Greetings yachties,

The round robin has started, below is a collection of all the best links, stories, lies and video of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland New Zealand 9 – 21 March 2010

Enjoy

Waitemata Harbour to host America’s Cup boats

Auckland, dubbed the City of Sails for its huge sailing fraternity, hosted two hugely popular America’s Cup Matches in 2000 and 2003. Auckland also hosted the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in February 2009, which gave rise to the WSTA and Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Sailed in former America’s Cup boats, the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland is the second of five match race regattas.

Part of the Auckland Festival of Sail organized by Emirates Team New Zealand, the Louis Vuitton event will overlap with the Auckland International Boat Show. The two Cup boats will race on New Zealand’s Waitemata Harbor and dock in the heart of the Viaduct Basin on the quayside adjacent to Aucklanders’ favourite restaurants and wine bars, providing an unprecedented opportunity for spectators to view boat preparation and the departures and arrivals of the teams each day.

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Results

Image Gallery

The Sailing Teams

Latest News here

Live Racing here

Virtual Eye Live Racing here on SailTV

Emirates Team New Zealand

The days racing videos here

Race Day One – Running commentary

Cup Talk on Crew.org

Chatter on Sailing Anarchy here

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Le 3ème match de la journée opposait ALEPH SAILING TEAM aux italiens de MASCALZONE LATINO mené par le néo-zélandais Gavin Brady, les français avaient l’avantage de l’entrée de ligne, leur concurrent ont choisi le bateau NZ 92.

Une phase de pré-départ maîtrisée par Bertrand Pacé et ses hommes, un départ au canon des 2 bateaux dans 22 noeuds de vent en moyenne et une mer agitée, le match débutait ainsi promettant une belle bataille entre les deux bateaux. ALEPH SAILING TEAM tenait la droite et au gré des risées perdait une longueur sur la fin du premier bord de près.

Après l’envoi des gennakers à la bouée au vent les français accusaient quelques secondes de retard; à peine une longueur de Class America. Les transalpins conserveront la tête jusqu’au bout du match.

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© Paul Todd/outsideimages.co.nz | Louis Vuitton Trophy

High tempo sailing action on the Waitemata

Whitewater on the deck, whitecaps on the Waitemata and warning whistles on the onboard overload alarms characterised the high tempo sailing action today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta.

After three days of competition, Emirates Team New Zealand representing the host Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is undefeated with three wins while three teams each have a 2-1 record. They are the German/French team All4One, the Swedish team Artemis and Azzurra from Italy.

Racing moved closer to the city front today as the southwester funneled down the harbour, with puffs into the low 20-knot range as the day wore on. The weather mark was between the container wharves and the Devonport Dockyard.

Tipped as the highlight match of the day, the opening race between Emirates and Britain’s TEAMORIGIN came to a sudden end at the first leeward gate as a late tactical call on the British boat escalated into a firedrill that left spinnaker and jib draped over the foredeck and a broken spinnaker pole over the side.

Ben Ainslie at TEAMORIGIN’s wheel led at the end of the first beat after a fierce nine-tack duel up the short 1.2-mile weather leg in a puffy and shifty 13-16 knot southwesterly breeze. ETNZ was right on the British boat’s heels, just 14 seconds astern and began slowly clawing back the distance.

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Photo credit: G.Cooke/Mascalzone Latino Audi Team

Mila Macky Dunn pushes the Rascals to the First Win

Pink flag and first victory for Mascalzone Latino Audi Team in the Louis Vuitton Trophy of Auckland.  Little Mila was born last night, daughter of strategist Cameron Dunn, who quickly became the new mascot of the team, evidenced by the pink flag aboard.

After two days where the optimal  efforts of the crew failed to produce any points, the ice was finally broken in the third match, against the French of Aleph.  It was a day of brisk wind in the Waitemata Bay with the skyline of Auckland as the background for the races and a large spectator audience both at shore and at sea.

In the prestart Bertrand Pace, skipper of Aleph, didn’t want to risk getting too close to Gavin Brady, but managed to achieve an even start with Mascalzone Latino Audi Team.  Great work by the Italian afterguard, with strategist Flavio Favini and tactician Morgan Larson, who were able to get close to the French boat on leeward, putting her in dirty air and gaining the lead just before the first windward mark. From here, Mascalzone Latino worked perfectly the wind shifts, increasing their advantage to 55 seconds at the finish.  A clear victory in the first day of strong wind, up to 20 knots, which saw the group skillfully manage the enormous power an ACC yacht.

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EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND EXCEL IN STRONGER WIND CONDITIONS WITH SEAMLESS CREW WORK TO TAKE THEIR THIRD WIN

LOUIS VUITTON TROPHY AUCKLAND REGATTA : DAY 3 : Thurs 11th March

Hotly tipped to be the race to watch of the Round Robin phase of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland – Ainslie v Barker; TEAMORIGIN v Emirates Team New Zealand, all eyes were on the Waitemata Harbour. With streaming sunshine, visibility clear as a bell, wind direction 235, wind speed 15/16 knots, the talk was of a building breeze so the aim was to get all four flights done by 15:00.

The warning signal went at 10:20 for the TEAMORIGIN vs ETNZ start. Both teams started circling in the start box almost immediately, with both talking of wanting the pin end of the line. ETNZ crossed the line slightly ahead but with TEAMORIGIN able to tack off and claim the right hand favoured side of the beat.

TEAMORIGIN quickly went bow forward in good pressure on the right of the pair and at the first cross the advantage was to the British team. Both teams tacked off to their respective sides again with TEAMORIGIN maintaining control of the right. The second time the pair converged TEAMORIGIN’s advantage had grown allowing Ainslie and co to extend, consolidate and keep control.

Approaching the windward mark TEAMORIGIN was forced to tack twice to get around wheras the New Zealanders had found a better layline and managed to gain back quite a bit of distance to round just 14 seconds behind. The pressure was back on and downwind, a wind shift meant both boats stayed on the same gybe until the bottom third of the run, ETNZ hustling to cast a wind shadow on the Brits but not quite managing to get close enough. As the pair approached the bottom gate, the pressure mounted on board TEAMORIGIN with ETNZ breathing right down their necks. A sudden but significant wind shift caused the afterguard of TEAMORIGIN to change the call on the spinnaker drop manoeuvre leaving not enough time for the foredeck crew to respond.

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© Paul Todd/outsideimages.co.nz | Louis Vuitton Trophy, Auckland – New Zealand.

Ladies lunch on the harbour – with Moët of course

It has become a tradition in Louis Vuitton regattas that the wives and partners of the sailing fraternity are given special recognition for their role in the sport. It’s called Ladies Day, when Louis Vuitton treats those women to a day of pampering.

Ladies Day is sometimes celebrated on land – in Nice, at a luxury spa, with lunch, a manicure and pedicure. At the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, the WAGS (wives and girlfriends), and women involved in the organisation of the event, were treated to a day on the water – on board the luxury 60ft motoryacht Mistero to watch the round robin racing.

Mistero, a Maritimo 60 built on Australia’s Gold Coast, was brought to Auckland two years ago to do charter trips around the city’s stunning Hauraki Gulf.  During the Louis Vuitton Trophy, Mistero heads out on the Waitemata Harbour every day taking VIP guests to watch the sailing action.

The women – the other halves of skippers, sailors, commentators, sponsors and team managers – dined on a nine-course lunch, including scallops, lemongrass poached chicken and crème brulee.  They toasted the raceboats that flew past, with flutes of Moët & Chandon champagne and glasses of sparkling water.

Sitting on bean bags on the foredeck, the women were absorbed in the sailing on a perfect Auckland summer’s day. In between races, they swapped notes on their children – most of whom were born in the America’s Cup community, and some of them now adults working at the Louis Vuitton Trophy event.

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‘Azzurra crossing the finish line, hands raised as the gennaker drops – Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland’     Paul Todd/Outside Images ©

Second convincing win for team Azzurra of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, who in the second day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland defeated the Russians of team Synergy with a superb match held in perfect sailing conditions.

Today the race course was positioned very close to the shore of downtown Auckland with its futuristic SkyTower in the background. Francesco Bruni, skipper and helmsman of the all-Italian team Azzurra, gained an early lead at the first top mark and comfortably controlled his opponent, helmed by match racing veteran Karol Jablonski from Poland with New Zealander Rod Dawson calling the tactics. The great precision and determination that Bruni displays during the races comes from the great experience that the skipper from Sicily has gained in two America’s Cup campaigns and three Olympic Games sailed in the Laser, 49er and Star.

Today the Louis Vuitton Trophy enjoyed a great turnout of public, both on the water near the action and on shore in the race Village that is the heart of this City of Sails, that this week is also hosting the Auckland International Boat Show. ‘Today we had a great race, with perfect sailing conditions and an amazing scenery,’ commented Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and President of team Azzurra, adding: ‘the crew of Azzurra sailed a superb match and the merit goes not only to the afterguard but also to the rest of the crew who completed each maneuver with great precision and perfect timing. I admire how Francesco [Bruni] manages the stress of the races with great calm and determination.’ Bonadeo is the key figure that links the first Italian challenge to the America’s Cup in 1983 to the participation of the new Azzurra team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

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Gear failure puts finish to a close

Kiwi vs Italian encounter

American-based Kiwi Gavin Brady and his largely international team of Latin Rascals took the fight to host Emirates Team New Zealand in their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today, only to lose after a gear failure.
© Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN | Louis Vuitton Trophy

Brady, with American tactician Morgan Larson calling the shots, pulled off a risky pre-start strategy against skipper Dean Barker on the New Zealand boat, pushing ETNZ deep into the start box after a dialup but breaking clear with immaculate timing to grab the start he wanted – a port tack cross at speed, right at the committee boat.

Minutes later as they came back together, Brady had a two boat-length advantage that he parlayed into a 22 second lead at the first weather mark. Down the run, the New Zealanders split away and Brady let them go, only to concede the right side of the course when they rounded opposite gates starting the second beat.

Brady’s lead had evaporated but the fight had just started. Half way up the weather leg Mascalzone barely had her nose in front as they sailed into a building breeze when the jib came crashing down. “That was our race to win,” said Brady. “And a tough way to lose!”

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Emirates Team New Zealand roll past Mascalzone Latino after the Italian team lost their jib
©Bob Grieser/outsideimages.co.nz

Team New Zealand made it two from two in the Louis Vuitton Trophy yachting regatta off Auckland on Wednesday after gear failure on their opponents’ boat turned a tight battle into an easy victory.

They ended the day tied with Azzurra as the only crews in the eight-strong fleet with a 100 percent record after two rounds of the preliminary round-robin.

Team NZ beat Azzurra’s compatriots, Mascalzone Latino, by four minutes 43 seconds, but the huge margin belied the closeness of the racing over the first two of the four legs on Waitemata Harbour.

Mascalzone, with New Zealander Gavin Brady helming, protected the right hand side of the course up the first beat and the move paid dividends as they built a handy lead.

They rounded the top mark 22sec in front, but Team NZ, skippered by Dean Barker, were able to close the gap to 8sec at the bottom gate.

As the crews looked set for a close fight in a breeze that built up to about 14 knots, Mascalzone’s hopes of an upset suddenly evaporated when the jib clip attacking the halyard to the sail broke.

Barker said Team NZ did not get a great start, giving Mascalzone more momentum off the line and also the favoured right hand side.

“We had a fair amount of work to do to minimise the damage,” he said.

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Photo credit: G.Cooke/Mascalzone Latino Audi Team

Louis Vuitton Trophy: La fortuna è cieca ma…

La sfortuna ci vede benissimo! Oggi la Dea Bendata ha voltato brutalmente le spalle ai ragazzi di Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. Nel corso della seconda bolina, dopo una regata interamente al comando, il moschettone di titanio, in testa alla drizza fiocco, ha ceduto decretando l’inevitabile ritiro per i Mascalzoni, che hanno comunque dato ulteriore prova di sportività, completando il percorso pur privi della vela di prua. Occorre sottolineare che le barche sono virtualmente gemelle, vengono fornite dall’organizzazione e sono sorteggiate la sera antecedente. Non si può dunque sostenere che ci sia stata una mancanza di cura nella preparazione del mezzo da parte del team, ma soltanto accettare che talvolta il Fato ci mette lo zampino.

Gavin Brady al timone e Morgan Larson alla tattica hanno dimostrato fin da subito una grande decisione e nessun senso di inferiorità nell’affrontare i Kiwi, che sono stati messi sotto pressione durante tutto il prestart, nonostante il sorteggio avesse assegnato loro l’ingresso con mure a sinistra. La partenza è stata nettamente vinta da Gavin Brady, che ha controllato da sottovento Dean Barker, costringendolo sul lato sinistro e meno favorevole del campo. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team ha subito capitalizzato il vantaggio arrivando alla boa con 22 secondi di vantaggio. In poppa i Kiwi si sono rifatti sotto e il delta al cancello di poppa era stato ridotto a 8 secondi. Il secondo lato di bolina è subito apparso come il più interessante e combattuto sinora visto in questa serie, ma la rottura del moschettone ha decretato il forzato ritiro per il team italiano, che ha dato prova di grande carattere.
Indubbiamente il nuovo gruppo c’è e sta crescendo rapidamente, con un potenziale tutto da scoprire.

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