Sail-World.com : America's Cup teams begin final buildup to 1851 Cup event in Cowes

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Sail-World.com : America's Cup teams begin final buildup to 1851 Cup event in Cowes

America's Cup teams begin final buildup to 1851 Cup event in Cowes

'TeamOrigin training at Cowes ahead of the 1851 Cup' Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN

With just three days to go to the start of the 1851 Cup on Tuesday 3rd August, preparations are in full swing as the rest of Cowes Week starts today, Saturday 31st July. Yesterday a mixed crew from both competing teams took USA-87, newly branded as Teamorigin ‘Racing with Jaguar’, out for a shakedown sail in the middle of the Solent.

1851 Cup contestants Ben Ainslie (Team Origin) and James Spithill (BMW Oracle Racing) will lead their teams in contesting the Cup for 2010. They are two of the hottest match racing skippers in the world.

Britain's Team Origin will be the be first potential challenger for the next America's Cup to race head-to-head with BMW Oracle Racing, winners of the 33rd America's Cup.

Competition will take place on the historic waters of the Solent and around the Isle of Wight upon which a race won by the New York yacht America gave rise to the America's Cup, the oldest trophy in the international sport, and the 1851 Cup celebrates this event.

USA-87 is now liveried up in TeamOrigin’s colours, including the significant Jaguar logo down the side. This is the first time the boat has sailed since the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Sardinia in May when it was damaged in a collision with USA-98. Today, Saturday, the same mixed crew will take USA-98 out for the same shakedown sail. This is the boat that BMW Oracle Racing will race next week and will be skippered by James Spithill the skipper of the America’s Cup winning trimaran USA.

BOR’s USA 87, which will be raced by TeamOrigin next week, has been re-branded and had a shakedown sail in the Solent yesterday. - Ian Roman-TEAMORIGIN

The full crews of both teams are arriving from all over the world in preparation for the practice racing on Monday. Some of the BMW Oracle Racing crew are competing in the RC44 Regatta in Valencia which ends tomorrow.

TeamOrigin skipper Ben Ainslie and his tactician and strategist Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson arrive today from Weymouth where they have preparing for the Sail for Gold Regatta which starts straight after the 1851 Cup next week. Most of the crews have raced in Cowes before but not all, some have never been to Europe’s largest regatta before - a regatta where over a thousand yachts will compete in some 30 odd classes over the next seven days.

Principal Race Officer for the 1851 Cup is none other than New Zealander Harold Bennett, the man who was also PRO for the incredible 33rdAmerica’s Cup Match in Valencia last February. Harold, one of the most experienced race officers and youth coaches in the world, has never been to Cowes before either. He will work with the Royal Thames Yacht Club Race Committee to blend his experience of organising short course match racing courses for the America’s Cup with the Thames’ experience of operating in the highly-congested and tidal Central Solent area.

On Saturday Harold was familiarising himself with the layout of everything and just taking in the sheer scope and scale of Cowes Week.

'This is a truly outstanding spectacle. To run racing for all these classes in this stretch of water requires a finely honed and experienced organisation. I have just arrived in Cowes and so its all new to me. I’m really looking forward to watching the racing.'

Harold Bennett (NZL), will be back in action next weeks running the 1851 Cup among the hundreds of other yachts participating at the world’s oldest regatta - Ian Roman-TEAMORIGIN

'With regard to the 1851 Cup and working with the Royal Thames YC Race Committee, they’ll be doing everything just as they always do. I’ll keep an overview on proceedings and manage the relationships with the two teams, but I’m going to need to totally rely on the Thames’ vast experience of running racing here in Solent.'

Racing will be held as close to West Cowes as possible to give spectators a close-up view, with a special race around the Isle of Wight also planned.

The racing schedule is:
Match racing: up to three short match races per day on Tuesday third, Wednesday fourth and Friday 6th August, starting from 1430 onwards.

Round the Island race: Thursday 5th August both boats will go around the Island in a clockwise direction, replicating the direction of the yachts back in 1851.

The teams will be based at the 1851 Marquee on Cowes Parade, adjacent to the Royal Yacht Squadron. There will be information and activities for public and guests daily.

The iconic America's Cup will be on public display during the day. Members of each team will be on hand to sign posters, answer questions and talk about their passion for their sport and for winning the America's Cup.

For further information go to www.the1851cup.com(information going live today) and the two team websites : www.teamorigin.comand www.bmworacleracing.com

by Team Origin Media and Sail-World

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11:23 PM Sat 31 Jul 2010 GMT

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