Naples America’s Cup World Series 2012 Brief

Naples America’s Cup World Series 2012 Luxury Yacht Charter & Superyacht News

Naples America’s Cup World Series, April 16 – 21, 2013

November 13, 2012

Naples in Italy will once again host the best sailors in the world for the first America’s Cup World Series event of 2013 that will take place from April 16-21.

Naples ACWS 2012

Naples ACWS 2012© 2012 ACEA/ Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Naples originally hosted the America’s Cup World Series in April 2012, drawing over 500,000 spectators on site, with the racing on the water highlighted by a spectacular debut from the Italian Luna Rossa Challenge team, who won the fleet racing and finished in second place in the match racing.

“We are very happy to be returning to Naples for our only event in Europe in 2013,” said Stephen Barclay, the CEO of the 34th America’s Cup. “The people of Naples turned out in force to celebrate the America’s Cup and the Luna Rossa team in 2012 and we anticipate even more enthusiasm for the 2013 edition.”

Luna Rossa Team competing in the Naples ACWS 2012

Luna Rossa Team during the Naples ACWS 2012© Guilain GRENIER / ORACLE TEAM USA

“We have worked hard alongside our partners to ensure the city will host the America’s Cup World Series again,” said Mario Hubler, the CEO of ACN, the administrative body charged with securing and running the event. “Now we have to roll up our sleeves and, in collaboration with the America’s Cup organizers, ensure that the races of 2013 will be an even greater success than those of last April.”

The America’s Cup World Series features up to 11 of the top sailing teams in the world, racing on cutting-edge, wingsail catamarans that demand the best from the crews. The competition takes place extremely close to shore, on short, confined racecourses, making for dramatic race action for spectators and sailors alike.

ORACLE TEAM USA, the home team in the United States, charged with defending the America’s Cup in 2013, is currently leading the 2012-13 series.

Following the April event in Naples, Italy, the 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series will culminate with two events in the USA at the end of May. Full details of the American events will be released shortly.

Reflections on Naples AC World Series

April 20, 2012

With the AC World Series in Naples just finished and the next race in Venice starting in a month, this period gives a good possibility to take a breath and reflect on what happened during the past week.

AC fans gathered to greet their heroes

AC fans gathered to greet their heroes - Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget

Quite simply, the AC World Series hit a new level in Naples. On and off the water.

On the water, the racing was phenomenal. There were nine crews competing, the same as in the first three events, but the addition of the two Luna Rossa crews raised the competitive bar considerably. Clearly, Chris Draper and his Luna Rossa Piranha team, despite protestations to the contrary, arrived in Naples ready to challenge the series leaders. With a win in the Fleet Racing Championship and a second place finish behind Artemis Racing in the Match Racing, the new Italian team served notice there’s another crew to be reckoned with at the top.

“We thought before the event if we gave ourselves the opportunities, we could go well,” Draper said. “But we honestly didn’t have huge expectations, so to come away with a first and a second is awesome… The AC World Series is a really useful stepping stone for us, we see it as something very useful and we look forward to taking these lessons into the AC72.”

It was a win in the high-scoring final race on Sunday that assured Draper of the overall victory, but he didn’t come out of nowhere to steal the championship. Piranha entered the final race sitting in third place, with a string of solid finishes in the first six races. Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand started Sunday with a solid, but not insurmountable lead, built off four wins in the first six races. But a seventh place in race five left the Kiwis vulnerable and after getting locked out at the starting line in the final race, and pushed back into the second row, the Kiwis could only watch as their hard work over the week came to naught.

Draper was denied ‘the double’ as ORACLE Racing’s Jimmy Spithill calls the feat of winning the Match and Fleet Racing, by Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing, who finished the week tremendously, after starting it horrifically. First, the start. In strong conditions on the first day of racing, Artemis capsized and severely damaged their wing sail. Hutchinson, understandably, was distraught when he came ashore, but determined to be ready for racing the next day.

Following an all night session by the Artemis shore crew, the team was ready to go again the next day, but scoring no points on the first day put the team at the bottom of the seedings for the match racing, No matter. Artemis dispatched China Team on Thursday, before knocking off Emirates Team New Zealand on Friday to advance to the semi final. A win over the Swordfish team put Hutchinson into the Match Racing Final, where he dispatched the second Luna Rossa crew. Four consecutive sudden-death match wins made Artemis Racing an undisputedly worthy Match Racing Champion.

“We faced four really formidable teams all the way through this,” Hutchinson said after securing the title, making special note of an improving China Team, his first victim. “On Wednesday (after that capsize) if you you had told me that we’d be standing here having won the match racing part of the regatta, we would have taken it. I think I probably hate losing a lot more than I like winning, so it’s nice to be smiling on Sunday.”

This was the best Match Racing finish for Hutchinson and his team, who had been steady, if unspectacular, in scoring 3-3-4 over the previous three AC World Series events. That has changed. The win, combined with poor results by ORACLE Racing Spithill (7th) and Emirates Team New Zealand (who Artemis defeated to knock into 8th place) vaults the Swedish team to the top of the overall Match Racing leaderboard.

If the competition on the water was at an all-time high, off the water, Naples was a mind-blowing experience. The crowds were like nothing previously seen at an AC World Series event (or indeed, other sailing events). Organizers estimated crowds of over 500,000 through the Race Village over the course of the event (and more than double that along the extended waterfront), including a massive turnout on the holiday Easter Monday and again on the final Sunday. Despite the rain, the huge interest meant the sailors were living the full rock-star experience, mobbed anytime they walked through the Race Village wearing team gear.

ORACLE Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill, popular in Italy after a previous stint with Luna Rossa summed it up well: “It’s just incredible, the people are so into their sport and their sailing teams. I can’t wait for Venice, I think it’s going to be fantastic.”

Venice is the penultimate event of the 2011-12 AC World Series and on the overall Series leaderboard, which combines results in the Fleet and Match Racing Championships from each event, ORACLE Racing Spithill has now overhauled the Kiwis to lead by just one point, with Artemis Racing closing in from third place. Behind, just one point separates Energy Team, Team Korea and ORACLE Racing Bundock.

It will be the same talented nine crews from Naples racing in Venice. Green Comm Racing, who had previously advised organisers it would not sail in Naples, has now withdrawn its challenge for the 34th America’s Cup and will not participate again in the America’s Cup World Series.

2011-12 America’s Cup World Series Championship – Leaderboard

1    ORACLE Racing – Spithill…67 points
2    Emirates Team New Zealand…66
3    Artemis Racing…54
4    Energy Team…48
5    ORACLE Racing – Bundock…47
5    Team Korea…47
7    China Team…26
8    Luna Rossa – Piranha…19
9    Luna Rossa – Swordfish…12

Team Luna Rossa wins the Naples AC World Series

April 16, 2012

Team Luna Rossa, led by Chris Draper, has won the final fleet race in Naples, Italy, collecting 50 points. This fantastic victory was followed by celebrations among the tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans present at the Naples waterfront to see their heroes.

Team Luna Rossa wins the Naples AC World Series

Team Luna Rossa wins the Naples AC World Series © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

“We’re very pleased with the event, with the team effort,” an excited Draper said afterwards. “We didn’t have huge expectations, but to come away with a first (in the fleet racing) and a second (in the match racing) is awesome.”

Conditions were light, tricky and testing on Sunday, but Draper and his crew were up to the challenge. As was James Spithill and his ORACLE Racing crew, who appeared to be dead and buried in last place early in the race, only to recover and claim an impressive second place.

“The key thing was hanging in there and looking for the opportunities, and there were plenty out there,” Spithill said. “JK (tactician John Kostecki) and the guys did a very nice job… In those sorts of conditions you can go from hero to zero in a matter of seconds. We knew we just had to hang tough and wait for the opportunities. The guys found some good ways back and got us up there.”

The tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans to greet their heroes

The tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans gathered to greet their heroes © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Earlier in the afternoon, the Match Racing Championship was decided when Terry Hutchinson and his Artemis Racing team took advantage of a pre-start mistake by Chris Draper’s team to sail away with a win in the sudden-death Final. The victory was a vindication of sorts for Artemis, who had capsized in the first race of the regatta, damaging their wing and being shut out of the points on Wednesday.

“I can’t say enough about the effort from the guys on the boat and on the shore,” Hutchinson said. “After Wednesday, we’d have taken today’s result, that’s for sure. Our team trainer says it’s not how you fall down, but how you get up. Now we have to come back in a few weeks in Venice and work on our consistency.”

No records were set in this edition of the AC500 Speed Trials, as the light winds meant the fastest runs came at the end, during a brief period of stronger conditions. ORACLE Racing Bundock was able to fend off Artemis Racing by a microscopic .02 seconds to post the fastest time.

ORACLE Racing Spithill and Luna Rossa

ORACLE Racing Spithill and Luna Rossa © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

A major story in Naples has been the enthusiasm of the city as shown by the size of the crowds in the event village. Sunday was no exception, with the crowds lined deep along the waterfront to watch the action. Much of the support, unsurprisingly, was for Luna Rossa.

“We sailed along the shore after the finish and it’s insane to see how many people are here,” said Luna Rossa’s Draper. “As a sailor you’d never imagine having so many people watching. It’s great for the sport, and great to be part of an Italian team in front of all these people. We’re very proud.”

The America’s Cup World Series now packs up and moves north to Venice, for the fifth stop on the circuit in May.

Team ARTEMIS Racing

Team ARTEMIS Racing © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

The results from Naples mean there is a new leader on the overall AC World Series Championship leaderboard. ORACLE Racing Spithill has overhauled Emirates Team New Zealand to lead by a slender one point after four events. The 2011-2012 AC World Series concludes in Newport, Rhode Island on July 1, where it appears the Championship will be decided.

Fleet Racing Championship – Standings (seven races):

1. Luna Rossa – Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper); 92 points
2. ORACLE Racing – Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill); 77 points
3. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker); 60 points
4. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard); 54 points
5. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge); 49 points
6. Luna Rossa – Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James); 41 points
7. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson); 40 points
8. ORACLE Racing – Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock); 37 points
9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec); 15 points

Match Racing Championship – Sunday’s races

Final – Artemis Racing beat Luna Rossa Piranha
SF1 – Artemis Racing beat Luna Rossa Swordfish
SF2 – Luna Rossa Piranha beat ORACLE Racing Bundock

Naples AC World Series: Strong winds and heavy seas suspended Saturday´s racing

April 14, 2012

Naples America´s Cup World Series race was suspended on Saturday. This suspension was caused by heavy seas present in the Bay of Naples on Saturday morning, as well as strong winds that could exceed 30 knots as predicted by a forecast.

Heavy seas and strong winds in Naples on Saturday morning

Heavy seas and strong winds in Naples on Saturday morning © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

The match race semi finals and finals will now be sailed on Sunday. Fleet races seven and eight have been abandoned and won’t be sailed, shortening the Fleet Racing Championship to seven races.

“Racing has been suspended today because of the wind as well as the big seas coming in from very strong winds in the Mediterranean,” said Regatta Director Iain Murray. “The expectation is for the breeze to build up near 30 knots and the waves will go up as well… The potential for damage to people and boats is too high today… My heart says we should be out sailing, but my head says that we need to wait until tomorrow.”

The sailors, while disappointed to lose a day of racing, agreed.

“They made the right decision,” said Paul Campbell-James, the helmsman of Luna Rossa Swordfish. “Really strong wind and massive waves, which could have damaged the boats. So it was the right decision but it’s a massive disappointment.”

This is the first time racing has been suspended at the America’s Cup World Series in 25 race days.

The racing program for Sunday becomes busier now, with the Match Racing Semi-Finals scheduled to start at 1250 CEST. The AC500 Speed Trial will begin at 1350 and the final fleet race, where the winner earns a whopping 50 points (all the finishing positions are heavily weighted compared with previous races) has a start time of 1455.

Given the poor weather, many of the sailors settled for some virtual racing in the AC45 Club, where Team Korea trimmer Mark Bulkeley posted the best time down the track in the America’s Cup Speed Trials game, earning a bottle of Moët et Chandon champagne.

ORACLE Racing’s Ian Burns, who was instrumental in developing the game, said that it had been downloaded more than 25,000 times in its first week in Apple’s App Store.

“It’s been great to see the response to the game, from old and new sailing fans alike,” he said. “While it’s an easy game for beginners to play, as you can see when these guys take it on, it still gets their competitive fires burning.”

Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Standings (after six races):

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker); 52 points
2. ORACLE Racing – Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill); 47 points
3. Luna Rossa – Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper); 42 points
4. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge); 39 points
5. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard); 39 points
6. Luna Rossa – Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James); 35 points
7. ORACLE Racing – Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock); 28 points
8. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson); 20 points
9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec); 8 points

Match Racing Championship – Sunday’s races

SF1 – Artemis Racing vs. Luna Rossa Swordfish
SF2 – Team Korea vs. Luna Rossa Piranha

The winners advance to a one race Final.

America’s Cup World Series: Friday in Naples offered new challenges

April 14, 2012

On Friday, Naples in Italy was providing new challenges to the nine crews taking part in the America’s Cup World Series, with light, shifty offshore winds battling an onshore swell, ending up in a race course where gains and losses were often measured in the hundreds of yards.

© ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin Raget

© ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin Raget

ORACLE Racing Spithill had the best day across the two fleet races, posting two second-place finishes. In contrast, each race winner (Energy Team, Emirates Team New Zealand) also carried a seventh place score on the day. As a result, Jimmy Spithill’s American team gained four points on the leading Kiwis, nearly cutting their lead in half over the course of the day.

“It was really hard,” said Chris Draper, the helmsman of Luna Rossa Piranha, who led his team to a consistent 3-4 performance. “The swell made it hard, surfing upwind and then straight into the waves downwind… So to get the results we did, I’m really pleased with our guys, they did a great job.”

© ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Luna Rossa sailing yacht © ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

China Team, struggling to this point, also stood out on the day. Although skipper Fred Le Peutrec’s team has yet to finish out of ninth place, on Friday their starts were outstanding and the team was among the early leaders in both races. After that however, the quality of the fleet was simply too strong for the new Chinese squad.

“Good starts, yes, but not good races,” he said after racing. “We are a bit frustrated by the wind shifts, but anyway, two good starts… Unlucky with the wind, but that’s the game.”

Following the two fleet races, the remaining two Match Racing Quarterfinals were completed. Emirates Team New Zealand found itself pushed deep into the standings by Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing, who found the right shifts in the tricky conditions to earn a lopsided victory. While Artemis advances to the Semi Finals, the Kiwis are forced to settle for a disappointing eighth place.

© ACEA 2012- Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

America's Cup World Series - Naples - © ACEA 2012- Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

“It is nice to be able to gain some points on them for the overall World Series,” Hutchinson said. “But looking at the big picture, we still have a lot of work to do.”

In the other Quarter Final, Luna Rossa Swordfish won a close match over Energy Team, becoming the second Italian crew to qualify for the Semi Finals.

“For the team, it’s a great result for both boats to be in the top four,” said Manuel Modena, the trimmer on Luna Rossa Swordfish. “I hope we can both make it to the Final. Both our crews have the ability, but I would like to win if we both make it.”

The program for Saturday starts with the Match Racing Semi Finals and Final followed by two Fleet Races. The start of the first match is scheduled for 1330 CEST.

Oracle Racing - © ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Oracle Racing - © ACEA 2012 - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Standings Day Three (after six races):

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker); 52 points
2. ORACLE Racing – Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill); 47 points
3. Luna Rossa – Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper); 42 points
4. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge); 39 points
5. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard); 39 points
6. Luna Rossa – Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James); 35 points
7. ORACLE Racing – Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock); 28 points
8. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson); 20 points
9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec); 8 points

Match Racing Championship – Provisional Results:

QF3 – Artemis Racing beat Emirates Team New Zealand
QF4 – Luna Rossa Swordfish beat Energy Team
Emirates Team New Zealand finishes eighth in the Match Racing Championship; Artemis Racing advances to SF1.

Energy Team finishes fifth in the Match Racing Championship; Luna Rossa Swordfish advances to SF1

Naples AC World Series: Day 2 – ORACLE Racing Bundock wins face off against stable mate

April 13, 2012
Racing on Day 2 of the ACWS Naples Match Racing Championship, in a rather calm Bay of Naples, ORACLE Racing Bundock advanced to the semifinal round by defeating stable mate ORACLE Racing Spithill.

Relatively calm Bay of Naples on Day 2 of the Naples AC World Series

Relatively calm Bay of Naples on Day 2 of the Naples AC World Series Photo: Guilain GRENIER/ORACLE TEAM USA

The two crews have spent hours training and testing against each other on San Francisco Bay, where the America’s Cup will be staged in 2013. Yesterday, the friendly rivalry turned fierce with the added dimension of points for the ACWS Overall Championship at stake.

“I suppose we can thank the shore crew for the victory against Jimmy,” said skipper Darren Bundock. “We’re very happy to walk away with the win from that one. I guess it’s all that training they’ve given us the past couple months.”

That Bundock’s boat No. 5 even made the start was a testament to the ORACLE Racing Shore Team. On day 1 racing the No. 5 boat was damaged in the rough seaway when a crack developed around a deck hatch.

ORACLE Racing Bundock advanced to the semifinal round by defeating stable mate ORACLE Racing Spithill

ORACLE Racing Bundock advanced to the semifinal round by defeating stable mate ORACLE Racing Spithill Photo: Guilain GRENIER/ORACLE TEAM USA

The shore team, led by Andrew Henderson and including “The Three A’s” – Andrew Walker, Aaron Hunter and Andrew Rhodes – pulled an all-nighter to complete the repair job, which required grinding, new core sections and laminating.

No one was quite certain if the boat would be ready until the heat guns were turned up at full blast about an hour before the start of the race to accelerate the laminate curing process.

“Lucky for us the shore crew did a fantastic job overnight. They had four repairs to make: two cracks in the hull and a little damage from a RIB when we came dockside,” said Bundock.

“Probably an hour before the race start they still had the heat guns going to set the carbon off. It was all touch and go, but lucky for us they got us out there.”

ORACLE Team racing on Day 2 of the Naples AC World Series

ORACLE Team racing on Day 2 of the Naples AC World Series Photo: Guilain GRENIER/ORACLE TEAM USA

Besides the four cracks on ORACLE Racing Bundock, the shore crew also had to repair some broken frames in Spithill’s wingsail.

“It just wasn’t an issue,” said Spithill. “It goes to show, I think we have best shore team here. It gives you confidence knowing they can get both boats out there, full credit to them.”

The victory puts ORACLE Racing Bundock into the match racing semifinals where the crew will race Luna Rossa Piranha, steered by Chris Draper, with the winner advancing to the match racing final. ORACLE Racing Spithill is assigned seventh place for the match racing championship. Under the new regatta format, you must win to advance.

Team ORACLE Racing

Team ORACLE Racing Bundock Photo: Guilain GRENIER/ORACLE TEAM USA

The match racing was followed by two fleet races of 30 to 40 minutes. ORACLE Racing Spithill placed 7-4 and holds second for the fleet racing championship behind Emirates Team New Zealand. ORACLE Racing Bundock placed 4-8 and holds seventh in the standings after having to sit out day 1 second fleet race due to the hull damage.

Spithill said the crew battled all day: “We really want to pride ourselves on being consistent, and today we really weren’t. That is sport, but we have to learn from it and move forward. There’s plenty of racing left, we just have to come out tomorrow firing.”

Naples AC World Series: Day 2 – Emirates Team New Zealand dominates with Luna Rossa performing well

April 13, 2012
America’s Cup World Series leading skipper Dean Barker demonstrated his Emirates Team New Zealand stays the class of the fleet by winning both fleet races on Thursday. In scoring two victories, Barker now sits clear ahead of his rival James Spithill by a whopping 9 points on the Naples leaderboard.

Naples AC World Series - Day 2

Naples AC World Series - Day 2 © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

The local favourites, the two Luna Rossa Challenge crews, also had a good afternoon in the beautiful sea breeze conditions just off the sea front of Naples, with each crew earning a second place finish.

“That’s more like what we prepared for. The boys sailed awesomely today, the boat handling was epic,” said Chris Draper, the helmsman on Luna Rossa Piranha, who scored a 2-3 this afternoon. “We’re really pleased.”

Crowds lined the waterfront on yesterday´s sunny afternoon to watch the racing, with the finish line just meters from the shore.

Team Luna Rossa Pirhana

Team Luna Rossa Pirhana © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

“The people of Naples are really turning out in force to support us,” Barker said, as he and his crew saluted the crowd after finishing. “If this is what happens on Thursday, I can only imagine what we’ll see on the weekend.”

Before the fleet races, three matches were sailed, one of which pitted the two ORACLE Racing teams against each other. Yesterday, it was Bundock winning over Spithill, an upset of the form guide.

“We were up against the winner of the America’s Cup, so to walk away with his scalp was great,” skipper Darren Bundock said with enthusiasm. “It pushes us straight through to the semi finals, so we’re looking good in the match racing.”

Team Artemis Racing

Team Artemis Racing © ACEA 2012/ Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

Artemis Racing and Luna Rossa Piranha were the other match race winners and both will advance to the next stage of the competition; the losers in each match have been knocked out and assigned a final finishing position.

The teams also completed the ‘spare’ race on Thursday afternoon. This fleet race will only be scored if there is no racing on Sunday. In that case, the race will be broadcast on Sunday afternoon and reported on at that time.

The program for today starts with Match Racing followed by two Fleet Races. The start of the first match is scheduled for 1330 CEST.

Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Standings Day Two (after four races):

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (Skipper: Dean Barker); 38 points

2. ORACLE Racing – Spithill (Skipper: James Spithill); 29 points

3. Luna Rossa – Piranha (Helmsman: Chris Draper); 27 points

4. Team Korea (Skipper: Nathan Outteridge); 27 points

5. Energy Team (Skipper: Yann Guichard); 25 points

6. Luna Rossa – Swordfish (Helmsman: Paul Campbell-James); 24 points

7. ORACLE Racing – Bundock (Skipper: Darren Bundock); 16 points

8. Artemis Racing (Skipper: Terry Hutchinson); 12 points

9. China Team (Skipper: Fred Le Peutrec); 4 points

Match Racing Championship – Provisional Results:

Q1 – Artemis Racing beat China Team

QF1 – ORACLE Racing Bundock beat ORACLE Racing Spithill

QF2 – Luna Rossa Piranha beat Team Korea

China Team finishes ninth in the Match Racing Championship; Artemis Racing advances to QF3.

ORACLE Racing Spithill finishes seventh in the Match Racing Championship; ORACLE Racing Bundock advances to SF2.

Team Korea finishes sixth in the Match Racing Championship; Luna Rossa Piranha advances to SF2.

Naples AC World Series: Day 1

April 12, 2012

After the first day of Championship Racing at the America’s Cup World Series in Naples, it’s clear this is an event at another level. From the fascinating opening ceremony, to the Easter Weekend crowds, to a thrilling first day of competing in strong wind as well as big waves, everything about the Naples experience is “più intense”.

Team Luna Rossa

Team Luna Rossa © Gilles Martin-Raget / ACEA

The racing has never been more competitive. The addition of the two Luna Rossa crews has ratcheted up the intensity level on the race course. Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand and Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE Racing, separated by just one point on the 2011-12 AC World Series leaderboard, resumed battle on day one in Naples, and not surprisingly, neither team would give an inch. After two races, both have posted one-three on their scorecard to lead the fleet.

But young guns like Team Korea’s fearless Nathan “I hadn’t sailed a boat that big in that kind of wind” Outteridge and Energy Team’s Yann Guichard are nipping at their heels.

Off the water, local organisers estimated the crowd along the extended waterfront on the sunny holiday Monday at an incredible 250,000. This on the heels of a spectacular opening ceremony on Saturday evening, produced by the same group contracted for the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio. It came to a dramatic conclusion – unplanned – as an powerful thunderstorm brought deep growls or thunder and flashes of lightning, to say nothing of a heavy downpour. But even the rain and hail couldn’t dampen expectation that Naples was going to put on something special for the America’s Cup World Series.

And so it has proved. The first half of the event will be hard to top. But everyone here is looking forward to the next four days.

US Ambassador in Italy to experience the Naples AC World Series

April 11, 2012

Ambassador David Thorne experienced the first day’s competing at the Naples AC World Series today, watching the two races up close from the support boat of America’s Cup champion ORACLE Racing.

ORACLE Racing Skipper Jimmy Spithill

ORACLE Racing Skipper Jimmy Spithill, U.S. Ambassador to Italy David Thorne, Regatta Director Iain Murray and Consul General Donald L. Moore at ACWS Naples - Photo by Guilain Grenier

“I would like to express my gratitude to the America’s Cup organizers and the beautiful city of Naples for hosting this prestigious event. It is a great honor to see this exciting racing, so I also sincerely thank Oracle for this opportunity. My grandfather sailed an America’s Cup defender many years ago, so sailing is in my blood,” said Ambassador Thorne.

His family connection is with the yacht Whirlwind, a trialist for the defense of the America’s Cup in 1934. ORACLE Racing is the official defense team for the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco.

As a keen sailor himself, the ambassador was disappointed when the sea conditions prevented him from competing in Race 1 aboard the ORACLE Racing boat skippered by America’s Cup champion James Spithill.

With the wind blowing over 20 knots and a rough sea, Regatta Director Iain Murray made the prudent choice that no additional crew would be carried in the “Guest Racer” position aboard the race yachts. But prior to the race the ambassador got an opportunity to go aboard for a short time and experience the AC45 race boat firsthand.

Nonetheless, the ambassador donned full sailing gear and, having witnessed one race from the water aboard the ORACLE Racing support boat, he asked to stay out for the second race.

The America’s Cup World Series comprises the 2011-12 and 2012-13 championships, staged in cities around the world and raced for in high-speed, next-generation AC45 Class wingsailed catamaran sailboats. It features the best sailors and fastest boats in the world.

The ACWS is a precursor to the America’s Cup itself, the oldest trophy in international sport and an iconic event which origins as far back as 1851. The America’s Cup finals, staged in ORACLE Racing’s home city of San Francisco in September 2013, will be contested in even bigger and faster AC72 class boats, but like the AC45 there is a special provision in the rules for one “Guest Racer” to be aboard each boat in every race.

“To have the U.S. ambassador visit our team and race on our boat made it a proud day for us,” said Spithill.

The Naples regatta is the third event of six in the 2011-12 America’s Cup World Series. Previous rounds were held last year in Cascais (Portugal), Plymouth (UK) and San Diego (USA). After Naples the 2011-12 championship moves to Venice (Italy) next month and then Newport, RI (USA) late in June where the championship will be decided.

Naples AC World Series: ORACLE Racing Spithill ties for daily win after two fleet races

April 11, 2012

At ACWS San Diego last November, ORACLE Racing Spithill reached the enviable double, winning both the match racing as well as fleet racing championships. Today in difficult conditions on the Bay of Naples, ORACLE Racing Spithill won the first fleet race going away. The quintet followed it up with a 3rd in Race 2 and finished the day tied for the overall lead with Emirates Team New Zealand.

ORACLE Racing Spithill ties for daily win after two fleet races

ORACLE Racing Spithill ties for daily win after two fleet races Photo: Guilain Grener/Team USA

“It was pretty bumpy out there, pretty challenging, but once again I was really impressed by these boats. I think they give the best racing in the world in these conditions,” said skipper Jimmy Spithill. “We had two really good starts and after that it was about the tacks. You had to pick a flat spot. That’s where there were huge gains and losses.”

With the wind blowing steadily in the 20s and a choppy sea running at 6 to 8 feet, the conditions were rougher today than even in the more sheltered Plymouth, U.K., last September, widely considered the windiest regatta. ORACLE Racing Spithill wasn’t without its own troubles.

“We broke a couple of wing frames in the first race so we backed off a bit in the second race,” Spithill said.

A few crews were hurt by the conditions: Artemis Racing retired late in the first race after capsizing and suffering damage to the top of the wingsail, China Team also withdrew late in the first race and ORACLE Racing Bundock didn’t start the second fleet race after placing fifth in the first.

Teams competing in the Naples AC World Series

Teams competing in the Naples AC World Series Photo: Guilain Grener/Team USA

“Tacking well, not capsizing like Artemis Racing, and not breaking your boat like some of the other teams was the key for success today,” said ORACLE Racing Spithill tactician John Kostecki.

ORACLE Racing Bundock had a good start in the first race and slipped around the leeward mark in second place, but was penalized twice on the first upwind leg for crossing outside the racecourse boundary.

The crew retired in between races because of damage to its hull caused by the large waves.

“The massive waves were the main issue,” said skipper Darren Bundock. “For us, we didn’t hit anything but we buckled the hull from the hatch cover down about 20 cm. It came from the impact of bouncing off the waves.”

ORACLE Racing Spithill

ORACLE Racing Spithill Photo: Guilain Grener/Team USA

ORACLE Racing Spithill will be ready to race tomorrow. The shore team was working on ORACLE Racing Bundock, mindful that low air temperatures were not ideal for repairing high-tech epoxy and carbon-fiber race boats.

“We have one of the best, if not the best, shore teams here,” commented Spithill.

Today’s two fleet races served as a seeding for tomorrow’s match racing. In QF1, ORACLE Racing Spithill races ORACLE Racing Bundock in a heat scheduled for approximately 16 minutes in length. The winner advances to the second semifinal match on Saturday while the loser is assigned 7th place for the match racing championship.

Three match races are planned tomorrow ahead of two fleet races.

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