Latest News:- The Race Committee has informed the teams there will be no start before 13:00 CET
- Committee Boat is on start line area, still assessing the situation on both wind and waves conditions.
- Race 1 is now postponed until Friday with a planned start schedule beginning at 10:00 hrs.
Midday:The AP flag is flying over the A flag above the Varadero building, the main race control offices. So, that means no racing today.
The race between the hi-tech, multi-hull boats was reset for tomorrow Wednesday, the next scheduled sailing day in the best-of-three regatta off the Spanish port of Valencia.
Crew members aboard had a frustrating, cold and wet wait of almost four hours more than 25 km (16 miles) off shore before heading back to port.
The problem was exacerbated by the vast size of the race area, measuring more than 600 sq km. The course for the first race is 40 km long, comprising an upwind and a downwind leg.
The course area was made necessary in part by the huge size of the boats, each 90 feet long with technology aboard previously unseen in yacht racing. Alinghi is a catamaran with a tilting mast 17 storeys high. BMW Oracle, a trimaran, has a unique wing-shaped mast much bigger than the wing of a commercial jetliner.
Reports suggest that the two teams were configuring their craft for the stronger northerly airs which are being drawn down to Valencia by a low pressure system towards the east.
Valencia in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia,_Spain
Valencia official tourist info http://www.turisvalencia.es/home.aspx
Valencia Online Guide http://www.turisvalencia-guias.info/tourist_guide_en/home.htm
Panoramio Valencia http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=39.489470&ln=-0.370274&z=5&k=2&a=1&tab=1
Copyright Luca Butto’/ Alinghi
Alinghi welcomed the Valencia authorities to its base in the Dársena this afternoon to watch the Defender’s giant catamaran, Alinghi 5, be launched ahead of its first sail in Spanish waters. Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi team president, greeted Francisco Camps, the president of the region, and Rita Barberá, the Valencia mayoress, who presented him with the Valencia flag which was immediately raised on board Alinghi 5.
“We are ready for the Match!” declared Bertarelli to the media present. “The team is here, I am here and we are prepared for the America’s Cup Match on the 8 February,” he said. “All the pieces are in place for the event to begin, we have an agreement with the City of Valencia to run the shore based side of the 33rd America’s Cup, and we are just waiting for the blessing of the central government in Madrid.”
As the vast sails were lifted on to the catamaran with a crane, the latest lawsuit – BMW Oracle’s ninth – was discussed; Ernesto Bertarelli was firm on the subject: “Our sails are rooted in Swiss technology and they have been constructed in Villeneuve, Switzerland. This Swiss technology has been used by both defenders and challengers in the America’s Cup since 1995 and we have been through years of development in Switzerland to construct them. Should the American justice system outlaw their use, it would be like asking Roger Federer to defend his title without using his tennis racket. BMW Oracle would win the America’s Cup in court as, without our sails, we cannot race.”
As Alinghi 5 cast off, Ernesto hopped on board the catamaran and the guests boarded the support boats to watch Alinghi 5 go for a shake down sail ahead of the race training programme that begins tomorrow.
Valencia, Spain – (2010-01-04)
The 33rd America’s Cup defending team, Alinghi, arrived in Valencia, Spain today and will transfer to its existing base in the Dársena (the inner harbour of Valencia) over the next couple of days to begin its final preparations towards the Deed of Gift Match that starts on 8 February.
The team’s catamaran Alinghi 5, the masts and 20 support containers reached their final destination aboard the Cassandra B container ship on Monday afternoon after a 14 day voyage from the team’s previous base in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
“We hope that the people of Valencia will be excited to witness the arrival and preparation of our catamaran. We understand the American challenger has also arrived to Valencia and hopefully both boats will be moored in the Dársena and will provide a great spectacle. Since these new yachts are so fast and the racing will take place a long way offshore viewing the yachts from the water will be difficult for the fans, the sponsors and the media; that is why we think the Dársena will form an important arena for this event,” said Grant Simmer, Alinghi design team coordinator.
The team completed a very successful two month training period on 16 December 2009 in the Arabian Gulf and cast off, bound for Europe, on the 21 December. The Cassandra B travelled 4,500 nm out of the Arabian Gulf, into the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and across the Mediterranean to return the Defender to the Alinghi base in Valencia, which was home to the highly successful 32nd America’s Cup.
Alinghi plans to start sailing in Valencia mid-month and will focus on training for the 36 days that remain until the 33rd America’s Cup Match.
“The voyage from Ras Al Khaimah to Valencia went smoothly and over the coming days we will settle back into our base in the Dársena. The team will focus on readying Alinghi 5 for the final training session ahead of the first race for the 33rd America’s Cup, which starts on 8 February,” added Simmer.
Via Alinghi newsletter
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