Americas Cup

April 2, 2007 Since 1851, the America's Cup has transcended the sport of sailing to become a symbol of the pursuit of excellence. For the first 133 years, THE CUP was indeed the America’s Cup, as America had a grasp on the trophy which could not be broken until Ben Lexcen’s winged keel helped Australia II to victory in 1983. Since then the event has become truly global and this year we’ll see the 32nd America's Cup Match between the defender, Alinghi, and a new challenger beginning June 23, 2007. Racing starts tomorrow to begin sorting out who the defender will be and yesterday was an important day – the day when all 12 contenders had to drop the protective skirts that had been guarding the underbodies of their race boats. Although there were no visible breakthrough design innovations on the scale of the fabled winged keel, many observers were astonished by the range of solutions to the same basic design question posed by the America's Cup Class Rule. Pics of all the keels inside. Read More

August 31, 2005 Since 1851, the America’s Cup has transcended the sport of sailing to become a symbol of the pursuit of excellence. So it has been interesting to watch as the lead-up races to the next America’s Cup to be held in 2007 in Valencia, Spain play out. Racing for the 32nd America’s Cup (Valencia) began with a series of Louis Vuitton Acts in 2004. The competition continues in 2005 and 2006, with several more Louis Vuitton Acts in Malmo-Skane (Sweden), Trapani (Sicily), and Valencia, the Host City of the 32nd America’s Cup. Currently, ACT 6, a series of seven days of match racing in Malmo Sweden has just concluded with the Defender, Team Alinghi, clean sweeping (11-0) and maintaining an unbeaten record in the 2005 match racing season under helmsman Jochen Schuemann . Act 7, a series of fleet races over three days begins on Friday. Read More

June 2, 2005 Having established a new transatlantic race record between New York and the Lizard, UK, yesterday morning, the afternoon saw Robert Miller’s Mari-Cha IV making an unexpected 20 knots up the English Channel towards the Needles and the finish line of the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge race. The wind, forecast to drop off, held, and shortly before dusk, in a seascape so misty and overcast that it merged grey sky with grey sea, the high-tech schooner charged past the Needles Fairway buoy to the west of the Isle of Wight to take line honours, as well, in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge. Mari-Cha IV crossed the finish line at 19:18:37 UTC, setting a course time between Ambrose Light (in the U.S.) and the Needles of 10 days, 1 hour, 8 minutes and 37 seconds. This compares with Atlantic’s time of 13 days, 10 hours and 15 minutes in the 1905 race for the Kaiser’s Cup. Up the Channel, in hot pursuit of Mari-Cha IV, was Maximus, the new sloop of New Zealanders Charles Brown and Bill Buckley, who had passed the four-mile long gate off the Lizard at 19:18:37 UTC yesterday (1 June), making it to the Needles finish line at 00:35:08 UTC this morning (2 June), 5 hours 16 minutes and 31 seconds behind Mari-Cha IV. While this was disappointing for the crew, the consolation prize was a handicap win in the Grand-Prix division. Read More