America's Cup- The week that Was - Video from the Regatta Trials

by Oracle Racing and America's Cup Media on 1 May 2011
Catch this summary, in video, of the first week of the America's Cup Regatta Management Trials.

Oracle Racing videographer George Johns was aboard the committee boat last Friday for the final day of the ACRM match racing trials in New Zealand. The video captured produced two outstanding segments.

In the first, Oracle Racing teammembers Simeon Tienpont, Philippe Presti, John Kostecki and James Spithill recap the ACRM pre-season trials in Auckland. Also, Arthur Spithill, James' father, and John Bertrand, the 1983 America's Cup-winning skipper, discuss what it's like to sail aboard the AC45 and its significance to the America's Cup.

'It’s totally new for the America’s Cup. It’s interesting stuff, the technology and pushing the envelope with the structures and the multihull scene; totally reinvigorating, interesting times,' said Bertrand. 'The America’s Cup has always been about technology, it’s been the big driver.'

'I’d heard they were physical boats but I wouldn’t have believed how physical if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,' said Arthur Spithill. 'These blokes are fit athletes; they’re running from one job to the other. I think they were glad to sit down and hike. It was a chance to have a rest from the rest of the activity.'

That physical activity is evident in the second video, where skipper James Spithill and crew Dirk de Ridder, John Kostecki, Joe Newton and Piet van Nieuwenhuyzen take on Artemis Racing in a thrilling pre-start sequence. Watch the crews start and stop their AC45 cats on a dime and accelerate off the line with great speed.

In a third video produced by the America’s Cup Event Authority, Simeon Tienpont agreed to wear a GoPro camera strapped to the middle of his chest for the day. As you can see, he's in constant motion through the three minutes of pre-start action, only stopping at the end - to hike!

The camera shows a variety of action, including Tienpont working on the gennaker halyard (below left) while his mates tend to their jobs.