING LOGICAL

I hope everyone had as nice a Christmas as I did, which was in Venice.

 

At last a move that seems so logical, we wonder what took them so long to act on the thought. Valencia has an infrastructure like no other place for the America’s Cup. Additionally, the America’s Cup belongs in Europe from a sailing audience point of view.

The HR Constitution – the cargo ship that has served as the main mode of transport between America’s Cup World Series venues – has arrived in Valencia where it will discharge its cargo.

All of the ‘materiel’ on the ship will be offloaded in Valencia before the HR Constitution is returned to its owners in time for Christmas.

“We took the decision to land the equipment in Valencia, after considering several factors,” explained Regatta Director Iain Murray. “There is a possibility for a number of teams to train together in Valencia, given the local infrastructure from the previous America’s Cups there.

“And for ACRM, Valencia is also an ideal place for us to undertake remedial maintenance work on our fleet of support boats and equipment. Several of our employees live in Valencia, making it even more convenient.”

The America’s Cup has secured some 2,500 square meters of space in the Port to store all the cargo and to complete the work on the support boats.

According to Andy Hindley, the Chief Operating Officer for America’s Cup Race Management, the use of the HR Constitution to ship the America’s Cup World Series fleet from Portugal, to the UK, to San Diego and back to Europe this year has been a winning formula.

“The chartered vessel has been a great success and delivered the logistics needed better than we hoped,” Hindley said.

Following a three month stop in Valencia, all the equipment will be shipped out from Valencia in the middle of March, in time for the start of the World Series event in Naples, Italy on April 7, 2012.

Banque Populaire V is holding a 1,000 mile lead over the ghost ship Groupama sailing in day 36.

THE AMERICA’S CUP HEADING BACK TO COURT?

Cory Friedman has written, as always, a fine provocative article concerning the possibility of the America’s Cup heading back to court: click here.

Briefly, the African Diaspora Maritime Corporation has filed a complaint in the New York Supreme Court alleging the the Golden Gate Yacht Club improperly prevented them from participating in the America’s Cup series.

I think we have all had the feeling that the America’s Cup had gone astray from it’s sailing roots. It has had a checkered past; if one look’s closely at the history of the event.

The New York Yacht Club, in the 12 meter years, despite the criticism, they received, had tried to be good custodians and preserve the event as set out in the deed of gift.

While it remains to be seen what the court will say about this latest challenge, Larry Ellison’s behavior, if we care, has been one of a spoiled child. He is after all used to getting his way.

 

BANQUE POPULAIRE V UPDATE

“Banque Populaire V” holds a thousand mile lead over the ghost ship “Groupama” the holder of the record around the world, as she navigates through icebergs at speed. As always, with boats of this potential, it is about slowing down more than simply letting her run. They passed most spectacular iceberg 28 times the size of the Isle of Wight, and are about 9,000 miles from the finish. That does not sound like much anymore. Obviously a lot can happen between now and the finish but so far they have had great success.

Honestly, I am having trouble maintaining interest in the Volvo Race. Too many legs, too many inshore events. For me, it would be more interesting if the legs were longer.

WAITING FOR LEONARDO

One of our goals while in london had been to try to get in to see the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit. Ticket were unobtainable, having sold out within minutes of the exhibit being announced. Each day, however approximately 500 people who waited in line were able to go in. Apart from waiting in the cold, it was exceedingly well organized and orderly. Once in, you could stay as long as you liked.

We arrived at the RORC, dropped our bags and went to get in line. It made for a very long but rewarding day.

MORE RULE 69

The Ben Ainslie event in Australia touched a nerve in me. I am not entirely surprised it happened. It was a matter of when, given the direction the world is moving. I could never have predicted when or where, just that it seemed due.

I have had some interaction with Sunset & Vine, the film company (English, by the way) who had chartered the boat. They had wanted to have my input on the America’s Cup. I have never met any of them personally.

I had occasion to speak to an English International Judge today, who had no sympathy for ben at all. Stating that Ben could have filed for redress under rule 69.2 ( I hope I have that right) I have just read that the press boats and helicopters covering the event had been exempted. If true, Ben had no possibility for redress.

He still faces review by the RYA and ISAF and further penalties could be imposed. Personally, I think Ben has been punished, and that the press boats should be severely warned.

The sport of sailing should still be for the sailors on the water.

 

BEN ANSLIE EVENT

 The Volvo Ocean Race is into it’s second day; Banque Populaire is pedal to the metal sailing. But these are the easy things to think about. What happened to Ben Anslie, touches life at a more profound level. It transcends sailing. In life, we all can think of events that completely exasperated us and made us feel like punching someone or screaming profanities.

I cannot excuse the press boat. They were wrong. But Ben’s reaction was wrong.

Full Press Statement: Ainslie’s World Championships over after press boat infringement

Perth Worlds

Ainslie disqualified from two races after press boat incident
Ben Ainslie’s campaign for a sixth Finn World Championship title came to an end on Saturday (10 December) after he was disqualified for both of the day’s two races after an incident with a media boat driver on his course.

Ainslie’s progress was impeded by the boat on the final downwind leg of race nine of the World Championship series in Perth, and after the race finish he boarded the media boat to voice his unhappiness at the boat driver’s actions.

A jury hearing late on Saturday night found fault from both parties, but disqualified the Skandia Team GBR sailor from both of the day’s races for gross misconduct.  With the disqualifications not able to be discarded from his race series, Ainslie will end the regatta in 11th and will not feature in the final medal race on Sunday.

Stephen Park, RYA Olympic Manager:
Clearly this is a disappointing position for Ben and of course for the team.  It’s particularly disappointing bearing in mind that all parties that spoke at the hearing all effectively said exactly the same thing.  Everyone accepted that there was fault on both the side of the television production crew and indeed on Ben’s side.  Unfortunately because of the situation we were in, with the sport trying to move to better television images to appeal to that market, sometimes there’s a learning process to go through from a television perspective and sometimes there are implications and this is an example of one of those.

Both parties, the television side and Ben have both apologised to each other and as far they’re concerned we’re ready just to go back out and get on with our respective jobs tomorrow.It’s particularly disappointing that this Championship has effectively been determined in this way in the jury room rather than between sailors on the water. There have been various rumours in the media about Ben having ‘assaulted’ the driver of the boat.  As far as we’re concerned there wasn’t an assault which took place, and as far as the driver was concerned that was part of his statement to the jury so we’re pretty keen to put that to bed and recognised that that’s a bit of over exaggeration and sensationalism.

While we accept the penalty from the jury and do not condone Ben’s behaviour, i would hope, on the basis of the jury’s facts found, that it is recognised that lessons need to be learned both from the side of the International Sailing Federation as organising authority as well as the sailors.  At the moment the sport seems to be fumbling its way into trying to make the sport more appealing for television but surely there is a better way than trialling new race formats, rule regulations and specifically in this case media initiatives than trialling them at the World Championship which is arguably the most important event in the Olympic cycle outside of the Games themselves.

Ben Ainslie:
I overreacted to what I thought was a situation where I felt my performance was being severely hindered.  I’m very thankful that everyone involved has taken it how it was – as something which was blown out of proportion in terms of what actually happened.  We’ve all apologised to each other and are looking forward to moving on.

I’m obviously really disappointed with the decision.  Unfortunately it’s part and parcel of the sport trying to develop its area within TV and in a number of instances this week that line has been crossed and that’s something which everyone has to accept is a development.

I’m very sorry that the jury decided to react the way they did over something which really wasn’t as big as it was blown up to be.  It’s very disappointing that the Championship has been decided this way.  I’ve worked extremely hard over the last six weeks and have been training incredibly hard to get to this position in a venue which has been difficult for me with my size against the bigger sailors.  I feel like I’ve actually sailed one of the best regattas of my life so to be in this situation now is very disappointing but I certainly hope now that it’s one of the British boats on top of the podium if it can’t be me.