US challenger Oracle giant trimaran (R) and Swiss defender Alinghi huge catamaran (L) sail at the start of the opening race of the 33rd America's Cup off Valencia (Photo by Jose Jordan/AFP Photo)
American challenger BMW Oracle Racing recovered from a mistake in the dramatic first few minutes and literally flew to a lead of 3 minutes, 21 seconds over defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland after the first leg of Race 1 of the America’s Cup.
The 90-foot boats, the trimaran USA with its radical wing sail and the catamaran Alinghi 5, provided a thrilling start Friday to a regatta that had been stalled by a bitter, 2 1/2-year court fight between two of the world’s richest men.
A USA BMW Oracle Fan (Photo by Eduardo Ripoll/33rd America's Cup)
After Race 1 was delayed on Monday and Wednesday, USA and Alinghi sped south across the Mediterranean Sea on a course paralleling the Spanish coast on a clear, cold day. The fastest, most technologically advanced boats in the 159-year history of the America’s Cup, they hit approximately 22 knots in just 6 or 7 knots of wind.
When skipper Jimmy Spithill of Australia got the triple-hulled monster USA cranked up, the windward hull flew some 20 feet out of the water.
BMW Oracle Takes Off (Photo by Jose Jordán/AFP/33rd America's Cup)
Owned by Silicon Valley maverick Larry Ellison, USA rebounded from a deficit of 660 meters at the start and overhauled the Swiss sailing upwind, building a lead of about 1,200 meters approaching the end of the 20-mile first leg.
There was a light swell, with waves of about half a metre that rolled upwind which sailing experts said would be easier on both boats on the upwind leg.
The two boats — the biggest and fastest entries in the 159-year history of the Cup, sailing’s most prestigious trophy — are capable of sailing at three times the speed of the wind, meaning the race could last between two and four hours.
Wind speeds can be dramatically different at the top of the gaint boats from that at sea level.
Stronger winds higher up would give Oracle, which is three storeys higher than Alinghi, an edge.
The US side has an innovative solid vertical wingspan of 68 metres is more than twice the length of the wing of a Boeing 747.
The race starting signal had originally been set for 10 am but organisers delayed it in the hope that weather conditions for the race would improve.
Alinghi's President Swiss Ernesto Bertarelli waits for the start of the opening race of the 33rd America's Cup (Photo by Jamie Reina/ AFP Photo/America's Cup)
The 33rd America’s Cup opener was originally set for Monday but was called off due to weak winds which frequently shifted direction.
The America’s Cup has traditionally been run in monohulls but this year for the first time both sides will sail multihulls in a rare head-to-head duel after the two sides failed to agree on the rules for a conventional regatta involving several teams.
It is also the first time that the competition is being held in a Northern Hemisphere winter, another one of the outcomes of the convoluted legal battle between Oracle and Alinghi.
Alinghi became the first European winner of the America’s Cup in 2003 in what was its first attempt and then succeeded in defending it in Valencia in July 2007, when summertime breezes are stronger and more consistent.
BMW Oracle Returns To Base After Day 1 Racing Cancelled (Photo by Gareth Evans)
by Gareth Evans
Race day 1 started light, but the forecast promised winds would increase. Bryan Willis, the British representative on the America’s Cup International Jury, was confident that racing would go ahead. Matt Sheahan of Yachting World magazine, a renowned expert on Valencia weather, was forecasting 8 knots, with possibly 14 knots during squally showers. Unfortunately the weather failed to cooperate.
Racing was officially cancelled at 1350 Valencia time.
Within the America’s Cup village, the area in front of the large screen was packed with standing room only. The lucky few that arrived early had managed to find seats. The crowds were entertained with music & acrobats, and videos of the America’s Cup final from 2007 shown on the screen. Large groups of school children were brought along to enjoy the America’s Cup experience.
BMW Oracle Returns to Base (Photo by Gareth Evans)
Following racing I was very kindly granted access to the BMW Oracle Racing base, hidden deep within the Port away from prying eyes. Shortly after arriving at the base, USA-17 emerged from the rain. A number of ribs went out to meet her, and brought her onto her mooring buoy. The wing is left standing during normal weather conditions, so she sits on a swinging mooring allowing her to move with the wind. The wing is breathtaking, and even more impressive in real life.
BMW Oracle Rib Lifting Sails (Photo by Gareth Evans)
The BMW Oracle genoas weigh about 200kg each – that is why they use a lifting beam. The main sail – before the wing went up – was about 600kg.
The race crew were still on board, and assisted with the de-rigging of the boat. A RIB brought Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts ashore. Ellison immediately boarded another tender which took him to his private yacht, anchored in the distance just outside the port. He has a view of USA-17 at all times from his yacht. When asked how the days sailing was, Russell Coutts replied “Good for us”, implying the suspected dominance of Alinghi in lighter airs.
Whilst at the BMW Oracle base I was afforded a close look at the Racers Edge wind measurement binoculars. They were sitting on a sofa in a large protective case, with Racers Edge emblazoned on the lid. They work in two modes. The first measures wind at 400m, 700m and 1000m distances from your location. The second mode measures wind speed vertically through a 40 degree arc at a distance of 400m from the boat. They communicate with the yacht’s on board computer system via Bluetooth, allowing a 3-dimensional image of wind speed to be calculated. At $150,000 a pair I did not ask if I could hold them!
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Alinghi At Port America's Cup (Photo by Gareth Evans)
Alinghi 5, the 33rd America’s Cup defending yacht, left the Alinghi base this morning for Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup amid a cacophony of Swiss bells and cheers from Alinghi fans, friends and families. This moment has been long awaited. Too bad that enthuasism was cut short by a postponment of today’s racing due to lack of wind.
“We have been looking forward to this moment for a long time,” said Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi team president and principal helmsman. “It is good to be going racing at last. The designers have done an amazing job in creating this boat for us and the shore team have done a phenomenal job in building it. It’s time to go racing.”
Race 1 of the America’s Cup is a 40 nautical mile windward/leeward course (20nm upwind and 20nm down) and is due to start at 10:06 this morning, weather permitting.
Defender vs. Challenger
Alinghi 5, Société Nautique de Genève (SUI) vs. BMW Oracle Racing, Golden Gate Yacht Club (USA)
Alinghi, the Defender of the America’s Cup, has the blue flag, which means port entry in to the starting area.
Crew List BMW Oracle Day 1:
BMW Oracle Racing (Photo by Gareth Evans)
Below is the crew list for BMW ORACLE Racing for Race One of the 33rd
America’s Cup Match.Name Position on Board
Brad Webb (NZL) Bowman
Simone de Mari (ITA) Pitman
Ross Halcrow (NZL) Jib Trimmer
Dirk de Ridder (NED) Wing Sail Trimmer
Joey Newton (AUS) Wing Sail Caddy
John Kostecki (USA) Tactician
James Spithill (AUS) Skipper/Helmsman
Matteo Plazzi (ITA) Navigator
Thierry Fouchier (FRA) Aft Pit
Matthew Mason (NZL) Mast
Team Alinghi (Photo by Gareth Evans)
Crew list Alinghi Day 1:Bowman: Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED)
Midbow: Curtis Blewett (CAN)
Pitman: Rodney Ardern (NZL)
Trimmer upwind: Simon Daubney (NZL)
Trimmer downwind: Nils Frei (SUI)
Mainsail trimmer: Warwick Fleury (NZL)
Traveller: Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI)
Helmsman: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI)
Tactician: Brad Butterworth (NZL)
Runner: Murray Jones (NZL)
Navigator: Juan Vila (ESP)
Floater: Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA)
Floater: Loïck Peyron (FRA)
Pre-start: Peter Evans (NZL)
Quotes from the race boat
Nils Frei (SUI), downwind trimmer
What’s the feeling among the team this morning?
“It’s good, very good. We are looking forward to racing. I think we have had some good training the last couple of weeks and we’re confident with the forecast. We’re looking forward to it.”
How important is this line-up with BMW Oracle? What will the team learn?
“We’ll learn a lot today. We’ll see how the boats are going. So far we’ve observed them and they’ve observed us, but we’re not 100 percent sure how it’ll go on the water. I think about 20minutes after the start we’ll probably know a lot more. It’s going to be interesting.”
What’s been the most fascinating aspect of this campaign?
“These boats are so huge. They are fast. It’s something new to everyone. We’ve been able to develop the boat, and every day we make it faster. It’s high tech and very, very interesting.”
Murray Jones (NZL), runner
Race 1 for the America’s Cup; what’s the weather forecast and how will it affect the sailing?
“There’s about 5-12 knots forecast. We’ll see when we get out there. It’s always changing here in Valencia and it depends exactly where we are out there. We’ll line-up and see how we go.”
Did you know?
The last – and only – time a catamaran competed in the America’s Cup Match was in 1988 when the 60ft cat Stars & Stripes defeated the 90ft load waterline length monohull KZ-1.
On a typical practice day in the week leading up to the 33rd America’s Cup Match Alinghi 5 sailed approximately 100nm per day.
Alinghi was the first European team to win the America’s Cup in 2003 and in 2007 it became the first team to successfully defend the Cup in Europe.
Alinghi has a 10-2 record in races for the America’s Cup.
Alinghi 5 is 90ft/28m long. It has a beam equivalent to the width of two tennis courts and a mast 17 storeys tall. The total sail area is the equivalent of nine tennis courts.
On this day in America’s Cup history
1990 – The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the First Division’s judgment and confirmed Dennis Conner’s controversial Stars & Stripes victory for the San Diego Yacht Club in the 27th America’s Cup Match. Popularly known as the “mismatch”, it featured a match between challenger New Zealand, a 90ft load waterline monohull sloop, and the defender’s 60ft catamaran Stars & Stripes. The decision brought to an end almost three years of legal turmoil in the America’s Cup.
2009 – Alinghi defeats BMW Oracle Racing in Round Robin 2 of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series held on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. It would be the first of three match race victories against BMW Oracle Racing in the regatta, securing Alinghi´s record of not having lost a match race against BMW Oracle since 4 October 2005 in Trapani, Sicily.
