Team NZ have the ability to be competitive in new multihulls

September 18, 2010

Russell Coutts is such an innovative bloke, you knew his plans for the next America’s Cup were going to be different – and he didn’t disappoint.

There is a lot to get our heads around, but obviously the most drastic, and most controversial, change is the move to multihulls.

The AC72 class – a super high tech wing-masted catamaran – represents a new era of America’s Cup sailing. At this stage, I guess I’m a little cautious about the move, but also hugely optimistic.

For a Team New Zealand supporter the initial reaction may have been “bugger, we’ve been gazzumped”.

Emirates Team NZ were probably a bit disappointed with the announcement, although they wouldn’t be surprised.

There’s no doubt they have dominated big-boats, whether it be the America’s Cup version 5s or TP52s, everything they’ve touched over the past couple of years, they’ve won.

But if they want to continue to play the game it’s going to have to be in multihulls, that’s the deal.

So all of Team NZ’s focus must now be on transferring their success in the monohulls to these high-tech catamarans, which I think are going to be pretty exciting. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | AC72, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, IACC, New Zealand, Newspaper Stories, Oracle BMW Racing, Sailing, Sports, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester

’88 Old Friends

February 12, 2010

Some historic pictures from the adversaries from 1988 Big Boat challenge, Fay and Johns vs Ehman was the guts of the court battle

Sir Michael Fay (’88 New Zealand Challenge owner), Tom Ehman (BMW Oracle), Andrew Johns (’88 NZ Challenge lawyer), Russell Coutts (BMW Oracle CEO) , Mike Drummond (BMW Oracle head of design), myself (’88 tactician).

Thanks to Gilles Martin-Raget for the shots.

Leave a Comment » | America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, New Zealand, Sailing, Sports | Permalink
Posted by peterlester

Farewell from Valencia

July 4, 2007

Well what a race to end the America’s Cup.

One second – one measly second.

Off the line it was a good start from Dean Barker but Alinghi, in a compromised position, hung on.

The race was a classic day of how powerful it was to be on the right hand side of your opposition. The power was really on the right on the upwinds. Sailing on the left, New Zealand on both upwind legs were bow forward but were unable to capitalise on that.

On the downwind Team New Zealand did well to roll Alinghi on the first run. At the bottom mark gate, maybe if we look back in two races, the Kiwis took the right hand gate looking down and got passed on both times. How significant that might be.

The last downwind was bizarre. At the top mark Alinghi did a dial down. The boat on starboard has the rights, which was Alinghi. The dial down was a set move. Alinghi had practised it. Alinghi dialed down when the New Zealanders dialed down and held their course. Team New Zealand were ruled not to have kept clear. It was a penalty.

What a race it was.

As you can imagine Team New Zealand were distraught. But they have plenty to be proud of. They have come so far since 2003. Grant Dalton’s leadership has been tremendous and Dean Barker will leave this cup as one of the best helmsman in the game.

They just have to go on…

Thanks to you all for dropping by, we certainly hope you have enjoyed the racing and its been great to be able to bring it to you. When we started this little blog we were unsure of how it would do – its had 90,000 page views since we started and has been a storming success thanks for you all.

I’ll aim to keep the blog running over the coming months, so stay tuned :)

In the meantime, we all need a holiday. I will be flying with Paul tomorrow to Bodrum in Turkey to spend some time with Ergin and the Provezza guys. I will also be joing my wife Susie, and the boys, Ryan and Sean who are already there.

11 Comments | America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, IACC, New Zealand, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester

Spain Challenger of Record for the next Cup

July 1, 2007

I got the word last night that if Alinghi win today Desafio Español will be the Challenger of Record for the 33rd Americas Cup in two years time.

Look out for Augustin Zulueta from Desafio Español to be on Alinghi’s VIP spectator boat Vava to hand over the hip pocket challenge.

I wonder if the agreement for Desafio Español becoming the Challenger of Record will be that the next cup will remain in Valencia. There are also rumblings of a possible change to the design rules, with longer waterline length allowed on the next generation of the IACC class rule.

You heard it here first…

1 Comment | Alinghi, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Desafio Espanol, Emirates Team New Zealand, IACC, New Zealand, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester

Kiwis start well but just can’t finish

July 1, 2007

Well, it wasn’t the greatest of days for Team New Zealand fans in Valencia today.

Just one more race and this thing could be over.

Once again the racing started off well for the Kiwis who lead around the first lap. But on the second upwind leg, Brad Butterworth spotted some better pressure on the right and the Swiss pushed their way into the lead. It was a brilliant display by Butterworth and Swiss afterguard.

Team New Zealand will be extremly disappointed but there is not a lot they could have done. They could have rounded the other mark at the gate but the bottom line is the trailing boat is just about always going to go to the other mark to the leading boat. Brad Butterworth said that.

Alinghi just made less mistakes in the race.

It is nice to see the Kiwis fans here remain upbeat.

Race seven is tonight.

8 Comments | Alinghi, America's Cup Teams, Americas Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, New Zealand, Sailing, Spain, Sports, Valencia, Yachting | Permalink
Posted by peterlester

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