Here is the Seahorse International Sailing Guide to the America’s Cup (6.5meg .PDF file, right click – Save Target As… may be slow to download)
Thanks Andy!
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Seahorse International Sailing: Guide to the America’s Cup
June 15, 2007
25 Comments | 
Alinghi, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa, Oracle BMW Racing, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Yachting | 
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Posted by paullester
Peter Blake’s letter to Luna Rossa – 2000
June 13, 2007From http://www.lunarossafanclub.it – thanks Guilio Z for first posting.
This is a letter Peter Blake wrote to the Prada Team a few days after their defeat against Team New Zealand in the 2000 America’s Cup.
DEDICATED TO LUNA ROSSA
The America’s Cup is an elusive trophy, and has rarely changed hands in the last 150 years. This is not a sport for the faint hearted. It is not a quest to take lightly or on a whim. It is a fight between sailors from yacht clubs all over the world that desperately want the same thing: get their hands on the Cup.
The prestige for the winner has more value than any other sporting achievement. It’s winning against the invincible and doing the impossible that attract sailors, dreamers and millionaires, but the victory is not easy, and most of the time it doesn’t happen.
The only way to win is to continuously participate, continuously return time and time again with the conviction that you can do it. Hesitating after the first attempt is not part of the rules of the game.
26 Comments | America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa, Peter Blake, Sailing, Sports, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by paullester
Tough bit’s done, now for the Cup
June 9, 2007Team New Zealand will take plenty from their dominant performance in the challenger series final to the America’s Cup match.
I never expected them to beat Luna Rossa 5-0. I did think the Kiwis would win it, but perhaps 5-2 or 5-3.
It is a funny old game when a team gets on a roll. Certainly Team New Zealand were quicker. Maybe one or two degrees higher on the wind when they wanted to be, which is not a lot, but it gives you those little metre gains that can be used as a tactical tool.
NZL92 seemed to accelerate a bit better out of tacks than Luna Rossa, which we expected because the Luna Rossa boat had more wetted surface and therefore more drag because of its hull shape.
Downwind, Team New Zealand were always able to stretch. Those little things were all valuable.
If a team are sailing well and get some momentum it can be hard to break. But there is an element of luck, and it went Team New Zealand’s way in the final race. They produced almost a perfect regatta in the way they sailed and the way they set the boat up for the conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
48 Comments | Alinghi, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, IACC, Luna Rossa, New Zealand, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester
Italians need a weather change
June 6, 2007
©ACM 2007/Photo: Vicent Bosch
Well it was a bit of a wild old weather day in Valencia.
It started of wet and windy, turned to light and fickle for the race, then some thunder and lightning decided to make an appearance.
Thankfully by the time the sky was lighting up, Team New Zealand had already secured their fourth consecutive win over Luna Rossa.
The power of the weather calls is proving crucial in Valencia’s fickle conditions.
Team New Zealand’s weather team have pretty much nailed it in the four races.
The Luna Rossa guys have got parts of it wrong.
In todays race Luna Rossa wanted the right and got it and Team New Zealand wanted the left. Luna Rossa had the option and could have crossed over up the first beat but were happy on the right. On the second cross they took a safe leeward and the leftie came in and Team New Zealand powered into the lead.
The Kiwi boat is also a tad quicker so from there it is harder for a boat that is a bit slower to defend. You get the impression that even if the Kiwis were behind they could sail around in that condition.
Luna Rossa need the conditions change. They need more wind. There is meant to be a sea breeze tomorrow but the conditions are not expected to be radically different.
Some people from New Zealand have asked me why they are now seeing limited coverage of Martin and I on TVNZ’s coverage. We are both working for ACTV who are the host broadcaster for the LVC and AC and supply the world feed to TV rights holders. TVNZ are the New Zealand rights holders so they decide if they want to use our voices or those of John Mcbeth and Peter Montgomery etc.
23 Comments | America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Weather, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester
There is only one…
June 5, 2007Some interesting statistical info just came out from the Media Centre:
- There have been 127 races sailed to date in the Louis Vuitton Cup
- Maximum delta: 11.49 minutes China Team vs Victory Challenge (May 2)
- Minimum winning delta: 1 second Desafío Español 2007 defeat +39 Challenge (April 30)
1 818 740 visitors to Port America’s Cup for the 2007 season (since April 1)
- 1 700 hours broadcast in 2007 (up to April 30) in over 150 countries that receive images of the 32nd America’s Cup
- Audience of 928 million people in 2007 (up to April 30)
- up to 33 cameras are in use at any one time during racing
- over 540 people are on-site, employed by rights-holders
- over 130 ACTV production people
- 400 hours of production of live TV in 3 galleries
6 000 bottles of Moët & Chandon consumed in Port America’s Cup 
But the most important number at the America’s Cup remains ‘one’.
There is one winner in each match and each series.
Only one team will win the Louis Vuitton Cup and go on to race Alinghi in the 32nd America’s Cup Match.
This is the America’s Cup and there is no second… anyone excited?
5 Comments | Alinghi, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, Facts, Luna Rossa, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Television, Valencia, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by paullester
