A free team-building exercise!

“That was a good team building exercise!” With those words Paul Cayard, skipper of the Swedish boat Artemis summed up their Louis Vuitton Trophy race today with Britain’s TEAMORIGIN, one that was more akin to a bar brawl.

Packed with protest flags, incidents and flogging sails at three marks of a four-leg course, this close-fought duel went ultimately to Artemis and her helmsman Terry Hutchinson on a series of umpire calls.

Asked to explain all that happened, Cayard simply said: “We should have had to pay for that (team building), but luckily the Brits paid for it for us!”

Britain’s skipper Ben Ainslie had attempted to gybe across the Artemis bow coming into the finish, Cayard said. “But it gave us an opportunity to come in and start a bit of a war with them. Terry did a great job managing the war. And then we had a bit on down there with the kite and everybody just got into it and somehow we got the win!”

The race was one of seven packed into a long, incident-filled day of racing on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour that that passed without breakdown, or damage to boats, sails or sailors.

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

Only one match was sailed today here in Auckland before strong, gusty winds took hold of the harbor.

In the only match of the day, the French team Aleph go the better start and forced Team New Zealand out to the right side and into adverse current. The French had a comfortable lead at the first mark and the Kiwis tried a gybe set and tore their gennaker in the process. That was the end of it and the French went on to take the win. That was the Kiwi’s only loss and it proves that any team can beat any other team out here.

All other matches have been postponned until Tuesday, when the forecast is for more moderate winds. Hopefully, we will get the four scheduled matches in, plus the three that were missed today.

To watch the racing live, go to http://artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

Another tough day for Artemis today. In our match against Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, we were penalized for gybing too close in the prestart and this was too heavy of a burden for us to shake off.

With the wind blowing 15-18 knots from the Southwest, we had a fairly even start with the Italians heading right while we went to the left. At the first cross, we were one boat length ahead and we switched right on them to have the power of the right (starboard tack) at the next cross. We led them around the first mark and both boats did a gybe set. We had an ok maneuver while they had a bad one losing the tack of the gennaker. We stretched a bit because of this and had a four boat length lead at the bottom mark. The plan was to stretch it out enough to get the penalty turn done at the finish line. However, up the second windward leg, they actually closed in on us while the two boats sailed right next to each other.

We had to go into an attack mode on the final run, trying to engage them and take them past the finish line. We did not execute a critical gybe and this let them off the hook and the race was over there.

We were a bit upset with the penalty call but that is the way it goes sometimes and you can say that it is better not to put yourself in a situation were the umpires can determine your fate.

In the other matches, Emirates Team New Zealand beat Azzurra, ALL4ONE beat Aleph for the French championship, and TeamOrigin beat Synergy. No major situations to report from any of those matches. No major damage on the racecourse today so it was a good day for the organization.

Scores:
TNZ 5 wins
All4One, Azzurra, Origin and Mascalzone Latino with 3 wins
Artemis with 2 wins
Aleph and Synergy with 0

Tomorrow Artemis takes on the Brits from Team Origin in the second match of the day, following Emirates Team New Zealand vs Aleph (FRA) in the first match. The forecast is still for fairly good winds from the Southwest.

Paul

For photos of the racing and live streaming http://artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

With the day off yesterday, all teams were ready to get back into it today. We had a moderate Southwesterly breeze at 1030 this morning, which built to as much as 23 knots for our match and the last match.

Artemis had a tough race against Azzurra. We called for the right at the start and Terry got it. We worked the shifts and built a 165-meter lead at the first mark. Then it all went sideways. The pole went in the water on the windward side and the kite went in the water to leeward. That was race over for us and a gift to the Italians. That one hurt because if we had beaten them we would have been well set up to get straight into the semis with Team NZ. But it is the round robin and there will be “knock out” races ahead and those are “do or die”.

In the first race of the day, Team NZ beat All4One rather easily, in the second race Origin won the race but there was a collision, which may cost them half a point for damage.

In the final race of the day, Mascalzone Latino and Synergy had a good tussle, but in the end Mascalzone Latino got the win.

Racing continues tomorrow at 1000 and we, Artemis, face Mascalzone Latino in the last match of the day.

Scores:
TNZ 4 wins
Azzurra 3 wins
Artemis, All4One, Mascalzone Latino, Origin with 2 wins
Aleph and Synergy with 0. Aleph had a one point deduction for a collision today with Origin. Aleph is protesting the decision with the jury tonight so there may still be an adjustment to either Aleph’s points or Origin’s points.

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

Paul

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

No racing today on the harbor as the wind speeds hit 25+ knots. The boats had actually taken a bit of a beating on Thursday so it was prudent to give them a thorough check today and avoid damage. Tomorrow’s forecast is for moderately strong wind, but sailable. Sunday was originally supposed to be way too windy but it s coming down a bit so we may be ok.

Artemis faces Azzurra tomorrow in the 3rd match of the day.

Paul

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

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

A Southerly weather change is approaching Auckland so the winds were backing from the West to the South and have strengthened significantly. We finished up as with last match of the day in 18-20 knots of wind from the Southwest. We got another win today, this time off Synergy, the Russian team. It was a tough fight, so good training for the future.

In the first match of the day, Origin had the better of Emirates Team New Zealand on the first windward leg and around the top mark. On the first run, the Brits had a problem getting their jib hoisted and this allowed the Kiwis to take over the lead and the race. This is the second time in a row that the Kiwis have had a bit of luck on their side.

Mascalzone Latino Audi Team got a win today from the French team Aleph and ALL4ONE beat Azzurra to hand them their first loss. Boat handling was a feature in many of the races today.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for more wind, so we may have to hold on the dock. This early in the series the priority is to keep the equipment intact.

Scores
ETNZ 3 wins
Artemis, Azzurra, All4One with 2 wins
Aleph, Mascalzone Latino Audi Team with 1 win
Synergy 0

For complete results or for live streaming of the racing and other features go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

Light winds held the boats at the dock again today with the first start getting off at 1215. The Southwesterly wind filled in nicely at 8-14 knots and we were able to run all the four matches by 1800.

On Artemis we had a better day beating the French team, Aleph by a comfortable margin. The French miss timed their approach to the start and Terry Hutchinson did a nice job of capitalizing on that for us. We then tacked on Aleph all the way up the first windward leg….12 or 14 tacks…by the first mark we had a 5 boat length lead. We stretched form there and won comfortably.

In the other matches, Mascalzone Latino had an excellent start over Emirates Team New Zealand and led at the first windward mark. But a mistake down the first run cost them the lead, then their jib halyard broke and that made things easy for Emirates Team New Zealand.

In the next match, Azzurra and Synergy were even off the start and Azzurra used the starboard tack advantage through 5 or 6 intersections to slowly take the lead at the first mark and they went on to win.

In the other match of the day, the Brits beat ALL4ONE.

So the scores after two flights are:
Team New Zealand and Azzurra with 2 wins
ALL4ONE, Artemis, Aleph and Origin with 1 win
Mascalzone Latino and Synergy with 0 wins.

Early days still!

For live streaming of the racing and other features go to artemisracing.com/pages/lvtv

Paul

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

Light winds held the start of the first match of the day back until 1415. The first two matches were sailed in a light northwesterly wind. At the finish of that second match, the wind did a 180 degree turn and came in from the south at about 5-8 knots for the last two matches.

On Artemis, we were in the third match of the day, so the first one in the southerly wind. We were up against the home team, Emirates Team New Zealand. We wanted the left at the start and our helmsman, Terry Hutchinson did a nice job of getting it for us. The Kiwis lived to windward of us off the line, on starboard tack, but soon the current advantage that we had on the left started working for us and we forced them off to the right. We stretched a bit more to the left and tacked. The Kiwis had a private lift for the first three minutes of the port tack and that ate up our lead. Then the wind shifted 20 degrees right and they tacked and crossed us. Then when the got to our left, the wind went left 25 degrees. Pretty amazing really. Anyway, we reeled them in on the run to round the gate one boat length behind. They tacked immediately to go to the left and this time the left was good and they went on to win easily. Not a lot of fun but that is just one race.

In the other matches, All4One led Mascalzone Latino all the way around the course, Azzurra beat Team Origin after Origin led at the first mark, and in the final race, the French Team Aleph beat the Russian team of Synergy. The Russians controlled the start for 4:45 of the 5 minutes, but just at in the last 10 seconds, a mistake by the Russians in their final approach let the French cross clear ahead on port tack to take the start. Synergy kept it close until the gate when they had some problems dropping their spinnaker and the French got a very comfortable lead.

Tomorrow’s forecast is for a bit better wind, so maybe we will get underway closer to the scheduled 1000 starting time. Artemis is in the final match of the day, the 4th, and we will be racing the French team Aleph.

For complete results or for live streaming of the racing and other features go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com

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Cayard – master of acrobatics in Auckland

Paul Cayard is juggling – fast. In any one day at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland, he could be calling tactics on the capricious waters of the Waitemata Harbour, rallying his crew as skipper of the Swedish team Artemis, or making a decision in the running of the World Sailing Teams Association in his new role as chairman.

And in the bigger picture, the evergreen American hopes he is playing a hand in moulding the future of the world’s oldest sailing prize.

Cayard, 50, seems to be taking it all in his cowboy-like stride. At some point he knows he may have to relinquish some of his responsibilities, but right now, he’s relishing them all. “I need to have some mix,” he says. “But I need a month or two to figure what I’m going to do, what I’m going to let go of. There are a lot of roles that need a lot of attention all of a sudden, and I’m just taking the temperature of all the different projects before I make a decision.”

Sailing still ranks right up there. The former America’s Cup skipper returned to the big boats in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice last November, shooting straight to the top of the mast for the first time in his sailing career, as Artemis’ strategist and windspotter. As tactician in the crew reshuffle for Auckland, Cayard is just enthusiastic back down on deck.

“Sailing these boats again is fairly second nature… but I’m kind of into new experiences. As you get older, you take age-defying actions, but hopefully not too desperately; hopefully nothing that’s ridiculously beyond your abilities.

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Louis Vuitton Trophy-Auckland

The Louis Vuitton Trophy racing begins here in Auckland tomorrow. Eight teams have come to the previous home of the America’s Cup to fight for the Louis Vuitton Trophy which will be awarded on March 21.

Emirates Team New Zealand heads the line up as the host team and winner of the 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

I will be racing with Artemis as tactician, with Terry Hutchinson on the helm. This is our second Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta as a team, the first being in Nice last November. We are looking to improve on our 6th place finish there.

As Dean Barker, skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand said at today’s press conference, “There are no easy races out there.” All eight teams are very qualified, so the racing will be hard fought.

Missing from Nice is BMW Oracle, but justifiably so after winning the America’s Cup just one month ago, they are taking a break but will be back racing with us at the next event in La Maddalena, Italy in May.

With the 33rd America’s Cup now over and the new winner a founding member of the World Sailing Teams Association, there is a very upbeat mood amongst the teams around this event as we expect a very collaborative Defender with which to shape the next America’s Cup including the continued growth of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

The format here in Auckland for the racing is one round robin with each team meeting each team once, a one race knock out that will send two teams to the semi finals and two teams packing. Then a round robin with the four teams in the middle to determine the other two semi finalists, then a two out of three semi final followed by a three out of five final.

We are using two boats here so most likely each team will have one race per day. That would mean 7 days for the round robin. Artemis’ first opponent is Emirates Team NZ in the third match tomorrow.

For complete results or for live streaming of the racing and other features go to www.louisvuittontrophy.com . For more information about Artemis go to www.artemisracing.com .

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