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Why Not Have Four AC45s?—Sailing News from the U.S. and Beyond

Oracle Racing, getting after it   Guilain Grenier/Oracle Racing

Larry Ellison has never been known to cut corners when it comes to funding his favorite sailing charity, Oracle Racing. The team recently made news with the announcement that they are going to be using four wingsail-powered AC45 catamarans, both to practice match-racing and fleet skills, but also for the team's designers to experiment with wing and foil designs that will spill over into their AC72 class catamaran (already under construction).

This now gives Oracle Racing a serious multi-boat stable, while most other teams are struggling to fund a single-boat program. True, the AC45 class is a One Design, making all boats equal, but given the equipment differences between programs, it's hard not to see the playing field as becoming increasingly lopsided.

The Oracle Racing armada will be practicing on San Francisco Bay until the start of the next America's Cup World Series event, which takes place from November 12-20 in San Diego. 'The session also gives us time to meet with the design team guys and settle the key choices for our first AC72,' said Spithill. 'The sailing team is closely involved with the design team in discussing systems, layouts and general characteristics. After the great success of the AC45, we're very excited about the AC72. It's going to be awesome.' Stay tuned for more, as it becomes known.

In Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) and media circles, Puma Ocean Racing has hired Newport-based lensman Amory Ross as their Media Crew Member (MCM). Ross, 27, is considered one of the best shooters around, and is certainly no slouch on a boat, having sailed on the Hobart Sailing Team and also having logged plenty of offshore miles, both as a shooter and as a sailor. 'It's definitely a ‘life's dream' kind of situation for me,' said Ross. 'Ever since the VOR added the onboard MCM position, I knew it's what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be. Everything I have been practicing the last few years, the video and the big-boat sailing, it has been done to make sure I have all of the necessary skill sets to take this kind of a job on and do it the right way. It's never going to be easy, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.' Get the full scoop inside.

And in the Global Ocean Race, the fleet is painstakingly looking for pressure after a sticky passage through the Doldrums. Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron, aboard Campagne de France, led the pack into fresh SSE winds, with the father-and-son team of Ross and Campbell Field, aboard BSL, in hot pursuit. For the other four boats, however, the anemometer readings are likely far softer, and frustrations much higher, than those aboard Campagne de France and BSL.

Leg Two of the La Charente-Maritime/Bahia Transat 6.50 2011 has begun  © Pierrick Garenne / GPO

Also inside, get the latest on the start of the second leg of the La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6.50 (formerly the Mini Transat), the Extreme Sailing Series Act 8, and the Clipper Around The World Race.

Extreme Sailing Series 2011 Act 8. Almeria. Spain   Lloyd Images ©

May the four winds blow you safely home,

David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor

America's Cup: Oracle Racing acquires two new boats for training Richard Gladwell, The America's Cup Defender, Oracle Racing (USA) has returned to the host city for a fall training session. In the last training session in June, coinciding with a Media Week, Team CEO Russell Coutts capsized his AC45 wingsail catamaran in full view of the cameras... [more] Share this story

Farr 40 European Championship day 1 - Enfant Terrible into lead Jill Campbell, Farr 40 European Championship - Alberto Rossi's Enfant Terrible (ITA) leads the overall classification after three races held on the first day of racing. Current Farr 40 World Champion Guido Belgiorno-Nettis, owner of Transfusion (AUS), sits in second place on equal points, with only Rossi's victory in the final race of the day breaking the tie on countback.... [more] Share this story

Eurosaf High Performance Grand Prix day 1 - Light conditions John Friend, Eurosaf High Performance Grand Prix - It's like being back in summer here in Murcia, as racing got underway for four of the five classes yesterday, with the A-Class Cats starting today, 14th October. A vital ingredient for a Eurosaf High Performance Grand Prix is wind and on the Murcia's land locked sea, the Mar Menor, this was late coming for this the first day of competition.... [more] Share this story

Gilmour versus Gilmour on the World Match Racing Tour? Monsoon Cup Media, Might the sailing world be seeing history unfold as 20 year old West Australian match racer David Gilmour edges closer to a possible Monsoon Cup berth?... [more] Share this story

Team Telefonica announced for Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race, Team Telefónica officially unveiled their crew for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 during a ceremony in Madrid today. Spain's Iker Martínez will skipper Telefónica, which boasts three Olympic gold medallists, two America's Cup winners and one Volvo Ocean Race winner.... [more] Share this story

San Francisco Bay training begins for Oracle Racing Oracle Racing, Oracle Racing last trained on the Bay in June and put on a spectacular show. In strong winds team CEO Russell Coutts capsized his AC45 wingsail catamaran two days after team skipper Jimmy Spithill nearly did the same thing.... [more] Share this story

Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 day 2 a mixed affair + Video Extreme Sailing Series, Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 has now wrapped up the second day of competition in Almeria. It was a mixed affair comprised of four open water races that were staged outside the port of Almeria and a stadium race inside the harbour which led to some dream starts and some nightmare endings.... [more] Share this story

La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6.50 Leg 2 underway La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat, La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6.50 Leg 2 is now underway. The seventy-seven strong fleet set sail at 1:30 p.m and headed for a windward mark buoy in front of the Club naval de Funchal before heading to the next compulsory passage mark located between the islands of Santo Antao and Maio in the Cape Verde archipelago. The wind in the area is six knots south/southwest.... [more] Share this story

Global Ocean Race - Doldrums lottery Oliver Dewar, The Global Ocean Race's first leg was undoubtedly changed by the Doldrums and with just under five days to go, the leaders are edging into the zone being led by Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron with Campagne de France who are being chased by Ross and Campbell Field on BSL.... [more] Share this story

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race teams face extreme conditions Heather Ewing, The Roaring Forties have bared their teeth overnight and the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race teams have been experiencing the full force of a ferocious weather system bringing with it hail, ice and gusts of up to 70 knots.... [more] Share this story

Volvo Ocean Race - Puma Ocean Racing new MCM Amory Ross Lisa Ramsperger, The Puma Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion team has appointed Amory Ross as the new Media Crew Member (MCM) onboard Puma's Mar Mostro for the Volvo Ocean Race. Ross, 27, is based in Newport, Rhode Island, where he specializes in nautical photography, video and multi-media. He has logged offshore racing miles as both a crew member and onboard media specialist.... [more] Share this story

La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6.50 Leg 2 - Stage is set La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat, On Thursday the 13th of October at 1:30 p.m local time the start of the second stage of La Charente-Maritime Bahia Transat 6.50, between Funchal (Madeira, Portugal) and Salvador (Bahia-Brazil), will begin. Nothing is definitive - in either category - with more than 3,100 miles to go before the finish line is crossed.... [more] Share this story

Campbell Cup at Long Beach Yacht Club Rich Roberts, The third annual Campbell Cup will be hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club. Three races are planned for Saturday and two Sunday, with all three groups starting separately beginning at noon each day. The windward-leeward race course will be set about one mile south of the Alamitos Bay jetty entrance past the breakwater.... [more] Share this story

Extreme Sailing Series Act 8 day 1 - Tricky and challenging conditions Extreme Sailing Series, Act 8 of the 2011 Extreme Sailing Series is now underway in Almeria and the public literally arrived in the thousands on the opening day, making the most of Spain's national Bank Holiday. Soaking up the party atmosphere and enjoying the activities and entertainments on shore ahead of the main event when the 11 Extreme 40s took to the water... [more] Share this story

Global Ocean Race leaders nearing the equator Oliver Dewar, The Global Ocean Race Class40 leaders are digging into the South-East Trades whilst the two mid-fleet boats are getting snared by the Doldrums and the tail-enders are proceeding to pile into the pack. During the night and into Wednesday morning, Mabire and Merron succeeded in pushing Campagne de France around one knot quicker than Ross and Campbell Field on BSL... [more] Share this story

Pan American Games head to Puerto Vallarta Dana Paxton, This week US Sailing's representatives on the Pan American Games Team head to Mexico to compete in the XVI Pan American Games. The sailing competition will be hosted at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Puerto Vallarta from Oct. 17-23, and will feature nine events, including four Olympic classes - Laser (Men), Laser Radial (Women) and RS:X (Men and Women) - and five non-Olympic, open classes... [more] Share this story

ISAF Match Race Rankings - Bruni and Tunnicliffe top list ISAF, ISAF Match Race Rankings - Tunnicliffe retained her place as World number one in the Women's Match Race Rankings whilst Bruni moves to the top of the Open Match Race Rankings for the first time. Bruni held second place for the last three rankings releases but after his third place finish at the Argo Gold Cup, the seventh stage of the World Match Racing Tour, he leapfrogs Ian Williams.... [more] Share this story

ISAF Women's Match Racing 2012 Worlds Venue announced as Gothenburg International Sailing Federation, ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship 14th edition will be hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden from 25 to 30 June 2012. Hosted by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS) the 16 teams will sail the Elliot 6metre keelboat, the equipment being used for Women's Match Racing at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition.... [more] Share this story

University of Ottawa at World's Largest College Sailing Regatta Clarity Nicoll, This past weekend, the University of Ottawa Racing team got the opportunity to compete in the World's Largest College Sailing competition. The Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta was held at the Larchmont Yacht Club in New York with the Storm Trysail Foundation. There were over 400 college students, 47 offshore boats ranging from 35 to 44 feet.... [more] Share this story

Stricken ship's Master arrested as containers topple in Rena Disaster Richard Gladwell, Sail-World, There have been two significant developments in the Rena Disaster.Seventy containers have fallen off the ship overnight as she continues to be pounded by 4-5 metre seas off Tauranga. Rena has now broken amidships. This story is being updated through the day - including on the water photos and video from media briefings ashore.... [more] Share this story

U.S. Match Racing Championship at Balboa Yacht Club preview Jake Fish, U.S. Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club, is an International Sailing Federation Grade 3 event. Several of the top match racing skippers in the country will be in Corona del Mar, Calif. to compete for the Prince of Wales Bowl this week. Twelve teams will race in Governor's Cup 21 boats over four days of racing.... [more] Share this story

Extreme Sailing Series heads to Almeria for Act 8 - Preview + Video Extreme Sailing Series, Extreme Sailing Series™ Act 8 is being held in Almeria, Spain from tomorrow 12th October 2011. The 11 Extreme 40 racing machines are ready to race. Some of the teams have been out training today on the official practice day including the new multinational team, Team TILT, led by Swiss multihull specialist Alex Schneiter, three-time of the Bol d'Or.... [more] Share this story

Farr 40 European Circuit Leg 3 - Victory to Charisma Jill Campbell, Farr 40 European Circuit third leg concluded today with the welcome arrival of more stable conditions and saw three close-fought windward-leeward races held on the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul's Ataköy Marina. Following several days in which variable meteorological conditions and shifty winds made life difficult for both organizers and participants, a hard-earned victory went to Charisma (MON)... [more] Share this story

Chicago Mackinac Race – The first report Sail-World.com, The Charlevoix County Michigan U.S. sheriff Don Schneider's s investigation looking the double fatality in the 2011 Chicago to Mackinac Race was released last Friday.... [more] Share this story

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