La Maddalena, Sardinia – Today was Artemis’ first race in the Louis Vuitton Trophy – La Maddalena. We were up against the Brits in TeamOrigin. No race is easy out here. After a long delay, our warning signal was finally given at 1445 with the wind at just 6 knots from the Northeast. We won the race, which is a nice way to start the two week competition.

TeamOrigin had an unfortunate incident in the pre-start, getting a lobster pot caught on their keel. Our helmsman Terry Hutchinson did a good job staying clear of TeamOrigin and the trailing line then putting us right on the line at the favored right hand side. TeamOrigin was about 2 lengths behind us off the line. From there, we sailed a solid race with good crew work keeping the tactics as simple as possible in the rather light conditions.

Onboard today we had a special guest, Leonardo Ferragamo, a passionate sailor himself, and a friend of mine for many years. Leonardo is also the owner of the prestigious company Nautor’s Swan, builders of some of the most beautiful yachts in the world.

Due to the lights winds, we are a bit behind with the schedule at the end of day two with 4 of 23 flights completed. Out in front is Betrand Pace’s team ALEPH with two wins, having beaten both TeamOrigin and America’s Cup holders BMW Oracle Racing. Luna Rossa also had their first race today and beat Mascalzone Latino Audi Team.

There are still many races to go in the first part of Round Robin 1.

Paul

For live race action go to www.artemisracing.com and for complete results go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com

Rome –

The oldest trophy in international sport: re-energised by unprecedented collaboration between the Defender and the Challengers

– New, fair rules and independent professional management will give an equal opportunity to all teams
– A new class of fast, exciting boats created in conjunction with all teams
– The 159 year old competition made irresistible to commercial partners with regular racing in multiple venues under professional, neutral race management
– Transformed television and online coverage will place race fans right at the heart of the action, wherever they are in the world

This was the message today at the first press conference of the 34th America’s Cup, which saw the trophy brought to the home city of the Challenger of Record, the Club Nautico di Roma.

Speaking in the Sala Exedra in Rome’s Musei Capitolini, surrounded by some of Rome’s most precious treasures, Russell Coutts representing the defending Golden Gate Yacht Club and Vincenzo Onorato on behalf of the Challenger of Record, mapped out the future of the America’s Cup.

The press conference webcast was streamed live around the world.

Discussion & debate; consultation & collaboration

“Diktat has been replaced by discussion, confrontation by consultation,” said Coutts, four time winner of the iconic competition.

“Our minds and our ears are open. We are receptive to ideas.”

The opportunity to shape the rules and the design of the new boat has been offered to potential teams.

The management of the on-the-water racing will be controlled by an independent, neutral and professional authority, not the Defender.

New Protocol rules

Yesterday teams received the Protocol used in the 32nd America’s Cup and were asked: “What would you change to make the competition better?”

This document was negotiated by the Golden Gate Yacht Club and produced the successful 2007 America’s Cup. Feedback from the teams will be used to shape a new Protocol for the 34th Match.

The wide-ranging reforms would not have been possible without close co-operation with the other teams – who will be the Defender’s rivals when racing gets underway.

In particular Coutts noted the unprecedented collaboration between the Challenger of Record and Defender: “The task would have been impossible without working in partnership with Vincenzo Onorato.”

Onorato was given the honour of revealing the key decision date targets on behalf of the entire America’s Cup community.

Key dates announced

• – Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup will be issued by 31st August
• – Design rule released by 30th September
• – Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions published by 31 December
• – Venue confirmed by 31st December
• – Challenge Period open from 1st October – 31st January 2011

New thinking on television

A bow-to-stern re-think of the entire television and media output is already underway.

Not only will fans be able to turn-on and tune-in, anytime, on any platform, but they will be made to feel as if they are on-board themselves, right at the heart of the action, alongside the best sailors in the world.

New boat- faster sailing & thrilling racing

The new design rule will be a critical element of building a spectacular event.

Renowned but neutral designers – Bruce Nelson and Peter Melvin – have created two different concepts – a multihull and a monohull.

Teams will sit down this month and discuss which concept to adopt and begin the process to create a design rule.

The requirements of the new America’s Cup Class rule are:

• – It should produce dynamic and close racing
• – It should use advanced, efficient and cost-effective technologies
• – It should be distinctive and epitomize the pinnacle of the sport
• – It should be able to race in any venue in winds from 5-35 knots

The ability to race in all venues and in most wind strengths is vital to make race scheduling reliable for fans and broadcasters.

“Delays kill interest. Even the hard-core fan doesn’t like having to wait for enough wind to race,” said Coutts.

Venue and Year-host cities evaluated

2013 and 2014 were named as the most likely dates for the next Cup.

Sufficient time is needed to evaluate venues and create impressive, efficient infrastructure for the Cup Village.?Coutts confirmed that American sites were not the only ones under consideration. But he noted: “Every candidate city knows that a very strong case has already been put forward by San Francisco.”

Cities in the USA and Europe are under consideration. Highly experienced specialists have been engaged to manage the evaluation process.

Regular racing in multiple locations

Host cities are also being sought for a series of regular racing for Cup teams. This racing will be integrated into the America?s Cup, in a plan developed in conjunction with the World Sailing Teams Association.

Changes welcomed by Cup community

Paul Cayard, six-time America’s Cup competitor and representing not just Sweden’s Artemis but the World Sailing Teams Association, commented on the reform package:

“We believe that the WSTA and its Louis Vuitton Trophy events are exactly the type of activity that needs to be incorporated into the big picture of the America’s Cup.

“With its global venues in important markets, regular calendar of events, tight racing in America’s Cup class boats, equal representation for each team, these events represent great commercial value that the teams can pass along to their sponsors.”

Challenger trials for the challengers & litigation ended

Coutts confirmed that the Defender will not participate in the Challenger trials as the previous Defender had done. And that all litigation from the contentious 33rd America?s Cup was over because of a settlement signed last month with the Swiss.

“That episode is history. Our focus is the future,” Coutts said.

It was a long day of waiting for us today and finally we raced Azzurra for 3rd/4th place. The race was over just as it started. The jury decided we fouled Azzurra on the entry and penalized us. From there we hung close waiting for an opportunity to pass, which we almost did on the final run. It would have been a lot to ask to pass them and get a penalty on them but stranger things have happened. Unfortunately, in the only minor scrap we got into with them, the jury awarded us another penalty.

That was it for us. Hats off to Azzurra. They sailed well.

Still the big picture for Artemis is that it has been a fantastic two weeks of sailing, we beat some very good teams here. The competition is getting very tight and that means all the teams are catching up to Emirates Team New Zealand.

Emirates Team New Zealand had beaten Azzurra in the 3rd and final race of their semi final yesterday and won the first race of the finals against Mascalzone Latino before we raced our match for 3rd and 4th. The best of five finals will continue tomorrow.

For WSTA and the Louis Vuitton Trophy, it has been a very successful two weeks as well. The sailing, much of it on the edge of too much wind, has produced some incredibly spectacular races. Most of the event was held in the shifty Southwesterly breeze which has allowed for lots of lead changes and the short course has meant high impact sailing.

The future is bright and now that America’s Cup 33 is behind us, we can move forward in a collaborative way with the new Defender and Challenger of Record to shape the future.

Paul

For complete results and live streaming of the racing plus other features go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com or http://artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv

Artemis moves into the Semi-Finals

Another good win for Artemis today over the Brits on TeamOrigin. It was another tight race in tricky conditions. Winds were 12-14 knots from the Southwest.

We were on hold for two hours as the winds were absent at 1000 this morning. The race committee informed the competitors that the best of three quarter final was reduced to sudden death as there would not be time to run 6 matches which would have been required had both quarter final matches gone the full three races.

At 1330, conditions were acceptable and the heat was on….win and go forward…lose and go home.

We wanted tight left but Ben Ainsle did a nice job in the prestart and had that spot occupied. He was in a bit of trouble as the wind went even further left in the last 30 seconds prior to the start. Terry Hutchinson was quick to take the race back at them and that got us out of phase and a tacking duel ensued. We kept it close up the first windward leg and trailed by two boat lengths at the top. My strategy was to keep it close and not do anything that had low probability of paying off. Down the run, we gybed first on a nice shift and closed in to round the gate just one length behind.

We rounded the same gate as the Brits which plays to their advantage but the other gate was surely out in more adverse current so again…keep it close.

Up the second windward leg we had to tack away first and TeamOrigin tacked on us the next time we came back. We were forced out toward the worse current but we were on a big left shift. So we rode it out patiently and sure enough a righty filled in. When we met the next time we were just ahead crossing on starboard tack.

Normally in this position, we should have tacked on them and kept to the right as this puts you on starboard tack right of way the next time the boats meet. And I have gotten burned in the first race we had with TeamOrigin two days ago by not following this strategy.

BUT, we were on a big lift as we crossed and it is also important to “stay in phase” with the wind. So I took the risk and played the odds which were in my favor. Fortunately, the wind cooperated and we crossed them the next time but just 1/2 a boat length but with much more speed and on lay line. So we simply sailed with full speed around the mark while they were slow and had to tack to round. We stretched to three lengths ahead there and that was pretty much it.

The made a desperate gybe away from us, we chose not to match them as we stretched into the stronger current, now favorable, and kept it simple…one gybe and in.

We won the race by 30 seconds in the end.

In the other quarter final race, the Italians from Azzurra beat All4One.

At the draw tonight, Emirates Team New Zealand the top ranked semi finalist, got to pick their opponent and they chose Azzurra. That means that we will meet the other Italian Team, Mascalzone Latino.

Racing resumes tomorrow at 1000 and the forecast is for 12-16 knots from the Southwest again.

Paul

For complete results and live streaming of the racing plus other features go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com or http://artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv