Editorial- Early Daze
by nzeditor@sail-world.com on 8 Apr 2007
This is the first live test of Sail-World.Com’s America’s cup coverage, where we wrap up the final days of Louis Vuitton Act 13.
Clearly Alinghi dominated this series, her last in the company of the Challengers before the start of the 32nd America’s Cup on Saturday 23rd June.
Probably not a lot can be taken from this series. Notable for the incident between +39 and United Internet Team Germany, in which +39 lost her new, and only V5 mast.
Despite a Jury decision recommending a Protocol change to allow the cash-strapped Italians to use a replacement mast from another Team, this failed to get the support of the Challengers and +39 faces some very difficult days ahead.
Certainly the performance of a low-budget group of top young Olympic sailors, sailing by the seat of their pants would have been very intriguing to say the least. And don’t forget they went within an ace of winning the opening race of Act 13 – so there is no lack of sailing smarts aboard +39.
In four weeks time we will know who has made the cut into the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and for many teams it will be a case of 'Hit the Road, Jack' as they are excused from further participation.
For +39 it is cold comfort to know that now, while they are almost certain to be eliminated, it won’t be too long before they are in the company of many others; and that playing hard-ball with the rules at this stage of the regatta is just a short-term game. Long-term, everyone loses with this sort of attitude.
Alinghi have looked very good in this series. The questions remain, as to how hard the other teams were trying, and how much potential they really have to extract from these boats during the Louis Vuitton Cup.
In the past, the LVC has seen some real gains made in speed and sharpness, and this can be expected to occur again. However the LVC, this time is a much shorter series, which requires a different focus.
Also Act 13 was a fleet racing series where the LVC is matchracing. And we all know that a high percentage of matchraces are won at the start, and certainly at the first cross. It is one thing to have a fast boat, but to catch and pass a slower leading boat is quite another matter. Further the new course for the LVC means that there is more a premium on match racing and the old game of turning a small speed advantage into a 25 second lead at the first mark are gone.
However all said and done. Alinghi certainly have a fast boat, and if you look carefully at the side-profile shots – her immersed hull form is very interesting and very dinghy like.
The other imponderable is the Valencian weather – which seems to be hell-bent on trying to out-do the much maligned Auckland. Whether this unusual weather pattern stays for another three months remains to be seen.
Right now the list of questions on the 32nd America’s Cup is endless, from the 16th April we will start to see some of the answers.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
PS Although this newsletter is showing some of the content which will be available for the Louis Vuitton Cup and 32nd America's Cup, we expect the content to improve after 16 April.
We will be covering the top four matches - particularly those involving Luna Rossa, BMW Oracle Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, plus others that are of significant interest. Embedded in each story will be the leg by leg analysis showing the gains/losses on each leg and rounding times, plus wind strength and direction.
We also expect to have transcripts of the media conferences conducted at the end of each day's racing.
There will be a set of images from each day's racing to give you a good feel for what has happened as seen by some of the world's top photographers.
The AC newsletter will save Sail-World readers having to dive around a host of websites and links each morning. We will also be giving you access to a lot of material that is available only through media only sections of the AC team websites.
Our intention is to get the newsletter out by 0830hrs each day (NZT) which is 2230hrs in Valencian time and 0630hrs on the Eastern Australian seaboard. This should help those living Downunder who have to go to work in the morning but have the need to quickly know what has happened overnight in Valencia, from an authoritative sailing source.
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