Softbank Team Japan

May 10, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Video: Emirates Team New Zealand Wins in New York and Stays Atop the Leaderboard

America's Cup World Series Leaderboard - May'16 — America’s Cup World Series Leaderboard – May’16

Going into the last race, all six teams had a chance to win the regatta. With four of the teams bunched on the downstream side of the course, struggling to avoid being carried outside the course limits by the current, the Kiwis found a gust and roared off to win the race and the regatta.

Team New Zealand in trouble at start of America's Cup World Series in New York — Race 3: Team New Zealand in trouble at start of America’s Cup World Series in New York.

Race 3. ETNZ is hooked on the mark and they have picked up a penalty for being OCS (On the Course Side of the line) at the starting signal. Notice, too, that Artemis is off to a poor start, sailing behind the line. On Leg 1 they will be out of position to round Mark1 and be forced to sail back to round it properly.

Race 3: Blair Tuke and Guy Endean try to get ETNZ free from the starting mark.

(missing photo – 1Feb’17)

Race 3 Leg 4: The current, flowing from top to bottom of the image, has carried Land Rover BAR and SoftBank Team Japan outside the course limit, giving them penalties. Meanwhile you can see the ripples on the water where the gust has launched Team New Zealand into the lead and on their way to winning the race and the regatta.

All three lights flashing on BAR. The green light means he is within five boatlengths of the course limit. Ainslie felt Japan did not give him enough room at the course limit. The red light means Ainslie has protested Japan. The blue light means he has a penalty - for going outside the course limits. The umpires ruled that Japan gave him enough room but Japan picked up a penalty of their own when the current took them outside the boundary. — All three lights flashing on BAR. The green light means he is within five boatlengths of the course limit. Ainslie felt Japan did not give him enough room at the course limit. The red light means Ainslie has protested Japan. The blue light means he has a penalty – for going outside the course limits. The umpires ruled that Japan gave him enough room but Japan picked up a penalty of their own when the current took them outside the boundary.

Race 3 Finish: Team New Zealand and Oracle have crossed the checkered finish line. Team Japan, Team France and BAR follow.

April 25, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Was This the World’s First AC Grind-off?

At Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s Fund Raising Gala, Saturday 23 April 2016.

Graeme Spence of ORACLE TEAM USA powers through a 60 second all out burst while BUEI’s Executive Director Mel Ferson counts down the time.

Each of the Bermuda-based teams competed in the charity grind-off. From left to right, Graeme Spence, OTUSA, Luke Parkinson, Artemis Racing, Simeon Tienpont (with daughter Sara) from SoftBank Team Japan. Graeme won the competition but everyone was a winner as the gala brought in over $100,000, including a hefty live auction bid for a ride on Artemis Racing’s turbo boat! A big THANK YOU to all three teams for their support.

April 25, 2016 By Jack Griffin

A Day on the Water with SoftBank Team Japan…and others

Friday 22 April 2016 All three Bermuda-based teams training off the North Shore
Photo: Jack Griffin

I visited SoftBank Team Japan last Friday and got to spend the afternoon on their chase boat. The team has a real depth of experience from AC34: Dean Barker, Derek Saward, Jero Lomas and Winston MacFarlane were all onboard Team New Zealand’s AC72 in San Francisco. Wing trimmer and sailing manager Chris Draper helmed Luna Rossa. Grinder Simeon Tienpont was grinder and boat captain for Oracle’s AC72. General manager Kasuhiko Sofuku sailed on Nippon Challenge in 2000. The team is developing younger sailors including Japanese team members Yugo Yoshida and Yuki Kasitani and Australian multihull specialist Jason Waterhouse.

Although the team has purchased a design package from Oracle, Nick Holroyd, formerly head of design at Team New Zealand, is making his presence felt, especially with work on board design. Nick was at the cutting edge of the foiling breakthrough during the last campaign.

The team base at Dockyard is growing, with office space and a lounge and kitchen popping up quickly with modular construction.

On the water I saw all three Bermuda based teams out on the water – SoftBank Team Japan, Artemis Racing and, with two boats, Oracle. Looking for long stretches of open water, all four boats headed out of the Great Sound and did several straightline speed runs off Bermuda’s beautiful north shore. No one looked noticeably faster than the others. AC35 will be hard fought and every team is likely to be strong and competitive. SoftBank Team Japan did a few well-executed foiling gybes, but that is to be expected, given that Dean mastered that maneuver long before any of the other helmsmen. Of course, the other teams were also smooth in their maneuvers, but no one should think of SoftBank Team Japan as a “new crew.” A new team, yes, but one with lots of experience and strength.

April 11, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Video: SoftBank Team Japan Man Overboard

SoftBank Team Japan sailor Winston Macfarlane fell overboard while testing the team’s AC45X experimental boat in Bermuda last week. Macfarlane was unhurt and the team had a chance to test their man overboard procedure.

Man Overboard on SoftBank Team Japan

This is not the first time skipper Dean Barker has seen Macfarlane go overboard. Macfarlane took an unplanned swim while racing with Barker for Emirates Team New Zealand in the 2011 AC World Series in Cascais, Portugal when a winch handle broke. Photos and video of the 2011 incident here.

April 4, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Lots of Action in Bermuda – Don’t Wait for 2017

Thanks to Oracle sailor Ky Hurst for this video of four AC45x experimental catamarans testing on the Great Sound. There will be plenty of action on the Great Sound in 2016 and it will heat up even more in early 2017 when all six teams are training with their AC Class race boats.

In this short clip you can see Artemis Racing with the clear wing sailing right to left. The two Oracle Team USA boats move left to right, followed by SoftBank Team Japan.