MedCup Action

Action, excitement, thrills, spills and tension right to the finish line, Mutua Madrileña"s two solid scored sees them top the leader board at the Region of Murcia Trophy regatta. From what was undoubtedly one of the most challenging and exciting coastal races of the last couple of years on the MedCup Circuit it was the consistency of Vasco Vascotto and crew of Mutua Madrileña today which sees them top the overall leader board of the Region of Murcia Trophy Regatta. An epic sea battle off Cartagena sees Mutua Madrileña lead the Region of Murcia Trophy Regatta.

MedCup Updates

A pair of second places for Vasco Vascotto and the crew of Mutua Madrilena sees the Chilean flagged boat take the lead in the Region of Murcia Trophy regatta. In brisk winds and moderate seas off Cartagena nothing could be taken for granted in conditions which exposed strengths and weaknesses in virtually equal measure to produce and exciting pair of races on the second day of the Region of Murcia Trophy, the penultimate Audi MedCup Circuit regatta of the 2008 season. With the muscular winds at between 15 and 21 knots the gusty breeze shifted direction regularly up the course to mix the dividends on either side of the track, whilst downwind there were always extra gains to be made in the surfing conditions.

MedCup Cartagena

First and third place finishes from two challenging races sees Bribón leading the Region of Murcia Trophy Regatta off Cartagena. Bribón made their best start to an Audi MedCup Circuit regatta since the start of the season in Alicante, when they won the first race of the Region of Murcia Trophy Regatta and followed up with a strong third place to take an early two points advantage over the ever consistent Audi MedCup Circuit leaders Quantum Racing.

The waters off Cartagena, a new venue for the MedCup Circuit, have already dealt a new set of challenges for the crews and the regatta organisers. The deep waters shelve sharply to the shore and the adjacent steep mountainsides swirl the breezes. Combined together the choppy, big, disorganised seas and the shifty winds, which ranged from 14-21 knots today, were an invitation to the opportunists and smart, slick sailors. Certainly the opening day of this fifth regatta of the Audi MedCup Circuit did not simply bow down and respect the speeds of the newer boats in the fleet, and there were plenty of chances to use the wind shifts and big waves.

While series leaders Quantum Racing relinquished their early lead in the race when they fouled their spinnaker sheet on the first hoist, Bribón’s winning tactics carried the same hallmarks as previous race victories this season. After a modest first beat to lie 12th behind leaders ONO (ESP) and Caixa Galicia (ESP) then double Olympic medallist Ross MacDonald (CAN) used the shifts downwind for helm Dean Barker (NZL) to challenge on the second beat and cross the bows of both boats, going on to win by 27 seconds from Matador (ARG) which has Thierry Peponnet (FRA) serving as tactician, with Artemis (SWE) third.

Quantum Racing made no such errors in the second race and went on to win, leading from first mark to the finish, although Platoon powered by Team Germany - also looking to atone for a less than perfect first race - pushed the American boat to the gun, the Audi backed German boat timed across just one second behind and losing out only on one final surge by Terry Hutrchinson on the helm of Quantum.

Platoon lost out at the windward mark, first time up in the first race, when they tried to make a port tack approach and ended up having to duck to the back of a very busy starboard tack line up, skipper Jochen Schuemann (GER) reporting later that they were forced to sail all day with no instruments.

While the two leaders duelled down the final run, so too it was close between Bribón and Spain’s El Desafio which has Paul Cayard (USA) back on the helm. Bribón had to swap spinnakers in a hurry on the final run, but managed to hold off the Spanish America’s Cup team by three seconds to reserve third place and the regatta lead is theirs.

MedCup Practise Race

The fifth venue of the 2008 Audi MedCup, Carthagena in Spain, proved to be just as challenging as expected today, with Platoon powered by Team Germany coming out best to take the practice race win. With between 9 and 11 knots of wind the Carthagena race course was affected by two wind systems: a gradient breeze from around 180 degrees and, closer inshore, and a more northerly thermal pressure system from around 120 degrees. With a port end-favoured line and most tacticians aiming for the left-hand lane going up the first beat, the pin end was a little crowded. El Desafio (ESP) opted to take the right-hand side of the spread-out fleet, whilst Platoon (GER) — who are currently lying sixth overall in the Audi MedCup — led the pack up the left of the beat and around the top mark. Matador (ARG) carried on the longest up the shore side of the course to round in third, just behind Artemis (SWE). German multiple Olympic medalist Jochen Schuemann on Platoon held on to the lead down the run, but Matador came past Artemis into second. At the final top mark Platoon rounded with Matador hot on their heels, the pair matching each other gybe for gybe but Platoon held on to get the first gun. Behind them Bribon (ESP) had a great second run to finish seconds after Matador in third, followed by CxG Corporación Caixa Galicia (ESP), while series leaders Quantum Racing (USA) were back in tenth.

MedCup Carthagena

With its mountainous shoreline, the new Spanish venue of Carthagena looks set to create some fresh challenges for the 14 TP52s racing in Round 5 of the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit. The fifth event on the circuit might be about to produce one of those ‘It’s not normally like this here…’ weeks, with an unknown sailing area and new wind patterns for the teams to get their head around. Official racing begins with windward-leeward races on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and a double-points coastal race on Thursday of up to 50 nautical miles. Current predictions are for the breeze to build to 14-16 knots and become more northerly later in the week. ‘The weather forecast at the moment from Tuesday changes to 40-60 degrees,’ reported Ariane. The planned race area will be set west of the Port of Carthagena, towards the point of Cabo Tinoso.

Another Yet Opinion

Now that there is only one last chance left for an appeal, last week's decision by a New York court to re-instate CNEV as Challenger of Record puts the whole future of the America's Cup at risk. For if their decision stands, our sport's premier match will come to an end as a genuine sailing competition. What we will have instead will be a regatta that just pretends to be the Cup.

Predictably, we have heard panicky cries for a multi-challenger event at all costs. It is almost as if the rules don't matter. But what sort of event will it be when a sham COR has already connived at ensuring the defender can't lose?

In case you've forgotten, let's recall the protocol Alinghi now brazenly promotes as its "vision."

Alinghi claims the right to choose, at its sole discretion, the regatta judges, the committee, the umpires and the measurers, even going so far as to state that they must be its employees. Alinghi, again at its sole discretion, claims the right to accept a challenge or to penalize a rival and to change the rules at any time. Little wonder this protocol was immediately opposed by seven syndicates.

Faced with a stacked deck, top-level syndicates will stay away. You can argue it is still better to join and hope for change. But that's how a lamb thinks before it gets into bed with a wolf. We might as well rename it the Alinghi Cup now.

The three judges may have swallowed the bait that any multi-challenger event is better than a Deed of Gift match. But if so why even have rules? For a defender can now collude with anyone to fix the game. Incredibly, this ruling says the America's Cup Challenger of Record doesn't even need to own a boat!

Sure, we will still have an event called the America's Cup. But top sailors will know it's a sham. And it won't take sponsors and fans long to catch on either. Already we have seen Louis Vuitton, who have been a key part of the Cup's whole identity, go. What looks like a race will in fact be a procession. Ernesto Bertarelli's vision turns out to be a cynical marketing ploy that gives his commercial subsidiary, ACM, total control.

Oracle have courageously tried to stop an Alinghi take-over. There is only one round left in the court process. We have to hope Oracle will win. Because if they don't the modern Cup will have just come to a shameful end.

Vincenzo Onorato
Mascalzone Latino

MedCup Circuit News

With four regattas sailed and two left to sail in the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit, already eyes are on the the 2009 season with many current teams and interested newcomers beginning to firm up their future plans. The Event Organisers and the TP52 Class Association jointly announced the regatta schedule for 2009 and a series of changes for the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit. A decision has been made to freeze the class rule for two years. This significant step allows current owners and teams planning to build new for next year to have a clear view of the future as far as the investment value of their boats is concerned. Several small “housekeeping” rule modifications will be made to the current rule to help contain costs and save time with topics such as no more inclining tests but keel and bulb weighing, adopting an ISO construction standard for hull laminate scantlings and plan approval, using a more logical set of metric dimension roundings and a separation of the internal headroom restrictions the class had adopted from the obsolete IMS Rule to something simpler and more relevant.

The fundamentals of the class rule and the type of boats it is likely to produce in the future are completely frozen for the next two seasons whilst the sailing world is put on notice of a total revamp and evolution of the TP52 Class which will manifest itself in a new rule book available in time for new boats to be built for the 2011 season. Work will be carried out over the next 12 months by the TP52 Class Technical Committee.

iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week

America's Cup Defenders Alinghi was another America's Cup team, the third placed BMW ORACLE Racing skippered by James Spithill, which got things off to a flying start today by taking the first four race wins - was the scoreboard set for another shake up?

Alinghi were back in the pack on the first lap of races two and three, rounding mark one back in 9th position ! at one stage. But they kept a cool head to pick off several boats on e ach leg, scoring consistant fourth, fifth and sixth places to keep their nose in front overall.

As expected TEAMORIGIN were putting in a spirited fight, splitting to the opposite sides of the racecourse to their Alinghi rivals and scoring a string of second and third places to take second overall and eat away at Alinghi's lead - at one point there were just four points in it. Alinghi came back strongly in the penultimate race - taking a brave port tack approach to the start line they led the race from start to finish, extending their advantage on the leaderboard.

Going into the final race there were seven points in it - and with double scores available TEAMORIGIN could still get in front. Alinghi went for a port tack start, while TEAMORIGIN hit the line at speed. Alinghi chased TEAMORIGIN's tail right around the course, but while TEAMORIGIN held on to win it was Alinghi who had done enough to take the event overall.

Larry Does it Again

Earlier this week the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) declaring Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) the rightful Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup and denying the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) this status.

After wasting more than a year in litigation and losing arguments, BMW Oracle has gone to court for the second time to force its strategy of eliminating numerous America’s Cup teams entered as legitimate challengers.

Brad Butterworth, team skipper of Alinghi and four-time America’s Cup winner, comments: “I’m disappointed that given the opportunity for a multi-challenger competition as a result of the Appellate Court decision, BMW Oracle has chosen to further delay the 33rd America’s Cup.”

SNG and CNEV have already made plans to organise the most competitive and spectator friendly America's Cup challenger series in history and that despite BMW Oracle’s unsuccessful year-long attempt to preclude competition and turn the America's Cup into a two team duel. BMW Oracle is now attempting to further delay and frustrate the conduct of the America's Cup by filing a frivolous, but time consuming appeal.

BMW Oracle was unable to advance to the final round of the America's Cup in the 31st and 32nd events, having been eliminated in the challenger series on each occasion. SNG and the entire sailing community is offended by BMW Oracle’s attempts to accomplish through expensive litigation initiatives what it has never been able to achieve on the water, which is to be a finalist in the America's Cup.

SNG, by contrast, won the 31st America's Cup by winning the challenger series and defeating the then Cup holder and then successfully defended the trophy in the 32nd America's Cup. SNG seeks to defend the Cup against the opponent who proves the strongest by winning the challenger series on the water. When given the opportunity for a regatta against the Defender Alinghi, BMW Oracle clearly demonstrated its intent to win through legal manoeuvering rather than accept competing fairly on the water.

Free Spirit of Olympics

Since the Olympic Village press center opened Friday, reporters have been unable to access scores of Web pages – among them those that discuss Tibetan issues, Taiwanese independence, the violent crackdown on the protests in Tiananmen Square and the Web sites of Amnesty International, the BBC’s Chinese-language news, Radio Free Asia and several Hong Kong newspapers known for their freewheeling political discourse. The restrictions, which closely resemble the blocks that China places on the Internet for its citizens, undermine sweeping claims by Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, that China had agreed to provide full Web access for foreign news media during the Games. Mr. Rogge has long argued that one of the main benefits of awarding the Games to Beijing was that the event would make China more open. “For the first time, foreign media will be able to report freely and publish their work freely in China. There will be no censorship on the Internet,” Mr. Rogge told Agence France-Presse just two weeks ago. But a high-ranking Olympic committee official said Wednesday that the panel was aware that China would continue to censor Web sites carrying content that the Chinese propaganda authorities deemed harmful to national security and social stability. The panel acquiesced to China’s demands to maintain such controls, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not the designated public spokesman for the International Olympic Committee. It was not immediately clear if China had provided special Internet links for overseas journalists working at the press center in the Olympic Village. But Chinese officials, speaking about the Internet restrictions on Wednesday, said they would not allow foreign journalists to visit Web sites that violated Chinese laws. —New York Times

Transat Quebec-Saint Malo

At 18h49’14" (GMT), on Thursday 31st July 2008, Franck-Yves Escoffier, on board Crêpes Whaou! crossed the finish line of the seventh Transat Quebec-Saint Malo off the city of Saint-Malo doing twenty knots. After 11 days 3 hours 19 minutes and 14 seconds of racing, at an average theoretical speed of 10.68 knots, the skipper from Saint-Malo and his three crewmen, Yves Le Blévec, Bertrand Chambert-Loir and Christophe Aillet were first to finish this 2855 mile (5287 km) transatlantic crossing from west to east, where they encountered a wide range of conditions from their way out of the Saint Lawrence and as they crossed the North Atlantic.

Setting sail on 20th July on board the most recent 50-foot trimaran, they have led the way from the start and have built up a comfortable lead of over 500 nautical miles over their nearest rivals. The yachtsman from Saint-Malo has repeated his success from 2004 with a crew, thus doing the double. Already triple winner of the Route du Rhum (1998, 2002 and 2006), twice winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre (2005 and 2007), as the deep sea fisherman passes under the ramparts in Saint-Malo, he is going to add another line to his list of achievements, which is the fullest for this category of boat…