Emirates Team New Zealand

August 2, 2015 By Jack Griffin

Results and Standings

Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team won the shortened Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth event with a first and a second in Saturday’s racing. Winds over 30 knots and rough conditions caused Sunday’s racing to be abandoned.

Racing on their home waters and with more time in this type of boat than the other teams, Land Rover BAR showed sharp crew work and good tactics to win the opening race and then fight back from the middle of the pack to post a second in the day’s second race. Emirates Team New Zealand and new helmsman Peter Burling also looked impressive, winning the second race and coming in third in the first.

Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth – Results

1. Land Rover BAR (1,2)
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (3,1)
3. Oracle Team USA ( 2,4)
4. Groupama Team France (6,3)
5. Softbank Team Japan (4,5)
6. Artemis Racing (5,6)

Remember that these races count, and could even determine the winner of the America’s Cup Match in 2017! Standings in the LVACWS will be used to break ties at the end of the round robin series, and could determine which team begins the match with one point. More information on how the scoring works here.

August 2, 2015 By Jack Griffin

Video Highlights from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_TE9pekMaQ

When asked about the strange angles he got into, Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill said, “I’ll tell you, we’re just hanging on really. You’re on the edge of control. It’s very very difficult. Mistakes get made, but that’s what you want, you want it to be difficult. The good guys get it right.”

Artemis Racing had bad luck when their code zero halyard lock released in Race 2. They lost time as they struggled to get the sail under control and on board, dropping to last place in the race and in the event.

At the final mark in Race 1 Oracle Team USA came in with speed on port gybe and sailed past Emirates Team New Zealand, who had to gybe from starboard to port in order to round. Both boats protested, but the umpires signalled “no penalty.” In this situation, the inside boat, ETNZ was entitled to room to round the mark. The boats did not touch, so clearly OTUSA gave ETNZ room. The America’s Cup version of the rule for room at a mark is very different from the normal Racing Rules of Sailing. I explain it here and give another example of this rule here.

View from on board Emirates Team New Zealand during the incident at Mark 6 in Race 1. You can see that ETNZ is still on starboard gybe, but Peter Burling has pulled the helm to gybe.

Oracle Team USA started Race 2 with some excitement when Groupama Team France luffed them at the start, giving OTUSA a penalty. OTUSA then fought back to finish fourth in the race and third for the event.

Oracle Team USA with a penalty they picked up at the start of Race 2.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge awarded the prizes.

Ben Ainslie receiving the trophy for winning the event from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

July 27, 2015 By Jack Griffin

Results: Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth

Six foiling AC45F catamarans were on the course together for racing on Saturday. Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team won the shortened Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth event with a first and a second in Saturday’s racing. Winds over 30 knots and rough conditions caused Sunday’s racing to be abandoned.

Results and Current Standings

Land Rover BAR (1,2)
Emirates Team New Zealand (3,1)
Oracle Team USA ( 2,4)
Groupama Team France (6,3)
Softbank Team Japan (4,5)
Artemis Racing (5,6)

Remember that points are totaled over two years, 2015-16 for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. At the end of the series, the top team carries two points into the double round robin of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers. Any ties in the qualifiers will be broken by standings in the LVACWS. So this racing could determine which team earns a bonus point to start the America’s Cup Match and it could also determine whether a challenger makes it through to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Playoffs. I’ve summarized the competition format here.

July 19, 2015 By Jack Griffin

Team Updates and Lineups for Portsmouth

Emirates Team New Zealand has signed up Toyota again as a sponsor, joining Emirates and Omega. Peter Burling will helm with his 49er crew Blair Tuke trimming the wing. Ray Davies will be tactician. Two additional crew will be announced soon.

Artemis Racing will be helmed by Nathan Outteridge with his 49er crew Iain “Goobs” Jensen on wing trim. Chris Brittle, Freddie Lööf and team leader Iain Percy round out the Artemis crew.

Ben Ainslie Racing Ben Ainslie will helm. Other sailing team members are Paul Campbell-James, Jono Macbeth, Freddie Carr, Matt Cornwell, Nick Hutton, Giles Scott and Andy McLean.

Team France has now signed Groupama as their title sponsor for the full AC campaign. Franck Cammas will be on the helm in Portsmouth, with Arnaud Psarofaghis as tactician. Joining them on board will be bowman Devan Le Bihan, wing trimmer Thierry Foucher and headsail trimmer Arnaud Jarlegan.

Softbank Team Japan signed Jero Lomas and Derek Saward, both ex-ETNZ. They will join helmsman Dean Barker, tactician/wing trimmer Chris Draper and bowman Kazuhiko “Fuku” Sofuku.

Oracle Team USA will have Jimmy Spithill at the helm, Kyle Langford at wing trim, Tom Slingsby as tactician, Kinley Fowler trimmining and Louis Sinclair as bowman.

June 23, 2015 By Jack Griffin

Team Updates

Emirates Team New Zealand has retained Emirates Airlines as title sponsor and has re-signed sponsor Omega. ETNZ is giving tryouts to sailors from the two Kiwi teams in the 2013 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Head of Design Nick Holroyd has left the team, as have sailors Derek Saward, Winston Macfarlane and Jeremy Lomas.

Artemis Racing will build their base at Morgan’s Point and move to Bermuda by the end of 2015. They will also have a presence in the AC Village at Dockyard in 2017. They made the decision to move to Bermuda after their training camp on the Great Sound in May.

Ben Ainslie Racing is close to completion of their new base in Portsmouth, which will be their home for the next three AC cycles. They have an AC45X test boat, called T2 (test boat 2) in construction in the UK.

Team France is sponsored by Groupama for the 2015 AC World Series racing. They continue to look for sponsors for their full campaign. They took advantage of recent Protocol changes to delay the payment of the final $900,000 entry fee and the $1 million performance bond. Originally scheduled for 1 May, those payments are now split into four equal installments beginning 1 July.

Softbank Team Japan signed former ETNZ helmsman Dean Barker as skipper and CEO. They have recruited Chris Draper, former Luna Rossa helmsman.

Oracle Team USA completed their move to Bermuda in May, where they will be based all the way through the America’s Cup Match in 2017.

Promotional Tours
Tucker Thompson has been appointed TV and Public Host of the America’s Cup. He will give presentations in a yacht club tour, with the America’s Cup trophy. The yacht America will also be on tour, visiting ports on the North American West Coast in 2015, the East Coast in 2016 and finally in Bermuda in 2017.