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Welcome back, Kiwis
By ORACLE Racing Communications
The confirmation last week that Emirates Team New Zealand would
return to contest the 34th America’s Cup brought back to the competition
one of sailing’s most recognizable brand names.
Team New Zealand has been a player in every America’s Cup since 1995.
And when we say player, we mean a force to be reckoned with.
Since 1995 there have been five matches for the America’s Cup and
Team New Zealand has factored in four of them, winning twice. Also
included in that count are two Louis Vuitton Cup victories in the
Challenger Selection Series and, in 2000, the first successful defense
of the America’s Cup outside of the U.S.
The team’s high success rate in America’s Cup Class sloops continued
through the Louis Vuitton Trophy events, where they won three of the
four official events as well as the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, the
event that gave rise to the regattas.
In mid-March this year Team New Zealand said that it had paid the
entry fee and secured an AC45 catamaran, but managing director Grant
Dalton stopped short of public confirmation of the team’s full
participation in San Francisco in the summer of 2013. With old sponsors
Emirates, Toyota and Omega back aboard, Dalton welcomed support from new
sponsor Nespresso and continuing support from the New Zealand
government.
“We’re in a financial position that I know we can go forward, but the
drive to find sponsors and financial assistance never ends,” said
Dalton in Auckland last week.
The team, however, has been recruiting international talent since
last October. Designers such as American Pete Melvin (creator of the
AC72), his partner Gino Morrelli and Frenchman Luc Dubois (ex-Alinghi)
bring extensive multihull design experience to the team.
Aussie Olympic medalist and multihull ace Glenn Ashby, ORACLE
Racing’s coach during the 33rd America’s Cup, lends practical know-how
to skipper Dean Barker, who’d never raced catamarans until last fall but
earlier this year placed in the top five at the Australian A Class
Nationals with the help of Ashby.
“In Glenn Ashby we’ve been lucky enough to employ a specialist
multihull guy,” said Dalton. “He’s brought expertise in how hard to
push, where’s the edge, when’s it going to tip over, trimming the wing …
and just pushing. That’s a hugely important element that’s come into
the team; we could not have replicated that from within. They don’t come
much better than Glenn, as a person and a multihull sailor.”
Read the full story at: Dalton confirms: We’re in the Cup
Related stories: Government gives $36m for America’s Cup, Team New Zealand will race for America’s Cup, New Zealand confirms America’s Cup bid, Press conference photo gallery
Photo above:
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker (left), Richard Vaughan,
Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations –
Worldwide, Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director Grant Dalton, Bob
Field, Chairman, Toyota New Zealand, and Kevin Shoebridge, COO,
Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand).
China Team gets its wing
By Ivor Wilkins, AmericasCup.com // Apr. 22, 2011
As the ACEA and ACRM pre-season test events get underway this week
one team expected to partake in the experimental racecourse is China
Team.
The Cup returnees last week took possession of the wingsail for their
AC45 catamaran and were busy learning how to apply the shrink wrap. The
team also watched ORACLE Racing and Artemis Racing out training.
“These boats are pretty cool,” said China Team crewman Cheng Ying
Kit. “The wingsail is new technology, which is exciting for us. The
boats are really fast and look quite physical. I am looking forward to
sailing them.”
Cheng Ying Kit started sailing in dinghies, progressed to 49er skiffs
and then more recently has been sailing keelboats, primarily Farr 30s,
40s and TP52s. His multihull experience is with a Hobie 16, but he is
looking forward to making the transition.
He was in Auckland with a multinational group of sailors including
Australian legend Mitch Booth and his son Taylor Booth for initial
trials and the start of a training program, which will see an increasing
number of Chinese sailors brought on board. Mitch Booth is a two-time
Olympic multihull medalist and 10-time world champion in Tornado, Hobie,
A-Class and Formula 18 catamarans.
“At the moment we are starting to sail with a group of professional
multihull sailors from the Extreme 40 circuit and the Olympics,” said
Kit.
“We will start with a very strong team, which will teach us how to
sail multihulls. First, though, we are getting our wing delivered and
learning how to put it together and apply the film.
“It is important for us to learn how it all works because we will
have to do all the maintenance. Our target is to have our boat ready for
sailing [in the pre-season test event].”
Read the full article: China Team gets its wing
Photo: China Team took delivery of the wingsail for its AC45 catamaran last week in Auckland (AmericasCup.com).
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