[Source: BMW Oracle] BMW ORACLE Racing will begin training in Cowes next week in preparation for the highly competitive iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week 2-4 August where the team is fielding two entries Team Spithill and Team Cammas.
Spithill will helm with John Kostecki (USA), tactician/traveler; Dirk de Ridder (NED) trim/grind, and Alan Smith (NZL), trim/grind. Multihull consultant Franck Cammas (FRA) will also helm one of the teams two Extreme 40s. His crew will include Thierry Fouchier (FRA), tactician/traveler; Joe Newton (AUS), trim/grind; and Simeon Tienpont (NED), trim/grind. BMW ORACLE Racing skipper Russell Coutts and design coordinator Mike Drummond (NZL) will be coaching the two crews in Cowes. Read the rest of this entry »
The TP52 yacht sponsored by Spanish bank CAM that sank 3 miles off Valencia’s coast two weeks ago was salvaged on Tuesday afternoon and brought back to the yacht club. We are not aware of the exact condition of the yacht but according to unofficial comments it is “useless” and the owners will not try to repair it.
In the upcoming Copa del Rey CAM will race in the IRC class with a Farr 54 and for the last two events of the AUDI Medcup, in Spain and Portugal, they will try to charter a TP52 boat.
The TP52 CAM is floating again. Valencia, 22 July 2008. Photo copyright CAM
Originaly from Source
[Source: AUDI Medcup] A perfect day for Quantum Racing and a black day for Mean Machine sees the Audi MedCup Circuit leaders take over the lead of the 14th Breitling Regatta off Puerto Portals, Mallorca.
Their best Coastal Race of the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 season so far, winning both sections of todays 34.2 miles passage back and forth across the Bay of Palma not only increased Quantum Racings lead at the top of the Circuit leader board to 23 points of clear daylight, but as erstwhile leaders of the 14th Breitling Regatta Mean Machine had a day they would rather forget, so the American boat also earned a lead of 11 points in the regatta standings.
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[Source: AUDI Medcup] De Ridder and his team sailed to two race wins and a fifth place to share the same overall points tally as Alberto Roemmers Argentinian boat Matador, but by virtue of the tie break it is the 2006 MedCup champions who top the Breitling Regatta leader board after a challenging day reading the shifting, changing breezes off the Mallorcan capital city.
At times the sea breeze was fitful as the oppressive, clammy heat and cloud cover stifled any increase in wind strength and with big wind shifts in direction, and variations in pressure it was not an easy day for the tacticians to decipher.
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Hi all from BlackMatch,
Today was the final day of racing here in Poland and it saw us taking on the World #16 Eric Monin, in a best of 5 final series to see who would be the 2008 Sopot Match Champion. It was a very eventful day and our only loss in the final came in dramatic style when we snapped our mast on our entry to the third race. We eventually took out the final 3-1 providing the large crowd that had gathered on the end of Europe’s longest wharf with some extremely exciting racing.
Adam Minoprio breaks his boat’s mast on the entry to the third race of the Toyota Sopot Match Race final. Sopot, 20 July 2008. Photo copyright Juerg Kaufmann Read the rest of this entry »
Hi all from BlackMatch in Poland,
Today saw the remainder of the top 8 round robin completed and also the semi final stage of the Sopot Match. We had an excellent day, winning the top 8 with 5 wins and two losses and then taking out our semi final 3-0 to qualify for our first ever Grade 1 final.
On completion of the top 8 round robin, the three other teams to proceed through to the semi finals were Keith Swinton, Ian Ainslee and Eric Monin. Surprise omissions from the semi finals were defending champion Peter Wibroe who is the world #8 and also world #7 Torvar Mirsky, one of our losses in the top 8 however was against Torvar. In extremely light conditions the Perth team did an excellent job to get a small advantage off the start line, they sailed extremely well throughout the race to take the victory but unfortunately this was not enough to see them through to the final four as they could only manage 3 wins from their 7 races. Read the rest of this entry »
Hello again from BlackMatch on day 2 of Sopot Match,
After finishing off the remaining races in our round robin today, we had a good day with 5 wins and 1 loss, finishing with a scorecard of 8 wins and 3 losses to currently be lying in second place. Today’s conditions were sunny with a light shifty offshore breeze, however there was the odd rain squall that would bring with it some big gusts that made for some very interesting racing. There are several teams who still have to race tomorrow to finish off their round robins to decide who will be in the top eight and progress through to the quarter final’s, however the team currently topping the table is Keith Swinton from Perth who has a record of 9 wins and 2 losses. Keith has a world ranking of 29 and competed in the event qualifier last week so he is accustomed to the boats and local conditions, his team are sailing very well here but we did manage to get the better of him today as well as getting a very convincing win over their compatriot Torvar Mirsky. Read the rest of this entry »
Published: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:00 AM MDT
Updated: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:27 AM MDT
Robert Douglas and Ilke Van Genechten outpaced the field in the 10km Climb to Mountain Top - the first event in the NENSA Summer Rollerski Series. The pack stayed together for the first several kilometers, spreading out as the grade increased. Winner Douglas broike away from Montana State University skier, Norweighan Anders Folleras on the final climb to take the victory by an impressive 50 seconds. Jessed Downs claimed the third spot, +1:13.
In the women's race, Van Genechten (Madshus) won by an identical 50 second margin, with Alex Jospe (Alpina/CSU)tkaing second. Seventeen year-old Keely Levins finished third, +1:53.
Skiers raced on matched V2 850 rollerskis, making for an equal playing field. Twenty-seven athletes participated, rising to the challenge of hot humid weather and a brutal course climbing mor than 1000 feet.
Full Results
All photos courtesy of Augie Levins
Keely Levins Leading Ilke Van Genechten @ 1K
Jimmy Levins Grabs a Drink
Festivities at the Finish. Refreshments courtesy of Mountain Top Inn.
[Source: BMW Oracle] BMW and ORACLE Racing said today that they were very pleased to announce the renewal of their partnership in BMW ORACLE Racing, as they prepare to compete for the next Americas Cup. The Partnership combines technology and sportsmanship for yachtings top challenge. Read the rest of this entry »
Hi all from BlackMatch,
We are currently competing in the Sopot Match Racing, Grade 1 event. The event is being held on the Baltic Sea in the north of Poland. While during the winter season the water temperature is so cold it ices over, in the summer the weather is stunning and today we had warm sunny conditions with a shifty offshore breeze, providing some exciting racing. There are 12 teams here and some very highly ranked competitors, there are also three local teams that are well accustomed to the boats and the tricky conditions. World #8 Torvar Mirsky is competing here along with world #? Peter Wibroe from Denmark and Stefan Lindberg from Finland who is a world tour regular and world #?. The regatta is being sailed in Diamante 3000 class boats which are well suited to match racing but are difficult to sail with complicated rigs and running backstays. We found today challenging but are happy with our start, after winning 3 races and losing two. Read the rest of this entry »