CNEV Annual Regatta

The Alinghi sailing team raced SUI100, the 32nd America’s Cup winning boat, to five wins out of six this weekend in Valencia, winning the AC class trophy of the Trofeo Desafio Espanol, Club Nautico Espanol de Vela’s annual regatta.

This three-day regatta heralds a return to racing for the AC Version 5.0s after a long sojourn ashore and has given the teams some much desired America’s Cup Class racing.

Four America’s Cup Class yachts raced alongside the 80-strong fleet of cruiser-racers fighting for the Trofeo Desafio Espanol in the light autumn conditions off Malvarossa beach that last year saw one of the greatest battles in America’s Cup history between Team New Zealand and Alinghi who won the trophy for a second time. This weekend there was less at stake, but it was no less ferocious, with ex-Alinghi helmsman Peter Holmberg at the helm of Luna Rossa, Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie steering TeamOrigin and Paul Cayard at the helm of Desafio Espanol.

The 12 entered challengers and the Defender meet again this coming week in Geneva to continue discussing the design of the new class and the 33rd America’s Cup.