30.06.2007
Hi Dr.Krumnacker,
Sail-World.com America's Cup 2007Newsletter....
Welcome to Sail-World.Com's America's Cup newsletter for the fifth day of racing in the 32nd America's Cup.
Today was the first day that competitors and spectators have seen the much vaunted seabreeze come to the 32nd America's Cup, and it provided a day of surprises.
First surprise came in the pre-start where NZL-92's helmsman Dean Barker took control of the pre-start with some unorthodox tactics, forcing Alinghi above the startline and she was forced to use a spectator boat as an obstruction to shake off NZL-92, who was hanging on like a terrier to a postie's backside.
Although she got clear of the immediate problem NZL-92 continued to bark at Alinghi's bow, and kept control of the start, forcing the Swiss Defender to tack away and go for the starboard end of the startline.
Second surprise came when Emirates Team New Zealand followed SUI-100 out along the starboard layline. It was expected that, due to her perceived fresh air ability, the Defender would slowly eke out a gain and then attack for the lead. But no, NZL-92 proved more than a match for Alinghi and matched her boat for boat in the 16knt breeze and whitecapped seas.
The drag continued all the way to the starboard layline and after over standing a little, NZL-92 enjoyed a half length lead into the top mark, clear of Alinghi, but with the Swiss nicely positioned above her hip to keep clear air and minimising the damage.
Third surprise came soon after the top mark with a series of errors, as the red asymmetrical spinnaker of NZL-92 developed a small hole and then did a wall to wall split, just as the replacement sail was being attached to the pole end ready for a change.
A series of incidents occurred in the recovery process - which was intriguing as much for the action, as much as the rapidity of response to each developing or new situation. Eventually a third spinnaker was bought into play, but the lead was gone.
What should have been a comfortable win for Alinghi turned into a more frantic exercise, as the New Zealanders closed up pulling 40 metres out of the Swiss on the final run. But it is always one thing to catch up, another to pass - and SUI-100 went to the 3-2 position in the Match. This was also the third race in which we have seen a lead change, in an event notable for a lack of lead changes after the first mark. Will the jinx continue?
It seemed today, as in a couple of other races, that the faster boat finished second - as the strengths of Alingi and Emirates Team New Zealand were reversed.
Talking to our scribe, Ralph Roberts, after the race he commented that Alinghi had set a flatter head mainsail before the start, while NZL-92 initially set up with a fuller headed sail. After testing they changed to a flatter headed model, too and seemed to be better for it.
Roberts felt that Alinghi couldn't drop down in footing mode with this sail in the breeze and sea conditions, and the best angle was to point and match NZL-92 to windward.
From here NZL-92 have their work cut out. Certainly, Race 6 is crucial for both, and if Emirates Team New Zealand go two down, then the climb is fairly steep. But equalise and the series is wide open, once again.
As the man involved in most of the action in the sewer Emirates Team New Zealand's floater, Grant Dalton, fronted at the Media Conference. The full file is too big for us to load, however keep checking on www.tvnz.co.nz in their America's Cup coverage, as the full video of the last two Media Conferences are on the site and hopefully this one will be, too.
The seabreeze is expected to remain, and with three races scheduled before the next layday, then the tail-end of this regatta will be a war of attrition and fitness, as much as boatspeed and tactics.
In this issue, we have the full Decision of the International Jury on the Mainsail Lock protest lodged by Emirates Team New Zealand. There are some interesting submissions, best read in their full context. We also have a view from Bob Fisher on the matter.
Yesterday, Radio New Zealand featured a very interesting interview with Bruno Trouble expressing his views on the future of Louis Vuitton's involvement with the Challenger Selection Series, if the America's Cup stayed in Valencia, or if it went to Auckland. We have not been able to track down the URL of the interview, however it was on around 3.00pm (NZT) on Friday 29th June. Radio New Zealand's Todd Niall has posted a full audio library of interviews on the 32nd America's Cup which can be found at www.radionz.co.nz/news/americascup - great listening on a wet day in New Zealand.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
Fisher's View: Red nylon everywhere
One small tear, about five centimetres across ('the size of a 20-cent coin,' according to Grant Dalton), but in the highly stressed area of Emirates Team New Zealand's red asymmetric spinnaker, at the upper end of the tack reinforcement, was the cause of the Kiwis failing to win the fifth race of the America's Cup....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35213&ntid=58
Alinghi wins Race 5 of America's Cup after sail horror on NZL-92
Dean Barker entered from starboard and adopted the unorthodox tactic of not engaging Alinghi in the dial-up preferring to dive astern and force Alinghi above the startline. Both then reached across to the starboard side of the startline, above the start box, with Alinghi brushing Emirates Team New Zealand off by passing to windward of a large spectator boat, as NZL-92 passed astern....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35198&ntid=58
Letter from Valencia: On the water, Race 5
Prior to the start we saw both boats quickly changing their sails as the wind continued to increase. Again Alinghi's mainsail that was not setting nicely it seemed too full in the head and falling inside out. The Kiwis sail in contrast looked more even looking down the sail. Both still had large big headed genoas on even though the wind was up....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35228&ntid=58
Alinghi score important win - ValenciaSailing
What a day!! If the 3rd race of this America's Cup Match was probably the most spectacular one ever in the history of the event, today we probably witnessed the second best. We had all we could have asked for; excellent weather (wind speed from 14 up to even 20 knots),...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35218&ntid=58
Images of the spinnaker incident on NZL-92
The deciding factor in the fifth race of the 32nd America's Cup Match was the unfortunate incident aboard NZL-92 down the first run. While leading the tight race, Emirates Team NZ blew two spinnakers and by the time they had successfully hoisted the third one, Alinghi had built a lead of over 150 meters. Despite the gains in the succeeding legs, the New Zealanders were unable to come back from behind. Alinghi...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35216&ntid=58
Bloodied but unbowed, America's Cup by SailJuice
Today SUI 100 won a race in classic Valencian sea breeze conditions, a steady 14-17 knots, the exact conditions in which Alinghi had been predicted to be unstoppable. So all the pre-series hype about Alinghi having a massive speed edge is true then? Er, not quite. They won alright, but not for the reasons you might have thought....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35210&ntid=58
Alinghi now 3-2 up in America's Cup Match
Swiss Defender Alinghi won Match 5 of the 32nd America's Cup by 19-seconds taking a 3-2 lead in the series against Challenger Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), with the winner the first to five victories...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35207&ntid=58
Ingrid Abery Images from Race 5 America's Cup
Photographer Ingrid Abery was on the water to capture the day's action in this important America's cup match. View her sequence of images showing Emirates Team New Zealand's spinnaker drama....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35211&ntid=58
Torn spinnaker costs Emirates Team NZ the race
Emirates Team New Zealand had led from the start, holding off a determined challenge from Alinghi right up the first beat and leading around the first mark. The start was sensational. Dean Barker forced SUI 100 into the spectator fleet in a bid to shake off an aggressive NZL 92. But Barker kept the advantage and crossed the line a clear 5 seconds ahead after SUI 100 was forced to tack away...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35204&ntid=58
The unthinkable happens in AC32: MarkChisnell.com
The Kiwis have been dreaming the Undreamable dream (at least according to the word on Pundit Street) for a while now, and today the Unthinkable happened....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35209&ntid=58
Letter from Valencia: Toughing it out on the Layday.
It's Race day 4 and from the beginning the day has a different feel to it. For a start it's cloudy and a lot cooler. When we get to the port, there don't seem to be as many supporters about. There are not nearly as many people in the Fore- Deck Club and where all the Kiwis gather on the opposite side of the canal, there are huge gaps in the ranks....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35223&ntid=58
America's Cup Race 5 - the Turning Point
Emirates Team New Zealand, after a great start, held the advantage at the weather mark. The expectation has been that Alinghi would be faster in 14knots and more. This did not appear to be the case today and it looked like we were set up for a very close race. What a pity that the result was decided by gear failure! In a bit of breeze (which it was for these boats) gear failure is an ever-present fear....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35208&ntid=58
Quotes of the Day: America's Cup 32 - Race 5
Ernesto Bertarelli, Warwick Fleury, Mainsail Trimmer, Simon Daubney, Trimmer from Alinghi, Grant Dalton, Ray Davies, Strategist, Emirates Team New Zealand fronted at the America's Cup press conference after race 5....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35206&ntid=58
America's Cup lead to Alinghi 3-2
Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup, beat Emirates Team New Zealand on Friday afternoon in another drama filled race to take a 3-2 lead in the 32nd America's Cup Match....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35205&ntid=58
'Just what the hell is happening?' asks Bob Fisher
The Official Report of the International Jury - Case ACJ035 - on the protest lodged by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club against the Societe Nautique de Geneve (NZL-92 v SUI-100) over the matter of whether the Swiss boat conformed to ACC Rule 36.1...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35199&ntid=58
Protest Decision: Measurer 'no longer sure' about Rule 31.6 compliance
The majority decision of the International Jury has been released in the Protest concerning whether Alinghi was in compliance with the ACC Rules governing the use of mainsail locks at the masthead. In the last paragraphs of the submissions made by various parties, the on-board Measurer, Don Martin, states that he was no longer sure if Alinghi complied with Rule 31.6....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35200&ntid=58
America's Cup - the defining race
Tonight could be the defining race in the 32nd America's Cup - will the faster boat or the better sailors win, in what our NZL Richard Gladwell editor likes to call the series between the first and second Kiwi crews....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35197&ntid=58
SUI-100 Mainsail Check - Comment and Images.
As soon as Race 4 finished, Race Officer Peter Reggio advised competitors that there would be a check on both boats by the Measurement Committee to ensure that their mainsails could be lowered without the assistance of a man aloft...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35168&ntid=58
Karol Jablonski signs with UI Team Germany
Karol Jablonski will steer the German America's Cup team into its future: He has signed a contract as a skipper of United Internet Team Germany. The Pole with the German passport has made a powerful unit out of the Spanish Team Desafio Espanol 2007 before and led it into the semi final of the Louis Vuitton Cup in a very convincing way....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35181&ntid=58
Emirates Team NZ satisfied with Jury ruling
Emirates Team New Zealand is satisfied with the America's Cup Jury majority decision on Alinghi's mainsail release system. 'This is not a clear cut case,' Grant Dalton said. 'The fact that the Jury did not reach a unanimous decision points to that.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35180&ntid=58
Fisher's View: See how the mainsail sets
The words of the Beach Boys' lyric are ringing in my ears: 'So hoist up the John B's sail See how the mainsail sets...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35179&ntid=58
Emirates Team New Zealand's protest dismissed
Following a five hour hearing this morning, the five-member Jury dismissed Emirates Team New Zealand's protest. By a majority decision the Jury dismissed the protest that Emirates Team New Zealand filed against Alinghi following race four. The Jury was not satisfied that Alinghi broke America's Cup Class Rule 31.6...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35176&ntid=58
British AC challenge from Royal Thames YC
Team Origin, the British sailing team intending to bid for the 33rd America's Cup, have made a formal agreement with the Royal Thames Yacht Club to be their official Challenging Yacht Club, a mandatory requirement for all Challengers prior to entering the America's Cup....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35175&ntid=58
NZL-92 crew signed Buzzy Bee for Optimist auction
The 2007 NZ Optimist Representative Team has listed a 'keel mounted' Emirates Team NZ signed Buzzy Bee on Trade Me for auction. It is the second of two only, and was signed by the Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team, last month. The first unmounted bee sold at the Gala auction at Royal NZ Yacht Squadron for $600.00....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=35017&ntid=58
Enter Line 7/NZL-92 Signed Shirt Sweepstakes NOW!!
Right now you can enter the new competition to win a signed Emirates Team New Zealand shirt from Line 7....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=34851&ntid=58
Win America's Cup History - 2 volume set
Enter the Sail-World online competition to win a copy of Bob Fisher's An Absorbing Interest. The definitive history of the America's Cup. Its two volumes covers the drama, boat design, personalities and sheer fascination of the America's Cup....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=34307&ntid=58
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