Team Leads in Louis Vuitton Cup

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, December 7, 1999 – AmericaOne, the San Francisco-based St. Francis Yacht Club’s America’s Cup 2000 challenger, won its 5th race of the series today against The Spanish Challenge (ESP 47) by 11m 50s. Despite the extremely light and patchy winds blowing 8-10 knots from the south at the start of Race 6, AmericaOne faired well in the match and came out with the overall lead in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

After a slow start for AmericaOne trailing behind Bravo Espana by 2s, the two teams split. Mid-way up the first windward leg the Spanish tacked, crossing on starboard with a five boatlength lead over USA 49. Paul Cayard, at the helm of AmericaOne, took the favored right side, benefiting from a wind shift that brought them into the lead. At the rounding of the first weather mark, AmericaOne led by 36s and as the race progressed AmericaOne continued to increase its lead. The breeze began to drop on the second upwind leg, and by the second downwind leg both teams found themselves at a standstill in zero knots of wind, going less than one knot. After finally rounding the last leeward mark, USA 49 managed to capitalize on the fickle winds and further distanced themselves from Bravo Espana by a mile and a half, crossing the finish more than 11 minutes ahead of ESP 47.

“The conditions on the race course today were unlike any conditions we’ve had so far in the Louis Vuitton Cup,” commented AmericaOne Meteorologist, Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham. “Fortunately, our team was able to capitalize on a couple of wind shifts which gave us a strong lead combined with great boat handling by the team.”

Only three matches were sailed today on the Atlantic Course, and both races on the Pacific Course were abandoned due to extremely light wind conditions. When the two hour and 25 minute time limit expired on the Le Defi Francais vs. Young America match, the French were well in the lead. This race is rescheduled for the end of Round Robin 3, on Tuesday, December 14. The second race cancelled today was Young Australia vs. America True. With Young Australia in the lead, the match was called off and is now rescheduled for tomorrow. Young America will sail its previously postponed race tomorrow against Stars & Stripes who just completed repairs on their damaged bulkhead. Abracadabra sailed around the course alone to collect nine points since Be hAPpy has withdrawn from the Louis Vuitton Cup.

RR3/Race 6 Starting Line-Up: Curtis Blewett of Los Angeles, CA, bow; Ralf Steitz of Port Washington, NY, mid-bow; Bill Bates of San Diego, CA, mast/sewer; Josh Belsky of Hood River, OR, pit; Matt Welling of Bay Shore, NY, grinder; Mike Howard of Malibu, CA, grinder; Jim Nicholas of San Diego, CA, grinder; David McClintock of Portsmouth, RI, upwind trim; Carter Perrin of Houston, TX, downwind trim; Lexi Gahagan of Wilmington, DE, runner; Paul Cayard of Kentfield, CA, helmsman; John Kostecki of Fairfax, CA, tactician; Morgan Larson of Capitola, CA, traveler; Terry Hutchinson of Annapolis, MD, mainsheet; Sean Clarkson of Middletown, RI, main assist and Gavin Brady of Annapolis, MD, navigator. The 17th crew person was Mr. Sol Trujillo of Colorado, USA.

Final Scores To Date:

AmericaOne / 81 points

Nippon Challenge / 74.5 points

Prada / 73 points

America True /65 points***

Stars & Stripes / 45.5 points*

Spanish Challenge /44 points

Young America / 42 points***

Abracadabra 2000 /34 points

Le Defi Francais /32 points***

Young Australia /18 points***

FAST2000 /8 points**

* Stars & Stripes had BYE today.

**FAST 2000 has withdrawn from the Louis Vuitton Cup.

***These races were abandoned today and are rescheduled.

Other Delta Results:

Nippon beat Prada Challenge – Delta 03:13

Abracadabra beat FAST2000/ FAST2000 WITHDREW DUE TO A BROKEN MAST

Le Defi Francais vs Young America / RACE WAS ABANDONED

Young Australia vs America True / RACE WAS ABANDONED

AmericaOne ‘s schedule for the remainder of Round Robin 3 is as follows:

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, December 5, 1999 – AmericaOne, the San Francisco-based St. Francis Yacht Club’s America’s Cup 2000 challenger, was narrowly defeated by 20s in Race 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup by John Cutler at the helm of America True’s USA 51. Conditions on the Hauraki Gulf remained favorable throughout the day despite the frequently changing winds.

Shifting winds on the racecourse led to two separate postponements at the start of the match as the windward mark was reset. When the final starting sequence began, AmericaOne forced America True above the starboard tack layline to the committee boat. Paul Cayard and the AmericaOne Team were off to a perfect start as USA 49 crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of USA 51. With a sizeable lead over America True, AmericaOne chose and defended the left side of the course rounding the first mark 24 seconds ahead. AmericaOne continued to gain on America True, loosely covering each tack and gaining a significant eight boatlength lead. As the wind continued to shift, the Race Committee made its 3rd change on the racecourse. The new mark was laid while the old mark remained in place. Failing to identify the proper mark, AmericaOne forfeited the lead to America True.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result of today’s match,” explains AmericaOne Skipper Paul Cayard. “We were controlling the race when we made a fatal mistake which resulted in America True’s win. But we have another tough race on our hands tomorrow, so we need to remain focused and prepare for battle.”

In other matches today, Stars & Stripes was forced to withdraw from the race against Prada when minutes before the prestart the aft deck of USA 55 separated from the hull. Prada went on to sail around the racetrack to collect its nine points. The Race Committee has granted Stars & Stripes a 48 hour delay in their next scheduled race to make repairs to their boat and as a result the overall race schedule has been modified. ( Please see below). FAST2000, unable to repair its mast that was broken in Race 2 of Round Robin 3, withdrew from the Louis Vuitton Cup and its opponent, Le Defi Francais, sailed around the course alone to collect its nine points.

RR3/Race 4 Starting Line-Up: Greg Prussia, Oroville, CA, bow; Curtis Blewett of Los Angeles, CA, mid-bow; Bill Bates of San Diego, CA, mast/sewer; Josh Belsky of Hood River, OR, pit; Matt Welling of Bay Shore, NY, grinder; Phil Trinter of Lorain, OH, grinder; Jim Nicholas of San Diego, CA, grinder; David McClintock of Portsmouth, RI, upwind trim; Carter Perrin of Houston, TX, downwind trim; Lexi Gahagan of Wilmington, DE, runner; Paul Cayard of Kentfield, CA, helmsman; John Kostecki of Fairfax, CA, tactician; Morgan Larson of Capitola, CA, traveler; Terry Hutchinson of Annapolis, MD, mainsheet; Sean Clarkson of Middletown, RI, main assist; and Gavin Brady of Annapolis, MD, navigator. The 17th crew person was Mr. Pierre-Louis Castelli of Paris, FR.

Final Scores To Date:

Prada / 73 points**

AmericaOne / 63 points

Nippon Challenge / 56.5 points*

America True /56 points

Stars & Stripes / 45.5 points

Spanish Challenge /44 points

Young America / 42 points

Le Defi Francais /32 points

Abracadabra 2000 /25 points

Young Australia /9 points

FAST2000 /8 points

*Nippon had BYE today.

**FAST 2000 did not compete today due to a broken mast in Race 2. Prada sailed the course alone and picked up nine points for the race.

Other Delta Results:

Young America beat Abracadabra – Delta 02:10

Le Defi Francais beat FAST2000 /FAST2000 WAS NOT ABLE TO SAIL DUE TO A BROKEN MAST

The Spanish Challenge beat Young Australia 2000 – Delta 00:42

Prada beat Stars & Stripes / STARS & STRIPES WITHDREW FROM RACE

AmericaOne ‘s schedule for the remainder of Round Robin 3 is as follows:

Upper Wind Limits Make for Challenging Racing

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, December 3, 1999 – AmericaOne, the San Francisco-based St. Francis Yacht Club’s America’s Cup 2000 challenger, won its second race of Round Robin 3 against Abracadabra (USA 54) by 3m 15s, and moved into second place in the overall standings. Conditions remained at the upper wind limits today, blowing 16-23 knots, on the Harauki Gulf with small white caps visible on the water.

AmericaOne’s Skipper Paul Cayard aggressively positioned USA 49 at the start with an “early hook” pushing Abracadabra above and to windward of the starboard tack layline just before the start of the race. At the first leeward mark, USA 49 had a six boat length lead. Throughout the race the AmericaOne Team increased and defended their lead, keeping close watch and a lose cover on USA 50; Paul Cayard and the AmericaOne Team always remaining between the mark and USA 50. The resulting win gave them a satisfactory nine point victory.

“The conditions were really challenging today,” explains AmericaOne Tactician John Kostecki. “We felt good about our racing from all aspects – boat speed, tactical maneuvering and overall strong team performance. This is when you want all of those elements to be in phase, as points in Round Robin 3 are critical.”

RR3/Race 2 Starting Line-Up: Curtis Blewett of Los Angeles, CA, bow; Ralf Steitz of Port Washington, NY, mid bow; Bill Bates of San Diego, CA, mast/sewer; Josh Belsky of Hood River, OR, pit; Matt Welling of Bay Shore, NY, grinder; Phil Trinter of Lorain, OH, grinder; Jim Nicholas of San Diego, CA, grinder; David McClintock of Portsmouth, RI, upwind trim; Carter Perrin of Houston, TX, downwind trim; Lexi Gahagan of Wilmington, DE, runner; Paul Cayard of Kentfield, CA, helmsman; John Kostecki of Fairfax, CA, tactician; Morgan Larson of Capitola, CA, traveler; Terry Hutchinson of Annapolis, MD, mainsheet; Sean Clarkson of Middletown, RI, main assist, and Gavin Brady of Annapolis, MD, navigator. The 17th crew person was Mr. Grant Lilly.

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Final Scores To Date:

Prada / 64 points

AmericaOne /54 points

Nippon Challenge /47.5 points

America True /47 points

Stars & Stripes /45.5 points

Spanish Challenge /26 points

Abracadabra 2000 /25 points

Young America / 24 points

Le Defi Francais /14 points

Young Australia /9 points*

FAST2000 /8 points

* Young Australia had a BYE today

Other Delta Results:

Spanish Challenge beat FAST 2000 – Delta 01:59:55

Nippon Challenge beat Young America – Delta 04:55

Prada beat Le Defi Francais – Delta 00:37

America True beat Stars & Stripes – Delta 00:30 Round Robin 3

AmericaOne’s schedule for the remainder of Round Robin 3 is as follows:

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, December 1, 1999 – AmericaOne, the San Francisco-based St. Francis Yacht Club’s America’s Cup 2000 challenger, will continue to sail USA 49 in Round Robin 3 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. AmericaOne’s first race of the round is against FAST200, skippered by Marc Pajot. In Round Robin 3, each boat will receive nine points per win.

“We are comfortable using USA 49,” remarked AmericaOne Skipper Paul Cayard. “By not getting 61 locked into a race schedule we are able to make changes to her during the round which will speed up her optimization process.”

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ROUND ROBIN THREE SCHEDULE

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Race 1 – 2 December

1st Match Young America (USA-58) vs Prada Challenge (ITA-48)

2nd Match FAST2000 (SUI-59) vs AmericaOne (USA-49)

3rd Match Abracadabra 2000 (USA-50) vs Spanish Challenge (ESP-47)

4th Match Stars & Stripes (USA-55) vs Young Australia 2000 (AUS-31)

5th Match Le D

Its an exciting time to be at the AmericaOne compound these days. Exciting can be translated to mean concerned, encouraged and confident. We have had some tough breaks in Round Robin 2 losing an over-early against America True and a real heavy air gear buster against Stars & Stripes. Balance that with an exciting come-from-behind victory against Nippon (we caught and passed them BEFORE they lost the rig) and today’s win over Young America. We feel we have really gained an accurate understanding of how USA 49 stacks up against the competition. This is very important as we now enter one of the most strategic periods of our campaign.

Today’s race against New York was satisfying. Both syndicates have had a tougher-than-expected Round Robin 2 (mind you, I wouldn’t trade our Round Robin 2 for theirs for all the tea in China). Paul and John are really clicking as they have won our last two starts in a big way. Today, they had Ed Baird and the boys trapped over the line as the gun blew and led them back to the line to start one boat length ahead and on their breeze. A couple of downspeed tacks and we saw the two boats split, New York heading left and AmericaOne heading right. John had confidence in Clouds’ forecast and sailed out into a 10 degree right shift and three more knots of wind. When the boats came back together AmericaOne had a lead which ended up being more than two minutes at the first weather mark. It was a tough day to comeback for the Young Americans and AmericaOne slowly extended their lead throughout the race.

Brad Fitzgerald and shore team have been working flat-out since USA 61 arrived on a plane last week. In order to get her ready for sea trials they have assembled the keel, fin and bulb, mounted the hull on the keel, and installed the trim tab, rudder and the steering systems for each foil. Finally, they stepped the mast. Once in the water, she was put through a series of carefully administered dock tests. This involves stationing the boat builders throughout the boat at all the major structures (mast step, keel box, runners bulkhead, forestay bulkhead) and slowly loading up the runners. Both of the running backstays are wound-up one revolution at a time. After each turn of the winch handle, everyone stops and listens for sounds – sounds we do not want to hear. This is truly a case of silence being golden. They slowly load the boat up until there is 22,000 lbs of pressure on the runners. As they load it up, they watch for movement in string lines and level beams set up and calibrated at certain stations in the boat. The hull bends and moves under the huge load, but only a few millimeters. All quiet on the loaded-up 61 led to satisfied smiles on Ted Brown and Mike Eldred’s faces. These guys spent the busiest 19 weeks of their lives building 61. To know she is as solid as rock is very satisfying.

With our last race against the French tomorrow, the period between Round Robin 2 and Round Robin 3 is quickly approaching. Due to weather delays to Round Robin 2 the time off is considerably shorter than originally scheduled. It looks like we will get about ten days (Nov 22-Dec 1) to do some testing and accomplish two major goals. Optimize and reconfigure USA 49 and tune-up USA 61. Then, we have to make the decision – which one we will use in Round Robin 3?

Stay tuned.