BMW ORACLE Racing Launches Sail Design Program

According to BMW Oracle Racing's web site, they are now working with North Sails in the USA to develop the huge new sails required for the 33rd America's Cup.

The sail design team is headed by BMW ORACLE Racing sail trimmer Ross Halcrow, and includes designers Laurent Delage, Robert Hook, and Juan Meseguer. Delage brings valuable multihull experience from North Sails France. Hook, another North Sails veteran, was with Emirates Team New Zealand in the last America's Cup. Meseguer, who runs the North loft in Valencia, returns to the team from the 32nd campaign.

"It is a massive challenge, as with all aspects of the multihull everything is on a larger scale," said Halcrow. "The sail plan for the multihull has huge dimensions yet we must keep weight to a minimum. While we are working with many of the same methods and materials as in the last America's Cup, the designs are quite different. We also are looking at a wider range of sails since we won't know the venue for the Match until six months in advance."

The team's other sail trimmers are also contributing to the sail design program, including Dirk de Ridder (NED), Noel Drennan (IRL), Daniel Fong (NZL), and Joe Newton (AUS). JB Braun (USA) coordinates the "aero program," integrating the rig and sail package, and held a similar role with BMW ORACLE Racing's last campaign. Craig Phillips (AUS) is managing production.

As required by the America's Cup Deed of Gift, the sails and other components of the boat must be built in the country the team represents.

Alinghi Starts Two Boat Training in 60-Foot Multi-Hulls

Alinghi, Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, begins the next phase of training towards a possible multi-hull Deed of Gift Match in 2009 (is this weird - - no one knows what the boats will be?) and steps it up a notch, to two-boat training, with the ORMA60s Foncia and Banque Populaire IV in Lorient, France, from 30 June until 5 July.

The Swiss team intends to continue its big boat and multi-hull development through this platform, “We now need to hone our boat handling skills, manoeuvres and mark approaches by matching up to another boat,” says Alinghi team skipper and tactician Brad Butterworth. “Having crew on both ORMA60s will increase our learning curve exponentially and marks the beginning of our two-boat training programme towards a multi-hull America’s Cup.”

The sailing team has been multi-hull training for several months racing the eXtreme40s and the Décision35s respectively in the iShares Cup and in the Lake Geneva based Julius Baer Challenge and it now looks forward to training alongside such an accomplished sailing team.

“We are very pleased to have such high calibre boats to train with; both Foncia and Banque Populaire IV are accomplished race boats and we look forward to a summer of two-boat training and to gaining as much crewing and big boat experience as possible before getting on to our multi-hull sometime at the end of the year. We are looking forward to working with the Banque Populaire team and hope the training will be mutually beneficial to both sailing teams,” added Butterworth.

Alinghi was in Lorient in March sailing Foncia with skipper Alain Gautier and will return again in July and throughout the summer to match up against Banque Populaire IV, skippered by Pascal Bidégorry.

Boat specifications
Banque Populaire IV details:
Trimaran: ORMA 60' design by Nigel Irens and Benoît Cabaret and launched in 2002
Length: 18.28m
Beam: 17.60m
Draft: 5m
Mast: 30m
Displacement: 5.3t
Mainsail: 175m2
Solent: 116m2
Gennaker: 250m2

Foncia details:
Trimaran: ORMA 60’ design by VPLP and launched in 2002
Length: 18.28m
Beam: 17.60m
Mast: 28.5m
Mainsail: 188m2
Solent : 125m2
Staysail : 84m2
Gennaker: 248m2

SNG Puts Case Before NY Appellate Court

The Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the America’s Cup Defender, June 5, 2008, put its case to the five judges sitting in the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. The Swiss (paper) yacht club successfully consolidated its appeal from Justice Cahn’s May 12, 2008, order with the previously expedited April 14, 2008 appeal. Now it hopes for a speedy resolution and to conclude the litigation initiated by the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) almost a year ago - - killing off an exciting, 2008 America's Cup event conducted in really big boats.

Justices David Saxe, Eugene Nardelli, Karla Moskowitz, Rolando Acosta and Leland DeGrasse granted approx 30 minutes for the oral arguments from both SNG and GGYC. This was the last opportunity for either party to present their merits to the Court, and a ruling is expected in a reasonably short time. ("New York time" translation: Whenever they get around to it, between its usual cases of rape, murder and you don't wanna know.)

Lucien Masmejan, SNG lead counsel, commented: “We were pleased to have our arguments heard by the Appellate Court regarding the validity of the GGYC Challenge, while simultaneously seeking clarification on the date and venue for the 33rd America’s Cup. Justice Cahn’s orders left several issues unresolved, and we hope that our position can now be sustained by the Appellate Court. The Justices presiding over the case seemed receptive and we look forward to receiving their judgment. We are hopeful that by consolidating our appeals and achieving the expedited status, unnecessary delays will be minimised. We are looking forward to finally putting an end to the disruption brought to the America’s Cup by BMW Oracle Racing’s opportunistic legal strategy.”

In short: "Guys, this is our best shot. Let's do some sailing!" (Translation: We've fought back with both legal barrels, as has BMW/Oracle. All that's left is pistols at 50 paces.)