So, what can we tell from this artist’s impression released by Alinghi?
The square root of Force 0. Except that it appears to be a cat, do you think? Love the reverse-rake bow. All the rage in F18 cats, but not surprisingly there are few clues to be drawn from this.
Only a few weeks now though and Alinghi should be launching the real thing, about the same time as they have to reveal the venue for AC33.
Posted in 33rd America's Cup | Tags: Catzilla, Dogzilla
A glimmer of light on the horizon for those multihull sailors who were cast into outer darkness last year after the Tornado completed its last race in an Olympic Games, that humdinger of a Medal Race in Qingdao.
ISAF President Goran Petersson pleaded for the multihull lobby to calm down and let him get on with the business of negotiating an ‘11th Medal’ in behind-the-scenes meetings with the International Olympic Committee.
After months of silence on this matter, the ISAF website issued a follow-up report from the Mid-Year Meeting which has just concluded in Poland. It’s an encouraging story, and presumably ISAF wouldn’t be saying anything about this unless there really was genuine hope of getting the multihull back into Weymouth 2012.
Here’s that report from ISAF’s website:
2012 Olympic Sailing CompetitionISAF expects to hear from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in August whether ISAF’s application for an 11th sailing event for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition will be successful or not. A total of 15 International Federations have asked for 32 additional events adding 815 athletes to the Games Programme that is already close to the limits set by the IOC. Also it seems the IOC wants to leave room for two new sports, a decision which will be made in October.
In preparation for the decision on the 11th medal, ISAF recognizes it should let the sailors know as soon as possible what will happen with the selection of class. It was agreed by the Council that the Executive Committee is authorized to make the decision, after ISAF is informed of the IOC’s verdict.
The options for the 11th event have also been narrowed down: it will be a Multihull event and the equipment choice is between Tornado and Hobie Tiger. It should be noted that both the Equipment and Events Committee have made recommendations in favour of the Tornado class.
To read the rest of the Mid-Year Meeting report, click here:
http://www.sailing.org/28261.php
QUESTION: Pleased to see this report? Glad the Tornado might get a second wind in the Olympics?
Posted in Olympic Classes, Olympic Events
Record breaking yachtsman Alex Thomson has been making the most of HUGO BOSS being back in the water and enjoying some ‘foiling’ off his IMOCA Open 60 in the Solent.
Alex, always one for a challenge was thrilled to get out on the water and found the ‘foiling’ an exhilarating experience and was able to execute some complex moves thanks to the technology of the Carafino ‘Hydrofoil’ board.
Photo copyright Mark Lloyd
“The conditions were perfect with good breeze and sunshine adding to the feel good factor on the day. I haven’t been ‘foiling’ before but I loved it. It’s pretty extreme – at a certain speed the hull is lifted above the water and the craft skims along on the hydrofoils at great speeds. It’s like snowboarding, just on water,” explained Alex.
Richard Thompson from Carafino UK was on board Hugo Boss with Alex last week and was hugely impressed with not only the Open 60, but also with Alex.
Photo copyright Mark Lloyd
After a turbulent end to 2008 Alex is now focusing on the next four years. Alex and HUGO BOSS will compete in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race in August and the double-handed Transat Jacque Vabres in November before focusing on the Barcelona World Race in 2010. Before that though Alex is currently sailing HUGO BOSS to Monaco ready for the Monaco Grand Prix 21-24 May, as part of the Hugo Boss VIP hospitality programme.
Posted in Open 60 | Tags: Alex Thomson, hydrofoil
Just when the America’s Cup seemed set on a more certain course, an Italian club has thrown a new Cat among the pigeons. The Gargnano Yacht Club – organisers of the famous Centomiglia Race on Lake Garda but also the representative yacht club of the +39 Challenge in the last America’s Cup – have challenged BMW Oracle Racing for the Challenger’s slot against Alinghi in next year’s giant multihull showdown.
Lorenzo Rizzardi - back for another Cup after +39?
It’ll be interesting to see how BMW Oracle respond to this one. Whether or not they choose to accept the Italian challenge, it’s hard to see the Italians getting a credible piece of 90ft by 90ft technology together in the time frame – whether we’re looking at next February (BMW Oracle’s favoured date) or May (Alinghi’s preferred date). The conspiracy theorists will suggest this is a spoiling challenge concocted by none other than the Defenders. Possibly.
Here’s the letter that the Italians sent to Golden Gate YC
To the kind attention of Mr. Marcus Young – Commodore
BY DHL
Anticipated by email commodore@ggyc.comBogliaco di Gargnano,
6 May 2009
Re: 33rd America’s Cup – Multi-Challengers Event
Dear Commodore,
We are writing to express to you our willingness to participate in a multi-challenger event in multi-hull vessels. Our team has actively prepared to participate in the 33rd America’s Cup and we intend to compete in multi-hulls provided enough time is given to the challengers to prepare.
We are a yacht club eligible under the provisions of the Deed of Gift and we represent Italy, a country that has consistently taken part to all America’s Cup editions in the last 25 years and that it is widely recognized as being among the top sailing nations and ship builders in the world. Recognizing that the Defender and current Challenger of record have expressed their willingness for a multi-challenger event, we encourage you to open a challenger selection process and to make arrangements on the dates, courses, number of trials, rules and sailing regulations, and any and all other conditions of the races.
While we acknowledge that all involved yacht clubs have invested and will invest lot of time and resources in building their vessels, we know that a regatta in multi-hull vessels will cause the greatest interest in the sport of sailing and in the America’s Cup community and we are looking forward to competing in the 33rd America’s Cup very soon.
For your information, the same letter has been sent to Société Nautique de Genève. We urge you to reply to our genuine request as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Circolo Vela Gargnano
Lorenzo Rizzardi
President
Here are some details of the people and the organisation behind the Garda challenge
Today in the main hall of the Council of the Lombardy Region, the Circolo Vela Gargnano and the consortium “Green Comm Challenge” have
challenged the Geneva Nautical Society for the 33rd America’s Cup that now has, as only rival, the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco.
As provided by the “Deed of Gift”, the race will take place in 2010 aboard boats of 90×90 feet, a multihull 90 feet long and 90 feet wide, of about 27 meters of length.The challenge of the Circolo Vela Gargnano- Lake Garda (the second in its history after the first involvement with “+39Challenge”) has been
presented by the President of the “Green Comm Challenge” Francesco De Leo, by the lawyer Nicolò Bastianini, the Chairman of the Circolo Vela Gargnano Lorenzo Rizzardi, the Vice President of the Council of the Lombardy Region Enzo Lucchini.The choice of the crew has been granted to Angelo Glisoni, past world champion in the Tornado catamaran, coach of the Italian Team at the
Olympics in Athens and Beijing. The project staff will be led by Sebastiano Rec Morassutti. Our team will be supported by the supervisors Professor Mario Gerla (one of the fathers of the Internet), from the “University of California” in Los Angeles, and Professor John Lombardi, University of Pisa; it will also collaborate with the Politecnico di Torino.Question: What’s the reason behind this new Italian challenge? Is it really going anywhere?
Posted in 33rd America's Cup | Tags: Americas Cup
The Scuttlebutt Blog observes the non-sequitur between having a multihull in the Volvo ISAF Youth Worlds this summer in Brazil, and yet no multihull currently in the Olympic Games.
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/blog/2009/05/multihull-momentum.html
I’m sure the irony of this is not lost on ISAF President Goran Petersson and the other big cheeses at ISAF. Question is, are they going to do anything about it? After the IRA/ Sinn Fein (terrorism combined with politics) twin-pronged approach by the multihull lobby last year, it has been all quiet on the western front for the past six months since the ISAF Annual Conference in Madrid. But with the Mid year meeting about to take place in Poland, it’s time for ISAF to update us on progress in reinstating the multihull via an 11th medal for Weymouth 2012.
With other sports like swimming simply dripping in medal categories, it seems odd that the International Olympic Committee should deny sailing one extra measly medal. Fingers crossed for the multihull brigade that the IOC shows some mercy.
Posted in Olympic Classes | Tags: ISAF mid-year meeting
Chris Larson is this week’s guest on the Sailing Talk podcast with me and Justin Chisholm.
Chris Larson, multi-talented keelboat sailor
Annapolis sailor Larson is racing on his home patch in the J/24 Worlds, so we ask him about that and also his views on the Volvo Ocean Race, the America’s Cup and how the credit crunch is affecting the racing world.
Justin has just been at the Wilson Trophy, the top team racing event in West Kirby. We ask the question, is team racing the perfect Olympic event that most likely will never happen?
It’s all here if you click on the link below:
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OR DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST FROM SAILJUICE…
or, if you’re an iTunes fan, then you can subscribe to Sailing Talk by clicking here…
Posted in sailing podcast | Tags: Chris Larson, podcast, Sailing Talk
I like the new initiative of Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, who has launched a new design competition to come up with a future boat for the premier round-the-world race. The contest is open only to Optimist sailors. “Almost all the best sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race started racing in the Optimist,” says Frostad. “That is where they learnt to race, trim the sails and have fun on the water.”
The winners will be announced on 25th June to coincide with the launch of the new IODA website and the start of the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Entries must arrive by 6th June, so if you are an Optimist sailor, visit the optimist website (www.optiworld.org) for an entry form, details of the fabulous prizes and an opportunity to view some of the entries already posted in the ‘Gallery’.
It’s great to see someone like Frostad wanting to join up both ends of the sport, from the top professional end down to the very grass roots level of the Optimist fleet. It’s got me wondering, maybe there could also be a competition for Optimist sailors to suggest the best way out of the current mess with the America’s Cup. Surely a 12-year-old could do better than what we’ve seen the grown-ups try to do over the past 22 months.
Posted in 33rd America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race | Tags: Knut Frostad, Optimist sailing
Chris Nicholson injured his knee sailing on Puma Racing on the second leg from Cape Town to Cochin. He pressed on for the next leg to Singapore when it became obvious that he’d really damage himself if he carried on any further.
In this week’s Sailing Talk podcast, co-host Justin Chisholm and I ask Chris what it’s like to be following the progress of the Volvo Ocean Race from his home back in Belmont, New South Wales. He’s not a happy bunny, suffice it to say.
We also ask Chris about his thoughts on latest Cats n DoG developments in the America’s Cup, and seeing as he’s a three-time 49er World Champion we got his input on Olympic campaigning and whether or not he might ever have another crack at it.
It’s all here if you click on the link below:
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OR DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST FROM SAILJUICE…
or, if you’re an iTunes fan, then you can subscribe to Sailing Talk by clicking here…
Posted in Sailing Talk, sailing podcast
Paul Goodison dominates Hyeres
Paul Goodison dominated all week at the Semaine Olympique Francaise in Hyeres, stamping his authority on the new Olympic cycle after a six-month break following his Olympic gold in the Laser last August. Now Anna Tunnicliffe has done it too, albeit in a last gasp effort in the Medal Race at Hyeres. A bit like her last-gasp gold medal in Qingdao actually!
The Sibello brothers have dominated the new era of 49er sailing yet again, wrapping up gold before the Medal Race, but the ones to watch are Chris Draper and Pete Greenhalgh, a new team of old heads who are straight back into the swing of it after a few years’ break from Olympic campaigning.
We’ve got all sorts of interviews and ’sail faster’ tips from these stars of the Olympic world in sister website, SailJuice.com
Here’s a flavour of what’s on offer:
These sailors are at the top of their game. If you’re serious about improving your own sailing, do you think they might have something useful to tell you?
We’ll be getting more exclusive interviews in SailJuice Xpress, our FREE NEWSLETTER full of hot tips and advice to get you sailing faster. Sign up here now.
***SIGN UP TO SAILJUICE XPRESS HERE***
Posted in Olympic Classes | Tags: Anna Tunnicliffe, chris draper, Olympic Classes, Paul Goodison, SailJuice
Team Philips, Pete Goss's ill-fated catamaran
So is that really it? With yesterday’s meeting in Geneva between representatives of Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing ending in discord, does this really mean we’re definitely going to see a DoG match for the 33rd America’s Cup?
Seems like posturing to me. I thought it just marked the first chapter of some further protracted negotiations (aka arguments) that will lead nowhere other than waste more time.
At times like these I refer and defer to the oracle (small O) of America’s Cup wisdom, the venerable Bob Fisher of Lymington – and longstanding sailing reporter for the Guardian newspaper. Bob’s report is unequivocal. It’s going to be back on the water, and it’s going to be in multihulls. I bow to Bob’s greater knowledge in these matters.
In which case, it’s going to be a test as to whether two hulls is better than three, and whether two masts is better than one, if the rumour mill is to be believed. Alinghi have been playing their cards very close to their chest, with scant details of their wonderb0at escaping from the boat yard in Switzerland. If the rumour of a 115-foot twin-rigged catamaran is true, then the 33rd America’s Cup will be a naval architect’s wet dream.
Where do you reckon Alinghi has got its inspiration from? Surely not the ill-fated Team Phillips, a dog of a cat, albeit a dog of striking and space age appearance? Perhaps Yves Parlier’s Aquitaine Innovations? Or the old water speed record holder, Crossbow, perhaps?
Maybe it’s just more smoke and mirrors. All I do know is Alinghi’s design coordinator Grant Simmer couldn’t hide a wry smile when a few weeks ago in Gstaad we pressed him for some word about what their boat was going to be. He didn’t betray any secrets, other than that cryptic smile which suggested Alinghi would be pretty comfortable with a DoG match in multihulls.
Posted in 33rd America's Cup
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