“Today has been a great day for us, with two victories,” said team skipper Max Sirena. “But we want to keep our feet on the ground and look ahead to the next two days. There are still many points to be gained and we need to approach it in the right way.”

While conditions were perfect for racing, with moderate 8-10 knot sea breezes, the challenge came from the narrow, restricted race course, which was shoe-horned into the canal. This forced the boats close together and the crews were obliged to execute an unprecedented number of tacks and gybes as they zigzagged up and down the track.

“The boats are so physically taxing on the guys, it is literally a flogging,” said Kiwi skipper Dean Barker, who agrees that the helmsman has the ‘easy’ job on board. His team sits in fourth place on a tight leaderboard. “You can’t but help but feel sorry for the other guys. At the end of the race their tongues are hanging out and they’re completely spent.”

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Loick Peyron’s Energy Team retained their position at the top of the Fleet Racing leaderboard, but not without some nervous moments. The team was in last place at the first two marks of the second race, before making a spectacular comeback on the next leg of the course to round in second place, a position they protected all the way to the finish, maintaining their consistent finishes to date.

The race course, at its narrowest, was only 140 meters, meaning at times crews would barely have trimmed on a sail before they had to make another manoeuver. But the smaller field of play made for incredible spectator opportunities, with hundreds of boats lining the course, and thousands more taking in the action from the shore.

“The Italian people love sailing, they love the America’s Cup, and they love Luna Rossa,” Sirena said. “It was amazing how many people there were and how many boats we had on the water. And on Saturday there will be even more!”

Today’s Match Racing did not take place as scheduled. The Semi Finals are rescheduled to Saturday, and will take place following the Fleet Races 5 and 6.

News Day 2- 2:44 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbkCNSVC18

Highlights Day 2 – 23:21 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjzDnt1egao

Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Leaderboard (after four races)

1.    Energy Team…35 points
2.    Luna Rossa Swordfish…31 points
3.    Luna Rossa Piranha…29 points
4.    Emirates Team New Zealand…29 points
5.    Team Korea…26 points
6.    ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill…21 points
7.    Artemis Racing…21 points
8.    ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock…16 points
9.    China Team…8 points

Match Racing Championship – Semi Final Results
The winners of the Quarter Finals advanced to the ‘best of three’ Semi Finals after Thursday’s races.

No match races were sailed on Friday.

The losers of the Quarter Final have been assigned final finishing positions (5th to 9th) in the Match Racing Championship as per the Sailing Instructions.

5. Emirates Team New Zealand
6. Team Korea
7. Luna Rossa Swordfish
8. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock
9. China Team

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

© Volvo Ocean Race

After more than six months and thousands of miles of extreme racing, just 17 points split race leaders Telefónica from current form team PUMA in fourth in the overall standings. In between sit Groupama and CAMPER both also vying for the top spot.

© Volvo Ocean Race

With the quest for the Volvo Ocean Race trophy so open, tensions are running high as the crews prepare for Saturday’s PORTMIAMI In-Port Race and the start of Leg 7 across the Atlantic to Lisbon on Sunday.

Heading into the seventh of the 10 in-port races, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand are the team to beat inshore, having notched up 27 points in the in-port series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyeEVEv0XT4

“At the end of the day all this race is about is getting the most points possible and people are going to extraordinary lengths to get any point they can,” said CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson.

“We treat it amazingly seriously and that’s what we’ve done right from the start. It just so happens that it gets highlighted more because we’re getting closer to the finish.

“We’ve been doing well in in-port racing as a whole and as regards a game plan, we’re still going to stick to what we have been doing so far.”

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG trail CAMPER by just a point in the in-port series on 26, with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing on 24.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing skipper Ian Walker said his team enjoyed the in-port racing and having won two of them already in this edition of the race would be up to make it a hat-trick in Miami.

“We enjoy the in-ports and got to do a couple of days practice here,” Walker said.

“One thing these in-port races have shown is it’s all about getting a good start, sailing in clear air and having clean boat handing.

“Every single boat is capable of doing that, it’s just a question of who has their day.”

Inconsistency around the short inshore courses has left Team Telefónica and Groupama sailing team, first and second on the overall leaderboard, with just 18 and 21 in-port points accrued respectively.

Nevertheless, Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez said his team would go into the Miami race full of confidence after several days practising their short course skills during the stopover.

“I think we are very good for the in-port race,” Martínez said. “We have been training quite a lot for it. We have spent time preparing and a lot of time on the water, so now we are feeling very good.

“We have to start well and get good boat speed. Be good around all the marks and we’ll be fine. But that will be the same for everyone.

“We have to make sure we are on the podium. Maybe one of two boats can beat us but that will not make a big difference.”

Despite having claimed his first short course victory in the DHL In-Port Race Itajaí, Groupama skipper Franck Cammas played down the chances of a repeat performance on Saturday.

“Groupama are not the favourites,” Cammas said. “Telefónica and CAMPER are much more consistent. They are the ones who have more chance of earning the much needed points than us.

“But they make mistakes, as they proved in the last in-port race,” he said. “As long as we are close behind them to pick up the points, we will be happy.”

The return of Team Sanya, forced out of Legs 5 and 6 with boat damage, brings the six-boat fleet back up to full strength for the first time in more than six weeks. In contrast to the conservative strategies touted by the other teams, Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson said his crew fully intended to make their presence known.

“For sure, on Saturday we are going to mix it up,” Sanderson said. “We will race fair and we will race clean and if they want to be conservative then that is very much up to them.”

After misfortune struck PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG in Leg 1 when they dismasted, Ken Read’s men have now clawed their way back into overall contention and go into Leg 7 on the back of consecutive leg wins.

Read said the wave of confidence surging through the American team had set them up well for Miami and in good stead for another strong result in the transatlantic Leg 7.

“Just to be back in the game is great,” Read said. “It’s no fun being an afterthought, and it’s taken a lot of work to get out of that status and back into the hunt.

“We have faith in the boat and faith in the crew. Good things usually happen for us. I think we just go out there and keep doing what we are doing.

“We are not focusing on anyone or trying to do anything special. Let’s just get in the top couple in this race and just keep gaining points,” he added.

The PORTMIAMI In-Port Race starts at 1700 UTC )1300 local time) on Saturday, May 19, with Leg 7 starting at the same time on Sunday, May 20.
Lifestream: http://new.livestream.com/volvooceanrace/miamiproam

Leg 7 to Lisbon, Portugal is expected to take around 11 days to complete.

Six points are on offer to the winners of each in-port race, with five for second, four for third and so on down to one point for sixth place.

In the offshore legs, the winners receive 30 points, followed by 25 for second, 20 for third, down to five points for sixth.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

“Look at that! Beautiful weather in Venice, snow on the mountains, and Energy Team at the top of the mountain today,” said an effervescent Peyron following his win. “The team did a tremendous job as usual. We still made mistakes, but a few less mistakes than the others, which is how you win.”

As Peyron indicated, it was beautiful racing weather in Venice on Thursday. The sea breeze was in the 8 to 11 knot range, under crystal clear, sunny skies. Not surprisingly given the conditions, the local spectator fleet was out in force to enjoy the competition.

News Day 1 – 2:52 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqERdsqfXnw

Highlights Day 1 – 23:19 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XqfobslMtI

Full Replay Day 1 – 1:55:02 min

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_2JPLf2NM8

Overall AC World Series leader Jimmy Spithill and his ORACLE TEAM USA crew had a difficult day in the fleet racing Thursday, posting an 8-4 scoreline to sit in seventh place on the leaderboard. Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand, second in the overall Series, wasn’t able to take full advantage, underperforming their own high expectations in fourth place, just three points clear of Spithill.

“It was a lot of little mistakes, and they all just added up,” Spithill lamented. “We’ve just got to sharpen up…”

The local favorites, Luna Rossa, had mixed fortunes on the day. The Piranha team, led by Chris Draper, battled to a sixth place finish on the day. But Paul Campbell-James’ Swordfish crew, with skipper Max Sirena, had two finishes in the top four, and holds down second place.

” A good day. We got the good starts needed and managed to hold on to our position,” Campbell—James said. “Still, we lost one on the last run, both times to Energy Team, but we’re pretty happy.”

To earn his third place position in the Fleet Racing, Team Korea’s Nathan Outteridge sailed a flawless first race to record his first race win in the AC World Series (Outteridge joined the team in Naples). But in the second race he had to fight from behind after a poor start, eventually clawing up to sixth place in race two.

In the opening races of the Match Racing Championship, China Team was eliminated in a one race qualifying match by ORACLE TEAM USA – Bundock. Then, all of the Quarter Final pairings were 2-0 sweeps with Energy Team, Artemis Racing, ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill, and Luna Rossa Piranha advancing to the Semi Finals. The losing teams have been assigned their final finishing positions (below) as per the Sailing Instructions.

Earlier in the morning, the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup was launched at a ceremony just off the iconic St. Mark’s Square in Venice. The new event provides a distinct pathway for young sailors, 19-23 years old, to get the experience they need to become America’s Cup sailors. Racing in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup will take place in San Francisco in the summer of 2013.

Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Results (after two races)

1.    Energy Team…18 points
2.    Luna Rossa Swordfish…16 points
3.    Team Korea…15 points
4.    Emirates Team New Zealand…13 points
5.    Artemis Racing…13 points
6.    Luna Rossa Piranha…12 points
7.    ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill…10 points
8.    ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock…7 points
9.    China Team…4 points

Match Racing Championship – Qualifying and Quarter Final Results

Qualifier 1 – ORACLE TEAM USA – Bundock defeated China Team
QF 1 – ORACLE TEAM USA – Spithill defeated Luna Rossa – Swordfish; 2-0
QF 2 – Luna Rossa – Piranha defeated Team Korea; 2-0
QF 3 – Artemis Racing defeated Emirates Team New Zealand; 2-0
QF 4 – Energy Team defeated ORACLE TEAM USA – Bundock; 2-0

The winners of the Quarter Finals advance to the Semi Finals. The losers are assigned final finishing positions (5th to 9th).

5. Emirates Team New Zealand
6. Team Korea
7. Luna Rossa Swordfish
8. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock
9. China Team

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

This event will have the Classic Sailing Spanish Cup that aspires to become an essential dato in classic sailing calendar and will welcome to the most important classic vessels in the world, leaded by the mythical “Hispania” (1909) whose first owner was HM Alfonso XIII.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zROCfC8FhtE

The “Semana Clásica” it’s part of the conmemorative acts of the second century of the constitution of 1812. A perfect end for the organization of a Week where we will commemorate values from the past, recovering traditions and classicism of the ancient sailing art.

www.fundacionislaebusitana.es | www.semanaclasica.com

The specific “violation of ships traffic” incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero. On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted.

While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew. The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.

Conservationists around the world maintain hope that the Costa Ricans will drop the charges against Captain Watson. There is also a chance that the charges have already been dropped, but Sea Shepherd has been unable to confirm that with the Costa Rican officials. With Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, it would be a travesty for them not to stand up for sharks, which sit at the highest levels of the food chain assuring balance among ecological communities in the ocean.

Content and pictures by www.seashepherd.org

While in jail, Captain Watson is being assisted by the European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove. Our hope is that these two honorable gentlemen can set Captain Watson free before this nonsense goes any further. The European Sea Shepherds have also mobilized to support Captain Watson.

As the plight of the sharks becomes more desperate, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has begun to outline a new shark campaign for 2012.

Julie Andersen, founder of Shark Savers and Shark Angels, has joined Sea Shepherd to lead our global campaign to save sharks from extinction.

“We’ve got all the laws we need to protect sharks. Now we will leverage our resources and expertise to help countries around the globe enforce them. Using Galapagos as a model, we will travel wherever we are needed – enforcing local laws while developing strategies and training locals to defend their sharks, fueling world-wide enforcement efforts.”

Julie Andersen, Shark Campaign Director

To get the actual news about this topic, use TWITTER: http://twitter.com/#!/seashepherd

Claiming victory in the intense round-robin racing was CAMPER, one of three local teams from Florida that included Nico Schultz, Nick Hernandez, Jeff Glosenger and Hannah Steadman.

Children from local sailing schools take part in the Volvo Ocean Race Academy optimist sailing in the Downtown Miami Race Village - IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

Team Telefónica from Fort Lauderdale were second, and Groupama sailing team from New York won the semi-finals to claim third ahead of Team Sanya from Maryland.

Thirty-two of America’s finest sailors aged less than 15 took part in the three-day Team Racing Clinic and racing that was led by ISAF international umpires Chris Atkins and Bill O’Hara.

O’Hara said the up-and-comers were of the highest calibre yet.

“The depth of the talent is the best we’ve seen so far,’’ he said. “The best sailors here are up there with what we’ve seen in other countries, but the overall talent from top to bottom is stronger than anywhere.”

The racing included American optimist champion Ivan Shestopalov. The 12-year-old from Florida reckons he is now better equipped to take on the best at the World Championships in the Dominican Republic in July having sharpened his skills at the training event.

“This is such a strategic sport, you have to take everything into account and use tactics based on the wind direction, the strength and the course,’’ Shestopalov said.

“I’ve not done much teams racing, but this has been great. It’s something that has definitely made me a stronger sailor and should help at the Worlds for sure.’’

Keeping close watch on the young sailors was former Whitbread Round the World Race competitor Christiaan Brakman, whose son Bram was competing.

Brakman said it was great to see his son following in his footsteps and embracing the sport.

“It is great for so many reasons, but not just because it’s good for him to take part in a sport, but because there is a really great social side, which is important too.”

Brakman said a lot had changed since he competed in the 1989-’90 race, when he used to cook fresh bread for the crew.

“The technology then was nowhere near what it is today, and we certainly had a lot more luxuries than they have now,’’ he said.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

“We faltered a little bit early on a gybe, but we did a good job of hitting the reset button,” said Artemis Racing skipper Terry Hutchinson. “And then, it was a little bit a case of being in the right place at the right time. I’d love to claim it was tactical brilliance, but… we got a little puff of wind and that was it.”

Strong winds brought wild conditions to Venice overnight and into Sunday, forcing the Race Committee to postpone racing until 16:00 and abandon the last two races of the Fleet Racing Series. Racing took place in winds between 16-20 knots, presenting a major challenge to the crews as they navigated down the very narrow channel to the finishing line of the historic St. Mark’s Square.

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

With no additional races in the Fleet Racing Series on Sunday, Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa Piranha crew finish on top of that leaderboard following their standout, three win performance on Saturday and win the top prize, with the Swordfish crew and Energy Team also in the money.

“That was really good fun today,” said Swordfish helmsman Paul Campbell-James. “We clocked 27 knots on the speedo, which told us the race today would be pretty quick!

The Arzanà City of Venice Trophy is a prologue regatta, organized by the Compagnia della Vela di Venezia. On this opening weekend of the AC Village, the city has embraced the America’s Cup teams with a tremendous number of spectator boats on the water to follow the races.

“It’s great, it’s amazing,” Hutchinson said. “The America’s Cup and yachting is alive and well in Italy which is really good to see.”

The AC World Series – Venice runs from Thursday May 17 through Sunday May 20. Teams will have Monday off before practice training resumes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Result of distance race to St. Mark’s Square

1.    Artemis Racing… €30,000
2.    Luna Rossa – Piranha
3.    Luna Rossa – Swordfish
4.    ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL
5.    Emirates Team New Zealand
6.    Energy Team
7.    China Team
8.    ORACLE TEAM USA BUNDOCK
9.    Team Korea

Results of the Fleet Racing Series

1.    Luna Rossa – Piranha…27 points… €12,000
2.    Luna Rossa – Swordfish…21 points… €5,000
3.    Energy Team…20 points… €3,000
4.    ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill…19 points
5.    Artemis Racing…16 points
6.    China Team…12 points
7.    Team Korea…11 points
8.    Emirates Team New Zealand…0 points
9.    ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock…0 points

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

After an initial postponement, broadcasted by the Race Committee, the AC45 catamarans docked out at 15.30 from their Arsenale moorings and moved out onto the race course inside the breakwaters.

© PHOTO: © LUNA ROSSA/CARLO BORLENGHI

Due to the cancellation of the two fleet races of today, Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 achieves first (Luna Rossa Piranha) and second (Luna Rossa Swordfish) place thanks to the results obtained in yesterday’s races.

Oracle Team USA Spithill took the lead at the start, followed by Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, whereas the two Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 AC45 catamarans were slightly delayed at the start. Along the course, after the Island of Sant’ Elena, thanks to good tactic calls, Luna Rossa Piranha and Luna Rossa Swordfish gained on their opponents and were able to move to the front of the fleet. In spite of a penalty the crew with Chris Draper – Francesco Bruni – Nick Hutton – Pierluigi de Felice and Dave Carr closed the race in second place behind Artemis Racing. Luna Rossa Swordfish came in third.

On Tuesday May 15th the first official training races of this second America’s Cup World Series 2012 event will take place. The regattas valid for the ACWS circuit will start off on Thursday May 17 (Lido race course) and will continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Bacino San Marco race course).

Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

General Ranking – Long Distance Race

1. Artemis Racing
2. Luna Rossa Piranha
3. Luna Rossa Swordfish
4. ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill
5. Emirates Team New Zealand
6. Energy Team
7. China Team
8. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock
9. Team Korea

General Ranking – Fleet Race

1. Luna Rossa Piranha, 27 pt.
2. Luna Rossa Swordfish, 21 pt.
3. Energy Team, 20 pt.
4. ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill, 19 pt.
5. Artemis Racing, 16 pt.
6. China Team, 12 pt.
7. Team Korea, 11 pt.
8. Emirates Team New Zealand, 0 pt.
9. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock, 0 pt.

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Skipper Mike Sanderson’s boat topped 30 knots boat speed on their “shakedown” sail to Florida, returning the Volvo Ocean Race to full strength for the first time since March.

Sanderson also brought news of a different arrival, announcing that he and his wife Emma were expecting their third child.

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race

Emma was among dozens of family, friends and fans who lined the dock at the Downtown Miami Race Village for Sanya’s arrival at about 1500 local time, 1900 UTC.

Sanderson said that the team had new found confidence in their second generation Volvo Open 70 after repairing a damaged rudder and a 1.5-metre crack in the hull that forced the team to retire from Leg 5.

The four-time Volvo competitor said that the 400 nautical mile sail from Savannah, where repairs were conducted, was the perfect way to “shakedown” the boat and crew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22piAnlNALA

With a week until the PORTMIAMI IN-PORT RACE on May 19, Sanderson said his team would now focus on making up for lost time on the water.

“Sanya’s very much ready to go,’’ he said. “The race sails are on. We used race sails down here and we did all our sail changes as though we were in the race.

“The big disadvantage is we are desperately short of sailing time as a crew. We were short before the race started and now we’ve missed two legs in a row.

“But you know, the fact of the matter is we’re down on race time. We have to manage it as a mix of trying to catch up while the others have forced stoppage, but we also have to be ready to race next weekend.”

Sanderson, the only skipper in the fleet to have previously skippered a Volvo winning boat, said his team were ready to again keep the others honest.

Despite being hampered by damage and repairs Sanderson remains focused on “mixing it with the big boys” and pushing for in-port and leg wins.

“If the weather gods play into our hands and the fleet’s mixed up enough then we’ll certainly sail as tough as we can, so we can be up near the front,’’ he said.

“Someone asked the other day if we’re going to stay out of the way and not mix it up, well that’s up to them and not us. We’re going to win races and win legs, if they want to stay out of our way that’s probably a good idea.”

Sole Chinese crewman “Tiger” Teng Jiang He said he was itching to get back into racing after 50 days on land.

With Sanya now in better shape than every before, Tiger said the crew could now focus on their crew work and achieving their goals.

“It feels good to steer the boat after another big repair on her,’’ he said. “I can’t say she is now a flawless boat, but we do know her better and have more confidence in her that she will help us finish the rest of the race.

“The boat’s now in great shape, which leaves us focusing on how we could improve as a crew and achieve our goals set for the race from the get go.”

Helmsman/trimmer Ryan Houston will rejoin his team, having recovered from a sudden illness that forced him out of the race in Sanya, China.

“I’m much better,” he said. “I thought it was going to take only a couple of weeks but it actually took a month. I’ve been back to the gym running and everything so I’m back in full strenght now.”

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa Piranha dominated the day in extremely light, challenging conditions on the offshore Lido race course, where the wind rarely exceeded 5 knots.

“Today we had some good starts, which is something we’ve been working on,” Draper said. “It was good to put the training into practice. It was great to come through and win the races, but more importantly we learned a lot.”

The afternoon couldn’t have started better for the Italian team when in race one, Paul Campbell-James guided the Swordfish crew to a second place behind Draper, to give the Prada boats a one-two finish.

“We felt pretty good after that first race,” Campbell-James said. “It was light winds all day and pretty shifty, with lots of opportunities to slide up and slide down. It’s been a great day for Chris (Draper) but hopefully we’ll be able to push them tomorrow.”

Over the course of the day the Swordfish crew, with skipper Max Sirena on board, held off Loick Peyron’s Energy Team and Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE TEAM USA to post the most consistent score behind Draper for second place.

Crowds were brisk in the Arsenale, traditionally closed off to the public, on this sunny Saturday, while the race course was ringed by the biggest spectator fleet the crews had seen.

“That was unbelievable. Naples was incredible for the number of people on shore, but the number of boats on the water was ridiculous,” Draper said.

Seven teams were on the water Saturday for the prologue regatta, with ORACLE TEAM USA only fielding one crew on the afternoon and Emirates Team New Zealand forced to remain ashore with damage to their boat.

But ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock is expected to race on Sunday as are the Kiwis, meaning nine boats are expected to be on the starting line for the first start at 1400 CEST.

Two more fleet races are scheduled Sunday, followed by a final race between a starting line offshore to a finish just of St. Mark’s Square, right in the heart of Venice.

(Provisional) Results after three races

1.    Luna Rossa – Piranha…27 points
2.    Luna Rossa – Swordfish…21 points
3.    Energy Team…20 points
4.    ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill…19 points
5.    Artemis Racing…16 points
6.    China Team…12 points
7.    Team Korea…11 points
8.    Emirates Team New Zealand…0 points
9.    ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock…0 points

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race - Team Telefonica skipper Iker Martinez from Spain, with his son after finishing leg 6 from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA,

Martínez´s men won the first three offshore legs and two of the first four in-port races but their recent form has not been quite so commanding and their lead is down to 11 points over seocnd-placed Groupama, with CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (15 points) and PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG (17) also lurking dangerously.

“The result of Leg 6 wasn’t good for us, you can’t deny that,” Martínez said. “But it’s also true, if you want to look at it positively, that it could have been a lot worse.

“There was a point when things were getting pretty chaotic and Groupama could have won the leg and we could have come fourth, which would have meant losing the lead overall. That would have been a major blow.

“You have to be realistic — anything can happen — but we remain in the lead, the team is good and so is the boat and we have a a good chance. In fact, we’re in a situation everyone else would love to be in, which is being top with a few points to spare. Without any doubt, that’s a privileged position.”

Once the race is over, Martínez and his team mate Xabi Fernández will bid for a third medal at the Olympics after winning Gold in 2000 and silver in 2004. Martínez will draw on all his Olympic experience now to try to see his team over the line.

“The finish is getting closer and closer and now is the time for us to push,” said Martínez. “It’s the moment of truth.

“It’s like getting to the final race in the Olympic Games and you have to win it to take gold. You have to do your absolute best, display all your talent and win — finish things off. We’re reaching that moment now, with the race coming to an end, and we have to come out and beat everyone else. It’s as simple as that.”

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

America’s Cup racing returns to the United States next month when the AC World Series brings nine of the top sailing crews in the world to Newport, R.I. The American team, ORACLE TEAM USA, currently leads the AC World Series by one point and so the final stop on the 2011-12 AC World Series circuit will determine the overall winner of the first-ever season.

“The championship has been extremely close since the first event in Portugal last summer,” said Jimmy Spithill, skipper of ORACLE TEAM USA. “I won’t be surprised to see it come down to the final race, on the final day in Newport. And that’s the way it should be.”

Newport will host a festival of sailing from June 23 to July 1, culminating with the AC World Series running from Tuesday, June 26 through Sunday, July 1. The series will climax on the final Sunday, when both the event and season champion will be crowned. The final race day will air live, nationwide, on NBC.

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

The AC Village will be located at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, the shoreside hub of the event. Visitors will experience a unique view of the team bases – the ‘pit row’ – where the 45-foot catamarans with their 70-foot fixed wing-sails will be launched each day. The AC Village will offer a fantastic vantage point for spectators, with racing unfolding just yards offshore in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay.

Fans will enjoy a live race feed with commentary, as well as a Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Napa Valley Vintners wine lounge, multiple concessions featuring the best of the local Rhode Island food scene, the PUMA store, and the Teams Store. The Exploration Zone, with interactive exhibits from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography and the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project partners, will give visitors an appreciation of the marine environment.

General admission tickets to the AC Village in Fort Adams State Park during race days (June 28 – July 1) are $10 per person per day, with children aged 12 and under free. No tickets are required from June 23 – 27. Tickets are available online at http://americascup.frontgatetickets.com and at the Newport Gateway Visitor’s Center. The AC Village opens at 11am each day, closing at 5pm (7pm on race days).

“Rhode Island has been working hard to prepare Fort Adams for high-performance sailing events and other acclaimed Newport attractions such as the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals,” said Governor Lincoln D. Chafee “Infrastructure improvements at Fort Adams State Park will showcase the spectacular natural assets of Narragansett Bay – assets that have made Newport one of the world’s most renowned sailing centers. Inside Fort Adams spectators can experience a number of activities including the Ocean Exploration Center, sailing education programs, and a racing center.”

To purchase tickets, go to: http://americascup.frontgatetickets.com

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

RACE COURSE CHART by Rolex (click to enlarge)

In contrast to last year’s inaugural event when one race took place, three segments will be contested, commencing in the form of a day’s inshore racing on Saturday 19 May in Gaeta, a seaport on the Italian mainland located approximately halfway between Rome and Naples. During the second segment, beginning on Sunday 20 May, the fleet tackle Leg One of the 400-nautical mile offshore race, a 100-nautical mile voyage from Gaeta to Capri through the Pontine Islands. On arriving in Capri, the fleet will berth on the island for the night of Monday 21 May before attacking the most arduous segment of the week the following day. A 300-nautical mile adventure around the volcanic, UNESCO-protected Aeolian Islands awaits. The overall winner of this last section will take the plaudits at the finish line back in Capri, receiving the coveted Rolex Trophy and timepiece during the traditional Rolex party at the iconic La Canzone del Mare.

WILD JOE (HUN), Owner: CHEMIMPEX INT LTD., Model: RP CUSTOM 60, LOA: 18,57 M. APPROCHES STROMBOLICCHIO - Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

An intriguing contest is ahead. Of the 22 registered entrants, 11 different nationalities are represented. The bulk of the fleet is formed of Mini Maxis (yachts measuring 18.29-24.08 metres in length). Nine of the 13 crews that took part in last year’s inaugural race have committed to return: the rise in the size of the fleet and high volume of returning crews proves the race is an enticing prospect.

Of the larger yachts, Filip Balcaen’s 112-ft Nilaya (BEL), launched last year, will be amongst the most eye-catching craft. With experienced tactician Bouwe Bekking calling the shots the crew impressed in winning the Supermaxi class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2011. Close competition is guaranteed in the shape of Claus-Peter Offen’s 100-ft Wally Y3K (GER), winner of its category for three straight years at the same event, in the hands of a honed and savvy crew who have enjoyed sustained success for over a decade.

Not only is Offen owner and skipper of Y3K, he also acts as President of the International Maxi Association (IMA), the event organisers, and is therefore particularly enthusiastic about the event.

“In terms of the environment, the race course takes us to one of the most enthralling sailing areas in the world,” he explains. “We are all looking forward to this event and finishing in Capri will be very exciting.”

“Wherever we are competing in the Mediterranean there is tremendous competition. The Rolex Volcano Race will be no exception,” continues Offen. “I expect rather light to moderate winds. Under these conditions tactical decisions will play an important role – as will a little bit of luck. This race takes us through the night with tricky, thermal wind conditions resulting from the changing land and sea breezes. A big lead can turn into a big loss in no time. You have to be cool and patient.”

As is form at an IMA event, there will be a significant presence of Swan yachts. Six are set to feature. One of these is returning entrant, Danilo Salsi’s DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA), a consistent Swan 90 and another class winner at last year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and sure to benefit from the experience of the 2011 race when she was the closest rival to eventual winners Alegre (GBR). The array of international crews also features Armeigin 3 (POR), Arobas (FRA),Bronenosec (RUS), Caol Ila (USA), E1 (AUT), Jethou (GBR), Vertical Smile (DEN) and Wild Joe(HUN). Twelve Italian crews complete the roster including Ernesto Gismondi’s Wally 65 Edimetra, a regular on the Rolex sailing circuit, and Marco Rodolfi’s elegant Swan 80 Berenice Bis featuring a crew that performed both at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2011.

A fascinating contest is in store, comprising a finely-matched, balanced fleet with navigators and tacticians – including former America’s Cup sailors of the calibre of Brad Butterworth, Tommaso Chieffi and Tiziano Nava – currently preparing in earnest for the various meteorological challenges that await them when negotiating Europe’s most volcanic region.

In 2011, a new offshore sailing event was created: the Rolex Volcano Race. This 400-nautical mile offshore race for monohull Maxi yachts forms part of the Rolex Capri Sailing Week. The two-legged race starts in Gaeta, just north of Naples, and following an overnight stopover in Capri, takes the fleet around two magnificent archipelagos in the central and southern Tyrrhenian Sea � the Pontine Islands and the Aeolian Islands, including the active volcano of Stromboli � before returning to Capri.

Rolex Volcano Race Gaeta-Aeolian Islands-Capri, May 18-25, 2012
Photos: Rolex – Carlo Borlenghi, Daniel Forster

Articles about the Rolex Volcano Race

Race Start - Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

The entry list for the Giraglia Rolex Cup offshore race shows some notable returnees to a challenge that requires resolute determination to successfully counter the vagaries of the wind, the fierce competition within an anticipated 200-boat fleet, and, the twists and tactical conundrums presented by the racecourse.

JETHOU, Sail n: GBR 74R, Owner: SIR PETER OGDEN, Boat Type: Mini Maxi rounding Giraglia Rock - Photo By: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Dominique Heyraud and the 37-foot Foxy Lady (FRA) are back to defend the unexpected title secured last year. At the realisation of having beaten bigger and faster rivals to the main prize, Heyraud expressed delight and surprise in equal measure,

“We thought we could be well placed, but never thought we could win. It’s absolutely a great feeling… it is a very prestigious race that counts a lot in the Mediterranean.”

Igor Simcic’s 100-foot Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) is also on the prowl, led once again by Olympic medallist Jochen Schümann with a pan-European crew keen to match Alfa Romeo 2’s (Esimit Europa 2’s former guise) record of three line honours victories in a row. According to Simcic,

“over the winter we made significant technical improvements to the electronic and hydraulic systems, and, initial training outings have shown both the yacht and crew to be very well-prepared.”

The last time the offshore element of the Giraglia Rolex Cup finished in Sanremo in 2010 it was a big-boat race with the Mini Maxi Shockwave taking the overall win. Along with Esimit Europa 2,several other maxis have entered the 2012 contest, including Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou (GBR), Gerard Logel’s @robas (FRA) and Ägyd Pengg’s E1 (AUT).

With recent years favouring either the biggest or smallest contenders, the middle of the fleet will surely be hoping that conditions this year split the difference between large and small. Franck Noëland his well-campaigned 52-foot Near Miss (SUI) is one such entry. Noël has prior form. In 2010, he almost upset the apple cart with his then forty-footer, eventually finishing in a top ten dominated by maxis.

There are always newcomers on the start list, but few will match the pedigree of the 40-foot Artie(MLT), owned by Lee Satariano and co-skippered by Christian Ripard. In their previous competitive offshore outing the combination were the first Maltese in ten years to win the hugely demanding 606-nm Rolex Middle Sea Race. This is Satariano’s first venture away from home waters, something he is looking forward to,

“it will be a great challenge, but we’re all up for it. The most important characteristic we possess is a motivated crew. After that consistency is a major factor, as is good preparation.”

Whatever their hopes and aspirations, all crews will be looking forward with great anticipation to this Mediterranean institution sponsored by Rolex since 1997. With European protagonists forming the bulk of the fleet and the UEFA Euro 2012 Championship kicking off on 8 June, the pre-race atmosphere in Saint-Tropez may be a little more tangible and tense than usual.

2011 Giraglia Rolex Cup programme

• Friday 8 June:               Prologue race from Sanremo to Saint-Tropez
• Saturday 9 June:          Registration and inspection
• Sunday 10 June:          Inshore Race(s)
• Monday 11 June:          Inshore Race(s),  Rolex Crew Party at La Citadelle
• Tuesday 12 June:         Inshore Race(s),  Inshore Races prizegiving, Saint-Tropez
• Wednesday 13 June:   Offshore race start - 241-nm Saint-Tropez – La Fourmigue – La Giraglia – Sanremo
• Thursday 14 to Friday 15 June: Arrival of participants, Sanremo
• Friday 15 June:              Final prizegiving, Yacht Club Sanremo

The 60th Giraglia Rolex Cup is organized by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Yacht Club de France, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez and the Yacht Club Sanremo. The event is run under the supervision of the Federazione Italiana Vela, the Fédération Française de Voile. The 2012 Giraglia Rolex Cup will be 60th anniversary of the event and the 16th edition to be sponsored by Rolex, which has been a partner of the event since 1997. The 60th Giraglia Rolex Cup comprises a serie of inshore races in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, followed by a 241nm offshore race via La Giraglia islet, off Corsica, to Sanremo in Italy.

Giraglia Rolex Cup ST.TROPEZ, FRANCE / SAN REMO, ITALY JUNE 8 – 15, 2012
Photos: Rolex – Carlo Borlenghi, Daniel Forster

Articles about the Rolex Giraglia Cup

Links: societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr | yachtclubitaliano.it
Regatta Page: www.giragliarolexcup.com

IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

It’s the third time PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG have won the award, sponsored by the Volvo Ocean Race’s official timekeeper IWC Schaffhausen and given to the team which sails the furthest distance in 24 hours during each leg.

PUMA set the winning distance in Leg 6 on May 3 as the fleet blasted along east of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands.

They also won the prize in Leg 3 for their run of 358 miles and on Leg 4 when they covered 528 miles.

On Leg 6, runners up CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand were PUMA’s closest challengers for the IWC Schaffhausen Speed Record Challenge trophy with a 24-hour run of 507 miles, with Groupama sailing team in third with 503.

The overall greatest 24-hour distance over the entire eight months of the race will land all 11 members of the winning crew with an IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition ‘Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12’.

CAMPER currently top the overall leaderboard with their score of 553 miles, set during Leg 1 from Alicante, Spain, to Cape Town, South Africa.

Ericsson 4 set the world record for the fastest distance sailed in a 24-hour period in the 2008-09 race with a run of 596 miles.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuAzGGBXcaE

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, skippered by Ken Read from the USA, celebrate finishing first - IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG

Skipper Ken Read:

“It’s spectacular, unbelievable. If it wasn’t such a grand stage that we have to concentrate on – this race – I could say this is one of the better moments of my sailing career. But we have to enjoy this now and then we have to think about the bigger picture. The way things are stacking up maybe the big picture isn’t so out of reach.

“Why not us? That’s kinda been our motto for a while now. Why can’t we pull this off? This was a hard leg mentally and no-one breaks, that’s the best thing about this crew. No-one cracks, there’s not a single moment where someone questions what we’re doing and it’s so much fun to sail that way. It makes Tom Addis’s job and my job so much easier.”

Rome Kirby:

“It’s fantastic, I’m psyched to be home. I have friends and family on the dock, so it’s nice. That leg was everything. It was actually really nice sailing for a lot of it, which was a first for us, but it was frustrating, really light air sailing too, everyone ripping up behind us. But no, it was good.

“We knew they were coming the whole time. They obviously pushed really hard, they were side by side all the time, but we did it with Telefónica last time so we were prepared.

“This is great, coming into the U.S. in first. You can’t beat it.”

Shannon Falcone:

“Joining for that leg the team, who won the Leg 5, I was convinced that we had to win again or I would consider that I was the problem.

“At the end we did a good job, we were always very close from CAMPER and Telefónica, always with the pressure on, but the guys did a great job.”

Tom Addis:

“We’ve got a fast boat and a fast crew. We’ve got good boat speed and our decision-making the last couple of legs has been really good. It was really good on the first leg until the mast fell over and it just took a while to build momentum again. We had short stopovers because of that and it was difficult to build momentum but we’re back up to speed again.

“This leg will be interesting because I think the top four places are fully reversed. The effect of that is just to compress everything up. I don’t know exactly how the numbers stack up but there will be compression at the top, so that’s a good thing.”

CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand

Skipper Chris Nicholson:

“I’m feeling pretty good to be honest with you. We did everything we could with PUMA. I think they sailed a brilliant leg but I think we sailed a very good leg as well. To have beaten us took quite an effort from them. I’m quite happy – it was a pretty clear first and second in this race and it’s been like that really for a large portion of the race.

“We got close to taking the lead several times, certainly in the fast running days and even in the light conditions over the last few days. There were still opportunities right up to the end. I’m fairly sure they’d be of the opinion that it was never in the bank.

“We’ve been trying to tell you guys all along that this race is going to be close. I think it’s going to be amazingly tight by the time we get to Europe. Hopefully it will be a pretty tough transatlantic leg and then hopefully we’re in good shape for the rest of the legs through Europe.”

Navigator Will Oxley:

PUMA sailed a very good race, they deserved to win. But we were there all the way and made it interesting for them. Most importantly the boats that are ahead of us on the leaderboard are behind us on the water.

You can only do the best that you can do. Some races you finish first and think ‘oh yeah we were pretty lucky’, or you finish second and you think you’re pretty lucky, but we finished second and we sailed a really good race. First would have been better but we deserved to be in the top two for sure.

I don’t think there was any one thing that was critical. They were happening every day unfortunately on this race track. There were 50 places where it could have gone wrong.

It was a bit shallow at times, we kept the boat over at times, and it was very shallow. To be fair, we’d done all the research on that move before the race started. We’d planned to go through there, it was a calculated move, it wasn’t spur of the moment.

I didn’t get a lot (of sleep). I probably got 20 minutes last night. It’s been a while since I’ve had a sleep.

It’s very close. It’s not over till the end, and it will end up being decided in Galway.

Bowman Daryl Wislang:

“It was a tough, tough leg. We just had to push and push the whole way. It was really frustrating at times, other times it was just awesome sailing, great conditions and the guys on the boat just did an awesome job. A really, really good job.

“I think we probably could have stuck a little bit closer, but at the end of the day we did what we did. We were neck and neck for days and days and days with Telefónica and PUMA. PUMA just got a little slip on us, coming around the top of South America. We got back up to eight miles again, but they were just that one transition zone further ahead. They’d extend and we’d catch up again, so it was a real rubber band race.

“Coming in here we were never going to give up, right until PUMA finished we were still pushing as hard as we have been for the whole thing.

“It was a lot of light wind sailing, in the light the small things can make a lot of difference and that’s when you have to really concentrate. It was very mentally challenging, certainly Will and Nico are very tired, it’s been a very stressful leg for them.

“It’s anyone’s game, and I think everyone knows that.”

Team Telefonica:

Skipper Iker Martinez:

“It was an interesting leg. It wasn’t a good result, we’re not happy at all. It was the first time we did an offshore leg and get a result. We knew this would happen at some point and it happened in Leg 6. We’re happy because it’s one more leg and because we’re going to keep pushing hard. We didn’t manage the situation with these leg wins very well and we’ve paid a big price. But that’s it, we’ve finished, and now we have to think about the future.”

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

“Just under 30 miles left in the leg for us aboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam,” wrote American Media Crew Member (MCM) Nick Dana in his final report from the boat on this leg.

“We just tacked several hundred metres off Fort Lauderdale beach and are now heading south to the finish in Miami,” Dana said. “The entire crew is awake and staring at the glow of civilization.

“Some are hungry and continue to eat freeze dried, while others have different food on their mind already and are holding out.”

Bowman Wade Morgan said the Emirati team’s crossing of the Gulf Stream had been uneventful but had left them well north of Miami when they reached the American coast.

“The breeze has died down considerable since we reached the other side,” he said. “The moon is out and we are having a nice sail down the coast to Miami. I’m very happy to be arriving in America”

“I haven’t been back here for a while, but I do very much enjoy Miami and look forward to spending a nice week off here,” said watch captain Rob Greenhalgh.

Dana said despite finishing in last place on this leg, the crew were determined to make a comeback in the in-port racing in Miami and would be looking for a better result on Leg 7, an Atlantic crossing from Miami to Lisbon, Portugal.

“We are all back at work on Tuesday and will be determined to change our luck in the next leg across the Atlantic. Until then, we will all enjoy some nice R & R in the land of the free,” Dana said.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are expected to cross the finish line around 0800 UTC (0200 local time Miami).

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

© GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Friday May 11 at 6.30pm at the Centro Sportivo d’Eccellenza on S. Giorgio island, Russell Coutts will talk about the innovations in this edition of the Cup.

Principal Race Officer John Craig will also take part in the conference.

The 34th America´s Cup consists of three main stages – the America´s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America´s Cup Finals.
America´s Cup World Series
Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of practice and championship racing, with additional practice sailing on-site ahead of each event.
America’s Cup World Series – Cascais, Portugal – 06.-14.08.2011 (ACWS Cascais)
America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth, UK – 10.-18.09.2011 (ACWS Plymouth)
America’s Cup World Series – San Diego USA – 12.-20.11.2011 (ACWS San Diego)
America’s Cup World Series – Naples, Italy – 07.-15.04.2012 (ACWS Naples)
America’s Cup World Series – Venice, Italy – 12.-20.05.2012 (ACWS Venice)
America’s Cup World Series – Newport, Rhode Island, USA – 23.06. – 01.07.2012 (ACWS Newport)
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 21.08. – 26.08.2012
America’s Cup World Series – San Francisco, USA – 04.10. – 07.10.2012 (during San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week)

Articles about the AC World Series.

Video´s about AC Uncovered Episode´s picks up.

Articles about AC Healthy Ocean Project.

Source: americascup.com | Photos © GILLES MARTIN-RAGET / ACEA

Read’s men crossed the Miami finish line at 1414 local time, 1814 UTC, with a lead of around five nautical miles over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, who gave them a real scare over a fraught final 24 hours and at one point closed to within just 0.6 nm.

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, skippered by Ken Read from the USA, take first place, on leg 6 from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA - IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

CAMPER crossed the finish line for second place just over an hour later,

PUMA’s valiant defence of their long-held lead, which they lost just briefly to CAMPER early in the 4,800 nm race from Itajaí, Brazil, has earned them 30 points and confirms them ass serious trophy contenders with 147 overall.

“This is unbelievable,’’ Read said just minutes after crossing the line in the company of about 100 spectator boats. “It’s great to be back in the United States, actually we’ve been to Miami before in this boat, so this marks our complete circumnavigation.

“It was touch and go, the guys on CAMPER sailed very well, but I couldn’t be more proud of our team, they did an unbelievably great job.”

It is the fourth podum finish in six legs for PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG and confirms a major fightback since the team’s devastating retirement from Leg 1 with a broken mast.

Leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG pass the Great Isaac Light on the home stretch of leg 6 from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA - IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

CAMPER’s second place earned them 25 points, taking their total to 149 points.

Skipper Chris Nicholson complimented his competitors on a hard fought victory against his team who are gaining form ahead of Leg 7.

“It’s been a long leg and PUMA have sailed very nicely, they have defended very well, but I think we have attacked well too,’’ he said. “I’m pretty happy with how it’s gone. We’re in better shape now for the next leg.”

The finish marks a major shift on the overall race leader board that threatens Team Telefónica’s grip, with their 16-point lead set to decrease by at least one, but potentially five points.

The Spanish team are still on the race track tussling with Groupama sailing team for the remaining podium finish, with an ETA of 0300 UTC. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are expected at about 0800 UTC on Thursday.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events

PUMA rounded the final waypoint before the finish — the Great Isaac Light — at 1240 UTC with their lead over the chasing CAMPER at around 12.5 nautical miles.

Leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG pass the Great Isaac Light on the home stretch of leg 6 from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA - IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

By 1400 UTC the lead was just 0.3 nm after PUMA’s decision to head south to be better placed for a current that is pushing the boats towards the north.

CAMPER navigator Will Oxley said this morning that the Gulf Stream and the potential for thunderstorms on the approach to Miami could still give them a chance and PUMA’s move signals just how seriously they are taking that threat.

“They have sailed extremely well to date, but we have had quite a few close finishes in this race so far,” said Oxley.

“You never say never and there are few navigational hazards along the way — the Gulf Stream, some thunderstorm activity this afternoon and the final approach the Miami –  which could all turn the race on its head.

“Assuming we can keep it together, it looks like it will be between us and PUMA.”

Oxley said he was hoping the warm waters of the Gulf Stream would throw up some weather anomalies to enable CAMPER to challenge PUMA before the finish.

“They are in a good position at the moment and if we go straight in they are going to be very difficult to get past,” he said “If it slows up on the way to Miami then we will get the compression which we have seen on a number of previous finishes.

“If it does get light and funky at the end, with thunderstorms, then 17 miles will mean not much.”

Oxley said there could be options to try a split from PUMA across the Gulf Stream which flows north at up to four knots, but expected the American crew to be covering them hard.

“Traditionally you would come around the final waypoint and hold high to the south, so that when you cross the Gulf Stream you have some distance that you can get swept north,” Oxley said.

Oxley said the other option would be to cross the Gulf Stream fast and get beyond it and then play the shore line to the finish.

“They are not dummies on PUMA though,” Oxley said with a dry laugh. “You might have noticed we have been trying a few things to get past them and they have done a great job of covering those moves. I imagine they will do the same thing through the Gulf Stream.”

Up in the lead, PUMA skipper Ken Read said the American crew had spotted lightning flashes on the horizon.

“We have thunderstorm activity ahead of us right now,” he said this morning — adding drily: “Of course we do — I mean, we wouldn’t have it any other way, would we?

“It could be anything, it could be sheet lightning, we don’t know yet, we will have to wait and see. It’s another 60 miles yet and we will deal with it when we get there.”

Read said it had felt good to stretch out on CAMPER after nearly losing their lead around Eleuthera.

“Since then we have been getting into the breeze first and pulling away a bit,” he said. “But we will accordion back together a bit when we reach the final waypoint and start to sail slower angles — and against four knots of current.

“So that is another door ahead that needs to be shut and will slow us down and take a chunk out of our lead.

Read said there would be no chance to relax in final 100 nm of Leg 6, particularly given the volatile nature of the localized weather around the Gulf Stream.

“If the breeze stays like it is at the moment or something like it then it should be a case of straight to Miami and just negotiate the current,” he said.

“But the thing about the Gulf Stream is that it creates its own weather system. So nine times out of 10, what you see before it or after it has nothing to do with what is in it, as far as weather is concerned.

“So you can’t really deal with it until you get there. It is never the same twice and that’s for sure,” Read said.

At 1400 UTC third placed Groupama held a narrow 12 nm advantage over Telefónica in fourth.

Abu Dhabi remained in fifth, 170 nm off the lead.

The leading boat is expected to cross the finish line around 1700 UTC today.

Race fans can follow the action now via the ‘Live’ Tracker on volvooceanrace.com Just click the RACE DATA tab, select tracker and then press the ‘Live’ button on the left of the menu bar. Positions are updated every 60 seconds.

Articles about the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
Leg 1. | Leg 2. | Leg 3.

Articles about the Youth Academy.

Articles about Legends Regatta.

Want to be on a Spectator Yacht? Just send us an Email.

Amazing Episodes from the Race 2008-09 / Videos.

Source: http://volvooceanrace.com

The VENUES of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12:
The 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race will start with the In-Port Race on 29 October in Alicante, Spain and the route will go to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland and on to Itajaí. Next stop is Miami and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon followed by Lorient and Galway.

1 Alicante 2 Cape Town 3 Abu Dhabi 4 Sanya 5 Auckland

6 Itajaí 7 Miami 8 Lisbon 9 Lorient 10 Galway

The Miami Race Village MAP and the Schedule of Events