LVC, O’pen Bics and future news—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 7 Aug 2013 This week’s sailing news is being dominated by the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC) Semi-Finals, which saw Luna Rossa line-up against Artemis Racing. Given that Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) earned a spot in the LVC Finals by soundly winning (read: routing) the LVC Round Robins, this leaves the Swedish-flagged Challenger of Record to tussle with the stylish and silvery Luna Rossa for the right to meet the Kiwis in the Finals (August 17-30).

Irrespective of this week’s on-the-water outcome, simply competing in the LVC Semi-Finals represents a major victory for Artemis Racing, who suffered catastrophic capsize on May 9 that tragically took the life of double-Olympic medalist Andrew 'Bart' Simpson, and which utterly destroyed the team’s first-generation AC 72. Artemis’ sailors and shore team worked tirelessly for the past several months to get 'Big Blue', as the team’s new AC72 is affectionately known, out on the water. The team only launched their new steed at the end of July, giving them precious little chronological runway to launch a successful challenge, but the team is determined to try.

Inside, get the full download on Tuesday’s first race of the LVC, as well as post-racing analysis and fantastic media galleries. According to reports, the Race Committee hopes to put on one race a day for a total of seven races, making the Semi-Finals a race to rack up four wins. Stay tuned for more, as it becomes known.

Meanwhile, in junior-sailing circles, the Bic O’pen Worlds just wrapped up at the Fraglia Vela Riva sailing club on beautiful Lake Garda, Italy. Here, 170 juniors from 12 different countries assembled to compete, with racing taking place in two broad categories, 'Under 13s' and 'Under 16s', thus breaking the fleet apart by age. Get the full scoop, inside this issue.

As for other interesting regattas taking place across the country this week, Colorado sailors (yes, they proudly exist!) will be enjoying their annual Dillon Open Regatta (August 2-4) on the waters of lovely (and shifty!) Lake Dillon, the Thistle National Championships (August 3-9) are set to unfurl at the Sandusky Sailing Club in Sandusky, OH, and the Bras d'Or Regatta Week (August 4-10) is taking place in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada. And finally, Cowes Week in the UK (August 3-10) is in full swing, just ahead of next Saturday’s start of the infamous Fastnet Race.

Also inside, check out the great wrap-up coverage of the Swan 42 North Americans (July 18-21), check-in with the PWA Tenerife World Cup, and don’t miss our coverage of the International Cadet Worlds. And finally, be sure to check out all of the great imagery from the first race of the LVC Semi-Finals.

May the four winds blow you safely home,