[Source: Quebramar GP42 Cup] After an eventful start in Santa Margherita, Italy, the GP42 fleet will now move to Saint-Tropez, France for the second event of the Quebramar GP42 Cup, the Giraglia Rolex Cup, held from June 8th to 10th.

Eight boats, representing eight top-level teams lead by some of the worlds best sailors will be competing off the coast of the famous French port city of Saint Tropez, the first time ever the GP42 class holds a regatta in France. Despite the absence of a French team, many boats will not be racing in uncharted territory, given the presence of many Americas Cup and Olympic French sailors. Read the rest of this entry »

BMW Oracle, the Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup, will hold a presentation tonight at 8pm, local time, in Valencia’s Yacht Club.

Tom Ehman, spokesperson, and Manolo Ruiz de Elvira, designer, will talk to an audience of club members and media.

We still don’t know what these two gentlemen will talk about but if you have any question you would like to be asked, just leave a comment at this post.

We will try to publish online the video of the presentation later on Friday night.
Originaly from Source

The Alinghi White Extreme 40 catamaran capsized in the Lugano lake, where the opening event of the 2008 iShares Cup is taking place.

Alinghi White Extreme 40 capsizes in the opening event of the 2008 iShares Cup. Lugano, 30 May 2008. Video copyright iShares Cup

Alinghi White Extreme 40 capsizes in the opening event of the 2008 iShares Cup. Lugano, 30 May 2008. Photo copyright Vincent Curutchet/DPPI/OC Events
Read the rest of this entry »

[Source: RC 44] With Igor Lah at the helm and James Spithill calling the shots, the Slovenian team had another excellent series on day one of the fleet race event of the RC 44 Austria Cup, taking the lead ahead of Team Aqua and Team Banco Espirito Santo.

Gmunden, May 30, 2008 The specific conditions on Lake Traunsee definitely have an impact on the RC 44 Championship Tour. Some love it, others dont. But at the end of the day, two teams clearly lead the way: Igor Lah Team Ceeref and Chris Bakes Team Aqua, respectively winner and second of the match race event yesterday and clear leaders of the fleet race event after three races. Read the rest of this entry »

It was interesting but it wasn’t what we were expecting or what we would have liked to listen or see. This pretty much sums up Friday night’s presentation by Tom Ehman, head of external affairs, and Manolo Ruiz de Elvira, senior designer, at the premises of Valencia’s yacht club. The two men from America’s Cup Challenger of Record BMW Oracle talked to an audience of around 40 people on the America’s Cup for about an hour and a half, touching almost all aspects of the world’s oldest sports competition, ranging from its history to the most recent legal issues and the current state of affairs of their own team. Read the rest of this entry »

By Pepa Miloucheva
Published: Thu May 29, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

Updated: Thu May 29, 2008 7:14 AM MDT

Pepa Miloucheva is the head coach at the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club. Over the past years she has coached some of the fastest skiers in the country. A World Champion in Ski Orienteering, she is also an experienced Masters coach.

This article isnt about what the right technique is; its about how to get there.

There are many articles about cross-country ski technique. Most are very good, with emphasis on important technique points and drills to help you get there. The problem? Making changes is not easy to do. Im sure all athletes and coaches have experienced frustration when, after trying to change their technique, theyve seen minimal or no results.

Over the past 10 years of working with many athletes including BKL, juniors, seniors and tons of masters I have found that two things really help me accomplish any technique changes.

First: The timing of changes.

With all the talk about improving and changing technique, we have to understand the process of movement. Any movement we do is a neuromuscular relationship. Weve been trying to establish this relationship through the process of learning, and trying to strengthen it through the process of practice, developing a habit, a very strong and efficient neuromuscular relationship, where we can do things with no thinking, no effort and no energy loss. The longer we have been skiing the stronger the habit is, and as we all know, habits are very hard to break.

So the point of making any technique changes comes to this: we must break old habits and develop new ones in their place. To make this process easier, we need to do this when the current neuromuscular relationships are weak. The best time is right at the beginning of the summer season, or the first days on snow. Regardless of how long we have been skiing or how much we have roller skied over the summer, the first few days after a transition are a little shaky. This is because our neuromuscular relationships are weakened; we havent done these exact movements for some months. After a few days on roller skis in the summer, or skis in the winter, all the old habits will be resealed, and changes to technique will be much harder to make. So now is the time to do it! More or less, once fast workouts starts, it will be too late; you will most likely have to wait until the next season, or the beginning of the skiing season, to try to change.

So the first important thing to remember: the moment you get on your roller skis this season, start working on the technique changes you need to make.

Second: Exaggerate the movement or body position you are trying to change.

Most coaches have experienced making a suggestion to their athletes to make some change, seeing little or no response, but getting the answer I did, or it feels weird. Of course change feels unusual and uncomfortable. For example, even a small change in the joint angle we are used to registers with our brain as a huge one. So you have to exaggerate the change and make it feel weird, try to remember it and make it change through repetitions, from uncomfortable to natural. The best tool to help you do this is a video camera. Getting videotaped and seeing it is the most efficient way to convince yourself or your athlete that the unusual feeling at the beginning of the change is right. Most of the time we know what we are supposed to look like we just dont feel it. Even if it doesnt feel right, once youre convinced it looks good, you will be willing to practice and change it.

Keep in mind that the goal is to have good technique when racing, so while working on your technique include a few pick-ups during the workout to be sure that you know what it feels like when going fast.

Good technique allows us to put all the strength and fitness we have been working on for years in the right direction. Dont waste it: use it right and get faster! Read the rest of this entry »

By Mike Trecker
Published: Thu May 29, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

ASPEN, CO The Lost Man Loop on Independence Pass is one of Colorados favorite day hikes and spring ski tours, topping out at an altitude of 12,800 feet high above Aspen. Normally skied by driving to the trailhead as soon as the pass opens, my wife Natalie and I decided to give it a try even though heavy snow has kept Independence closed for another week. To make this adventure happen, we packed up our trusty Madshus Nanosonic skate skis on our Alpina team issue packs and hopped aboard our road bikes for the hour and a half bicycle to the Lower Lost Man trail head.

Once there, we stashed our cycling gear behind some trees at the trailhead and geared up for a long climb to Lost Man saddle at 12,800 feet. The normally reliable freeze at 10,000 feet didnt materialize the night before, and what might have been an easy cruise turned into a wet, dirty slog for most of the day, but we were committed to making the loop over Lost Man and back around to the car. Climbing ever higher, skating became increasingly more difficult and we eventually succumbed, making it to the top with a mixed side step and herringbone technique. But we made it, and for me, this first time out in the big backcountry after years of groomed trails and in-bounds skiing, felt like a great accomplishment. The total beauty was inspiring and the depth of view and steepness of the surrounding slopes brought on a feeling of vertigo. What utter joy to make it.

Over the top we were able to carve some solid turns before we bottomed out in the valley below. Natalie and I spent the next hour and a half figuring out good, downhill, V-1 technique as the snow was impossibly slow. Near the ghost town of Independence, the snow finally gave into the heat and we began to bottom out, we would have to go on foot from there. After a 1.5 mile jog, we finally made it back to the bikes, and after gearing up for the long descent, we were coasting back down to the car. The bonk was starting to set in when we mercifully made it back in just under 8 hours since we had left. Memorial day was truly memorable for us this May, thanks to an epic winter and two of the greatest tools humans have ever invented, the skis and the bike.

Natalie and I also want to take a moment to offer thanks to all the veterans that have helped make this country great and to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Thank you.

Natalie Ward gears up for a long day on the bike and skate skis

Natalie and the author, Mike Trecker pose in front of a waterfall on the

Starting the ski portion at Lower Lost Man

Natalie climbs above tree line

Mike Trecker approaches the top of the climb

Natalie approaches the top

Natalie at the top of Lost Man Loop

The view over Independence Pass from the summitt of the Lost Man Loop

Trecker drops in at 12,800 feet

Nearing the end of our journey at the ghost town of Independence, the

[Source: BMW Oracle] The carbon fiber mast for BMW ORACLE Racing’s new America’s Cup multihull is now under construction at Hall Spars in Bristol, Rhode Island, the team confirmed today.

Located about 20 miles from Newport, the long-time home of the America’s Cup, the Hall facility was a natural choice for undertaking what is a difficult engineering challenge, BMW ORACLE Racing design coordinator, Mike Drummond, said.

“It is a huge challenge to construct such a large mast and to cure the carbon in an autoclave big enough to accommodate this project,” he said. “Based in the USA, Hall Spars have a leading reputation in delivering the high-quality construction we need on this scale. Read the rest of this entry »

[Source: RC44] Six hours to complete an entire Round Robin: the organisers of the Austria Cup have done a great job after yesterdays postponement. Todays races were superb, with 8-15 knots of wind and a great sunshine. Team Ceeref wins the event, ahead of Team Aqua and BMW ORACLE Racing.

Unlike yesterday, the breeze kicked in just after lunch time, allowing the RC 44s to set sail and start their duals. The Race Committee established a very short course next to the beautiful city of Gmunden, allowing the numerous public to follow the races from the shore whilst eating a bratwurst and listening to an expert commentary. Read the rest of this entry »

Published: Tue May 27, 2008 2:00 AM MDT

The following schedule is still tentative and subject to change. According to USSA Nordic Director John Farra, the Canadian team will be racing in West Yellowstone and Bozeman, and top US skiers will travel to Whistler, British Columbia in mid-December. Additionally, the SuperTour will travel to New England in mid-February, splitting up the usual string of races in the mid-west.