Cupnews, VOR report, OD sailing—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 28 Mar 2015 The America’s Cup is almost always fertile grounds for controversy, and the 35th Defense is tracking nicely on this front. First, there was the highly unusual news that the original Challenger of Record (COR), Team Australia, was stepping aside and would not be competing in the AC35, and would instead be replaced as COR by Luna Rossa Challenge.

Then, some five months later, news broke that the next Cup would not be contested on the waters of San Francisco Bay, but instead would be fought out on the waters of The Great Sound in Bermuda-a considerably smaller racing venue than SFO, not to mention an even more expensive theater of operations.

Now, this week, the latest AC bomb exploded: The competitors and organizers are “planning to implement” a series of cost-cutting rule changes that include racing in a considerably smaller yacht than the AC62 foiling catamaran, which was intended to be the boat used to contest the next Cup.

While nothing has been finalized, reports are emerging of a wingsail-powered foiling catamaran that’s in the 45-54 foot length, which can be easily shipped. (If your mind’s eye is conjuring up imagery of a Turbo 54 , you are on the right track.)

While some teams are happy with these cost-cutting measures, including Team France, BAR and Artemis Racing, the two strongest challengers, Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand are less than impressed with this (relatively) last minute change, as some teams have been working on designing fast yachts around the AC62 rule for months-expensive intellectual property that could be wasted. Now, news has broken that Luna Rossa, the second COR of this Cup cycle, and Emirates Team New Zealand, who narrowly lost AC34 as COR, are threatening to withdraw from racing, should the teams and organizers go through with their decision to formally change the design rule for AC35-a decision that is expected to be voted on by the end of this month.

Get the full scoop on this latest America’s Cup blow-up, including the upsides and downsides of this proposed rules change, inside this issue.

Meanwhile, in offshore-sailing news, the Southern Ocean beat goes on for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, which is currently en route from Auckland, New Zealand to Itajai, Brazil.

Suffering badly is the the all-women’s Team SCA, now without a much needed fractional gennaker after damaging it earlier this week, are suffering for speed and angle and, with reduced routing options, will continue to fall behind the pack now.

“Out here there is little margin for error,” reported Sam Davies, skipper ofSCA. “I feel like we have found our limits, and proved to ourselves that we are pushing hard. We suffered from our wipeout with the damage we sustained and it is frustrating to lose miles like that.”

The fleet of five has now left the their race-enforced “ice barriers”, which are designed to keep the boats clear of icebergs and are heading straight for Cape Horn.

“When [skipper] Ian [Walker] is frustrated or under pressure he typically removes his hat, sits there, and rubs his hand over his head,” reported Matt Knighton, Abu Dhabi’s Onboard Reporter. “We’re at the point where the hat barely goes on anymore.”

Get the full VOR debriefing, inside this issue.

And in Olympic-sailing circles, the 46th Trofeo Princesa Sofía is set to kick off this weekend (March 28-April 4, 2015) in Mallorca, Spain, and the U.S.-flagged team is now in-country, getting ready to answer this weekend’s starting guns.

'We come to Palma every year to experience a wide variety of conditions, and get a true test against the world's best,' said US Sailing's High Performance Director, Charlie McKee. 'To do well in any major international event, the most important thing is simply to be ready to race on day one. I'm sure the fact that they will be back in 12 months [for the Olympic Trials] will be in the back of their minds, but it should definitely be in the back and not the front. Our athletes have a lot of details to focus on if they are going to have a chance to contend for the podium at the Olympic Games.'

Get the full report, inside, and stay tuned to the website for the latest news from the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, as it unfurls.

Also inside, get the latest news from the ongoing Barcelona World Race, the BVI Spring Regatta (March 30-April 5), the Melges 32 class and Charleston Race Week (April 16-19).

May the four winds blow you safely home,