America's Cup: The Beginning of the End - Edition 7

America's Cup: The Beginning of the End
Welcome to Sail-World.com's seventh America's Cup Newsletter for the 34th America's Cup, being sent to 155,000 subscribers world-wide.

February 4 marked the christening of the first of the second generation AC72's for the 2013 America's Cup. Emirates Team NZ had hoped to splash their new boat on the same day, but was prevented by strong winds. On the same date Oracle Team USA relaunched a repaired and modified USA-17, in San Francisco.

On February 22, after a few days of trialling against Oracle's revamped USA-17, Artemis Racing announced they were suspending sailing and taking some time out in the builder's shed.

The Swedish Challenger was the last of the Class of 2013 to call for modifications.

The team has also indicated, via CEO Paul Cayard writing in his blog, that their second AC72 is under construction in Sweden and will be launched in May.

Between San Francisco and Auckland, there is a clear design dichotomy. In Auckland, both AC72's are firmly in the foiling camp. Maybe not surprising seeing the hulls and platform initially, at least, are from the same design team.

In San Francisco, Artemis Racing is foiling in a very limited way, with the leeward hull lifting to a limited extent, but not clear of the water. Oracle Team USA seem to have worked out many of the wrinkles that were so obvious in their first build. Whether their foiling is quite as smooth and relaxed as those Down Under will only be established when the two groups come together, in San Francisco, and the vagaries of wind and water are equalised.

In the meantime, Cup watchers argue back and forth.

And in a signature of the internet age, Cup fans can now see both factions sailing in San Francisco and Auckland via web cams in both locations. It might not be the prettiest video, but certainly it gives an impression. And by the same medium, tonight we can see the lights are burning late in the Emirates Team NZ tent, in the Viaduct harbour.

The Design Jury is still out on the merits of foiling. Certainly most believe that it is an essential part of any AC team's arsenal, to some degree. When, and how high, are still the unanswered questions. And we have that word 'trade-off' creeping back into the America's Cup lexicon. This time the factors in the equation are speed, drag and VMG - or simply knowing the option that will get your boat to the next mark, in the shortest time.

In this edition of Sail-World.com's America's Cup newsletter we feature four video interviews with the key players from Emirates Team NZ, and get their take on the key issues of the months to come.

We have featured several team supplied videos in this edition, but perhaps the two most interesting are two Am-Cam videos - one from San Francisco of Oracle Team USA foiling, and the other from Hauraki Gulf, showing Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa having race practice.

This is the first video showing the two AC72's involved in a racing situation - and spectacular they certainly are.

We will be publishing further America's Cup newsletters, when there is sufficient content and/or on milestone occasions -this will be once a month, until the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

In the meantime stay tuned to www.sail-world.com - for the latest on the two AC72 launches.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
Sail-World's America's Cup News Editor

To subscribe a friend to Sail-World's FREE newsletter click here

If you wish to come off our mailing list please click the unsubscribe button on this newsletter, or drop a line to deletesailworld@gmail.com or call (+649) 489 9267

Stay up with the latest sailing news, as it happens, on our website www.sail-world.com

America's Cup: Artemis Racing suspends sailing program to modify AC72
America's Cup Media,
Following a couple of training sessions on San Francisco Bay earlier this month, when Oracle Team USA and Artemis Racing lined up with their two AC72s for the first time, the Swedish team has decided to suspend their sailing program in favor of boat modifications.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Am-Cam video of AC72 racing on the Hauraki Gulf

In the coiffed and manicured world of America's Cup PR, much of the video released is usually done with intent, and often well after the event. Over the past two days, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa have been sailing together in the Hauraki Gulf, and were caught on camera, by the crew of a 14ft powerboat.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Spy vs Spy - Serious, or straight from the comic books?
Rod Davis writing for etnzblog.com,
Surveillance is part of America's Cup life. Everyone does it. Coach Rod Davis muses on what can be learned – and the rules that regulate it. At times the America's Cup seems just like Mad Magazine's Spy vs Spy. One team keeping tabs on another and a game of, not so much dirty tricks, but pranks played both by and against the spy.... [more]
Share this story

Iain Jensen, Andrew Simpson and John Gimson join Artemis Racing
Jennifer McHugh,
Artemis Racing has announced the addition of 2012 Olympic medalists Iain Jensen and Andrew Simpson as well as 2016 Olympic hopeful John Gimson. The newcomers will join the team's decorated Olympians Percy, Lange, Outteridge, and Monk.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Paul Cayard confirms second AC72 build in Sweden
Sail-World,
Artemis Racing's CEO, Paul Cayard has confirmed that the team has a second AC72 under construction, in Sweden, and that they expect to be sailing the new boat in early May, two months ahead of the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Writing in his blog, Cayard doesn't reveal whether the team will opt for a fully foiling AC72, or if the Swedish America's Cup Challenger will stay in partial foiling mode... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: On board Emirates Team NZ's new AC72
Sail-World,
Chris Cameron, Emirates Team NZ's photographer takes us on board the team's new AC72 as she works up against Luna Rossa, doing some race training in the Hauraki Gulf, ahead of leaving for San Francisco for the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup in July... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Docking out - Image gallery
Richard Gladwell,
Images taken dockside as Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Ross left Auckland's Viadauct harbour area for a training session on the Hauraki Gulf... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Am-Cam video of Oracle's AC72 foiling in San Francisco
Andrew Wisner,
Oracle Team USA is videoed on a practice run on San Francisco Bay. Flick the quality onto HD and watch in full screen. In contrast to other video distributed on the interweb, this one is not too flattering. The wind conditions are described as light, but whitecaps are clearly visible which may be tide, but the breeze does look to be at least 12kts... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: How to run an AC72 crew that is four short
Emirates Team NZ,
Emirates Team NZ explain how they have had to change the crew roles around to cope with the reduced crew numb ers allowed on the AC72 catamarans. Gone are the old positions of navigator, tactician and a couple of others to do backstays. Now it is just the skipper and a part-time tactician/navigator/grinder/sheet hand.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup 2013 - Artemis Racing lines up with Oracle Team USA
Beau Outteridge,
Artemis Racing had the opportunity to line up with defending champion Oracle in San Francisco last February 11 as the two racing teams continue their build-up towards September's Americas Cup series. 'We learned that we have a lot of improving to do so we are taking it on', explained CEO, Paul Cayard.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ - The finer points of foiling
Sail-World,
One of the big design thrusts with the second generation AC72 by Emirates Team NZ has been to reduce drag, and improve performance, or taking the brakes off, if you will. In this series of images from Emirates Team NZ photographer, Chris Cameron, we can maybe get a handle on how far the team has managed to get down the lowered drag path.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup : Emirates Team NZ's AC72 - NZL5 goes down the mine?
Chris Cameron,
Emirates Team New Zealand are just a few days into testing their new AC72 - and certainly seem to be putting the 72ft foiling catamaran cat through her paces. Whether this trip down the mine was deliberate or not , is a matter of conjecture, but in the remainder of the images there doesn't seem to be too many issues aside from flying spray.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA enjoys steady flight on foils
Richard Gladwell,
Oracle Team USA, the Defender of the America's cup has released a video showing their AC72 catamaran flying steadily on San Francisco Bay while foil-borne. To date the team's first AC72 has been plagued with rumours about her ability to foil steadily and under control. This lack of ability has been put down to a number of factors, orbiting around the rather obvious platform twist.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ flying on the Hauraki Gulf + Video
ETNZblog.com,
On Thursday, Emirates Team NZ's new AC72 had her second day of sailing on the Hauraki Gulf. Team Photographer, Chris Cameron, was on the water again and provided this gallery of images... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: 'Promise we won't go foiling on Day 1' - Yeah Right!
Sail-World,
Video from Emirates Team NZ's first day of sailing in their new second generation AC72, Aotearoa, on a light summer's day on the Hauraki Gulf. Grant Dalton before the AC72 was launched and sailed for the first time: 'The temptation today is just to go out and send it straight away and get her up on the foils.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: On the Hauraki Gulf for ETNZ's new AC72 - More images
Richard Gladwell,
Sail-World' s Richard Gladwell was on the water today for the first sail of the team's second generation AC72, launched on February 4, 2013. Here's the second gallery of images of the 72ft catamran sailing for the frist time in a light seabreeeze of less than 8kts.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: A good first day on the Hauraki Gulf for new AC72
Richard Gladwell,
Sail-World' s Richard Gladwell was on the water today for the first sail of the team's second generation AC72, launched on February 4, 2013.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: First day of sailing for Emirates Team NZ's new AC72
Chris Cameron,
Emirates Team NZ's photographer, Chris Cameron was on the water today for the first sail of the team's second generation AC72, launched on February 4, 2013... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Images of Artemis Racing
Sail-World,
Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing (SWE) was on San Francisco Bay for another day of practice and testing. These images courtesy of www.pressure-drop.us... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA sails in fresh winds at San Francisco
Guilain Grenier, Oracle Team USA,
Oracle Team USA was sailing today in fresh winds averaging 15kts - from wind recordings at one location. Guilain Grenier, the team photographer posted these images of the day.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA and Artemis Racing hook up briefly
Sail-World,
San Francisco based website www.pressure-drop.us reports that America's Cup Defender, Oracle Team USA and Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing (SWE) were both sailing in San Francisco, and the two sailed against each other for a brief time.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA foils again in San Francisco
Sail-World,
Oracle Team USA's rebuilt AC72, USA-17, has sailed for two days in San Francisco, and the team have released some images and video showing her in foiling mode. Some changes have clearly been made to the boat - most obvious being removal of the former steering system, now replaced with a wheel, the same as Emirates Team NZ.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Nick Holroyd looks at AC72 design concepts and rivals
Richard Gladwell,
Emirates Team New Zealands's Technical Director, Nick Holroyd talks about the changes that have been made to the latest AC72 for the team, and gives his thoughts on what is being seen of the teams now sailing in San Francisco. This video features many still images to illustrate the design nuances of the AC72, and in many ways this video is a primer on AC72 design thinking and concepts.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ's Kevin Shoebridge looks shoreside
Richard Gladwell,
In past America's Cups, the shore and support crews have been very much an unseen force. But in the 34th America's Cup - while they are still largely unseen - the dependence of the team on their skills and dedication has never been more crucial. In this video interview, on the occasion on Emirates Team NZ's christening of their second AC72 catamaran, Chief Operating Officer for the team, Kevin... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Dean Barker talks about the sailing side of NZA
Richard Gladwell,
Emirates Team New Zealand's skipper, Dean Barker discussed the sailing issues and program with the teams new AC72, New Zealand Aotearoa. Surprisingly he reveals that the team only have 13 sailors, and that they will be announcing a 'First Eleven' from that group. For most teams that would not even be a viable reserve bench. Who is the backup skipper?... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Grant Dalton on the new AC72 - Aotearoa
Richard Gladwell,
Emirates Team New Zealand's Managing Director, Grant Dalton spoke with Sail-World's America's Cup Editor, Richard Gladwell, after the team named their second AC72 - New Zealand Aotearoa. Here he elaborates on the new features on the AC72 catamaran, and the thinking behind them, along with an assessment of the competition and where they are ranked.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Oracle Team USA relaunch USA-17 in San Francisco
Sail-World,
Oracle Team USA relaunched their first AC72, USA-17, today in San Francisco. She was rebuilt after a catastrophic capsize in San Francisco, which destroyed her wingsail, and severely damaged the platform. She will now undergo sailing trials and the tem will continue their development program from the eight days of sailing they were able to achieve before the capsize.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Images from Emirates Team NZ's launch in Auckland
Richard Gladwell,
Images from Emirates Team NZ's launch of their second AC72 in Auckland. These images of the boat and gear show a lot of the refinements which have been done from the first design, mainly in the area of platform fairing and drag reduction. The boat features smaller foils and slightly altered hull shape from its predecessor... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ unveil second AC72 in Auckland + Video
Richard Gladwell,
Emirates Team NZ christened their second AC72 in Auckland, this morning, in a simple ceremony including a Maori blessing of the waka, or canoe. As expected there was nothing radical about the boat, in terms of a departure from the base design developed for the teams first AC72, launched last July.Rather the focus is on refinement in terms of drag reduction and efficiency in working systems.... [more]
Share this story

America's Cup: A look behind the door at Oracle Team USA
Guilain Grenier, Oracle Team USA,
Oracle Team USA's photographer, Gulian Grenier provides this look behind the building shed door at Oracle Team USA, as they make the final touches on the rebuilt and repaired USA-17, which was badly damaged in a capsize on San Francisco Bay in October 2012.... [more]
Share this story

Click HERE to give us your feed-back.

If you don't wish to receive any more of Sail-World's America's Cup news, just a single click here and you won't.

ENDS

© Scoop Media