Cup Experience

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Luna Rossa sets up base in Cagliari

 

Cagliari-Luna-Rossa-location
Molo Sabaudo in Cagliari – Luna Rossa’s base to prepare for the 2017 America’s Cup.

Planning to challenge for the America’s Cup in 2017, Luna Rossa will operate from a base in Cagliari, on the italian island of Sardinia. The plan to open the base in March 2014 and have the sailing team begin training in May 2014.

Patrizio Bertelli, President of Luna Rossa Challenge, declared: “We chose Cagliari because the weather conditions in this bay are ideal for training with catamarans. The city of Cagliari also offers excellent logistic solutions and has given us a particularly warm welcome. We are very pleased, after several years abroad, to have the team base back in Italy again.”

 

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Some details from the AC72s

America's Cup AC72 Details
Separate lines raise and lower daggerboards during each tack and gybe. Here are the controls on Emirates Team New Zealand.
America's Cup The helmsman controls daggerboard rake. Luna Rossa has lines on the wheel.
The helmsman controls daggerboard rake. Luna Rossa has lines on the wheel.
America's Cup Emirates Team New Zealand has continuously upgraded their aero package.
Emirates Team New Zealand has continuously upgraded their aero package. Both crossbeams and the diagonal beams have fairings. The foot of the wing seals tightly with the “deck” which forms an “end plate” to reduce turbulence and drag.

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America’s Cup Update

America’s Cup 34 got off to a rocky start in the July round robin phase:

  • Artemis was still building their boat and did not race
  • Regatta director Iain Murray lost a protest by Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa
  • Luna Rossa boycotted the first race
  • ETNZ dominated Luna Rossa, winning by as much as 7 minutes

But there is good news, too!

  • Artemis launched their boat and foiled on the first day
  • The AC72’s are amazing to watch
  • Oracle Team USA has been training with two boats. Can you tell them apart?
  • The semi-final between Artemis and Luna Rossa will be full of emotion –
    can underdog Artemis be competitive with the Italians?
  • The America’s Cup Match in September will be spectacular – one of the boats may dominate, or we may have a knock down, drag out battle.

Racing next week: Artemis vs Luna Rossa in semi-final

  • Best of seven – first to four wins.
  • First race Tuesday 6 August.
  • One race per day – seven legs. See the course layout here.
  • Race days:  Aug 6, 7, 9, 10;  If neede: Aug 12, 13, 15

Louis Vuitton Cup Final

  • Starts August 17
  • Emirates Team New Zealand vs semi-final winner

America’s Cup Match

  • Starts September 7
  • Oracle Team USA vs Louis Vuitton Cup winner

Full schedule here.

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ETNZ Protest – what’s it all about

ETNZ has protested ACRM for making changes to the AC72 Class Rule. According to this rule, changes can only be made with unanimous approval of the competitors.

ACRM claims that the safety recommendations became part of the rules since those recommendations were submitted to the US Coast Guard as part of the Marine Event Permit application.

ETNZ endorses almost all of the safety recommendations. But… they claim that the recommendation on “rudder elevators” (underwater wings a the ends of the rudders) is not a safety issue but a performance issue. And, they believe this change to the rule will benefit their competition. They don’t name Oracle Team USA as the team that will benefit, but Luna Rossa does.

If you want the techie details….

The class rule did not allow rudder elevators to extend outside the width of the hulls. ETNZ and Luna Rossa built asymmetric elevators to respect that rule. The rule also forbade adjusting the the angle of the elevators while racing, and required a new measurement certificate if the angle was changed between races, on shore. The rule as modified by ACRM eliminates those restrictions.

Remember that Luna Rossa bought their boat design from ETNZ, as permitted by the rules. Both teams have been foiling stably with asymmetric rudder elevators that comply with the original rules. They believe OTUSA and Artemis will benefit those teams can use rudder elevators with less restrictive rules.

America's Cup Luna Rossa's rudder, with elevator Photo: Pierre Orphanidis
Luna Rossa’s rudder, with elevator Photo: Pierre Orphanidis
America's Cup Luna Rossa's asymmetric rudder elevators Photo: Spitfile Image
Luna Rossa’s asymmetric rudder elevators Photo: Spitfile Image

What happens next? How will it affect the race schedule?

The International Jury will hear the protest beginning next Monday, July 8. ETNZ has already said they will accept the jury’s decision, regardless of whether it goes their way or not.

Luna Rossa may choose not to race until the jury makes its decision – meaning that the first round robin race may not happen until July 13. The race calendar is posted here.

If you want the gory detail of the rules and legal issues…

Attorney Cory Friedman gives his analysis of the protest and the rules situation here.