Cup Experience

Many America's Cup fans say this is their best source of information.

By

Ainslie’s budget for 2017 America’s Cup at 2013 level

 

BEN AINSLIE TOLD A SPORTS CONFERENCE IN LONDON THAT HE IS LOOKING FOR $130 FOR HIS AMERICA’S CUP CAMPAIGN

Reuters reported that Ben Ainslie told a sports business conference in London that he is making good progress pulling together $130 million for his British challenge for the 2017 America’s Cup. Previously the Guardian had reported him looking for $100 million with half from private backers, to field a competitive team. Ainslie still plans to raise about $45 million from private investors and the rest from commercial sponsors. A BBC report put him at close to $30 million in private commitments. No doubt corporate sponsors will wait for details of the event – dates, venue, format and the class of yacht – before signing up.

What is notable is the size of Ainslie’s budget – roughly the same level as Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand in 2013. Russell Coutts has been reported as saying that budgets for the 35th America’s Cup would be about two thirds 2013 levels, but Ainslie is clearly shooting for more.

 

By

Artemis Racing signs Loïck Peyron for 2017 America’s Cup campaign

 

Loïck Peyron has rejoined Artemis Racing for their campaign in the 35th America’s Cup, to be held in 2017.

When he was helmsman for Alinghi in the 2010 America’s Cup deed of gift match, he called himself the Swiss Army knife of the team. It seems he will play a similar role with Artemis, as a member of the design team, as backup helmsan and as technical coach for the sailing team.

LOÏCK IS ALSO AN ENTHUSIASTIC MOTH SAILOR

Artemis helmsman Nathan Outteridge said, “To be able to tap into Loïck’s unrivalled experience of multihull sailing, and his connection not just with the sailors but with the designers as well, is a big skill to have within the team”. Loïck is one of the most experienced and successful multihull sailors in history, having crossed the Atlantic 48 times including eighteen single-handedly. He has an outstanding record of achievement: five ORMA champion titles, sixteen Grand Prix victories, three Single-handed Transatlantic Race victories and two victories in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 1999 and 2005. In 2011 he won the Barcelona World Race in a monohull, went on to win the Trophée SNSM, and then set the Round Britain and Ireland record aboard the Banque Populair V maxi-trimaran.

He currently holds the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world in just 45 days with Banque Populaire V in 2012.

The 35th America’s Cup will be his third campaign: in 2010, Loïck was co-skipper of Alinghi, the Swiss challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup. Before joining Artemis Racing for the 34th America’s Cup, he was the skipper of Energy Team France in the 2011-12 America’s Cup World Series (ACWS).

Artemis Racing team leader Iain Percy has said their goal is to build a team that can dominate the America’s Cup. Adding Loïck Peyron demonstrates that they are serious.

 

By

Adam Minoprio signs with Luna Rossa for 2017 America’s Cup

 

2009 WORLD MATCH RACING CHAMPION

Kiwi Adam Minoprio has joined Luna Rossa. Minoprio has been a top competitor on the World Match Race Tour, winning the world championship in 2009 with his Black Match team. Adam had his first racing experience at age seven and has raced sailboats almost every week since then. His sailing resumé shows world class success in match racing, round the buoys and ocean racing – he was a helmsman for Team New Zealand’s “Camper” team that finished second in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

 

 

 

By

More Details About the 2017 America’s Cup

 

iain-murray-leads-the-negotiations-for-team-australia
IAIN MURRAY LEADS THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR TEAM AUSTRALIA AND HAMILTON ISLAND YACHT CLUB

In mid February the America’s Cup website declared “Protocol and Class Rule Expected in March.”  The Protocol sets out the terms for challenging and rules for the way the competition will be run. The Class Rule defines the boats to be sailed. Hamilton Island Yacht Club represented by Team Australia is the “Challenger of Record” and is negotiating these topics with Oracle Team USA of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club. The latest reports give these details:

Boats: Hydrofoiling wingsail catamarans, from 60-65 feet long – most likely an “AC62” – with a crew of eight. Some one design components. Able to foil upwind in 12 knots of wind and downwind in 8 knots.

Venue: San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Newport and Chicago are candidates. Latest rumors say Chicago is the leading candidate. Announcement in Summer.

America’s Cup World Series: Racing in foiling AC45 catamarans in 2015-16 in each competitor’s country. No details on whether these races would affect challenger selection.

Nationality: 25% of the crew must be be nationals. No details yet on how nationality is determined.

Budgets: $60-80 million

Teams: Team Australia, Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing (SWE), Luna Rossa (ITA), Ben Ainslie Racing (GBR) and Team France have all announced their challenges, but only Team Australia, Artemis and Luna Rossa appear to have significant funding lined up. In addition, Team Russia has strong sponsorship, they are racing in the Extreme Sailing Series and they have declared their interest in the next America’s Cup.

Event Management:
– AC Race Management costs to be shared among competitors.
– Umpire, measurers, race officials to have “final say” – does this imply no International Jury?
– AC Commissioner to resolve commercial disputes.

On 10 March, Sandy Oatley of Hamilton Island YC was reported by Australia’s Financial Review as saying that negotiations are ongoing and would be completed by April at the latest. Team Australia CEO Iain Murray mentioned potential challengers from China and Korea, but there have been no announcements of Chinese or Korean teams.

An Interesting “Vision” of the America’s Cup with Many Issues

Also on 10 March, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Larry Ellison’s vision for the 2017 America’s Cup. He would like to see America’s Cup World Series racing using AC45 catamarans in 2015 and 2016 to select four teams to build and race “AC60” foiling cats in “division championships” in 2017. The “Atlantic Division” championship would be held in Rome for the top two teams from the “Atlantic Division” – Sweden, Italy, UK, France, Germany and Switzerland. The “Pacific Division” of New Zealand, Australia, Korea, China, Japan and San Francisco would see their top two teams meet in Shanghai. The two division champions would then race in the Louis Vuitton Cup in Honolulu to select the challenger. The challenger would race in Honolulu against defender Oracle Team USA in the America’s Cup Match. Full story here.

This vision seems to have too many issues to become reality:

  • Unless the new AC60 yachts were largely one design,  the defender would have a massive advantage:  challengers would need to design a boat for conditions in Rome or Shanghai and for Honolulu, while the defender would optimize their design for Honolulu only.
  • Challengers could not promise sponsors that they would ever race an AC60.
  • Since they would compete in the America’s Cup World Series, the defender can influence which challengers make it through to the division championships.
  • Who are the potential leaders of syndicates from China, Korea, Japan, Germany and Switzerland? There has been no sign of syndicates forming in these countries.
  • Could any team sell this concept to sponsors?
  • Reliable sources say that Louis Vuitton has no plans to continue its sponsorship.