Inhalt

zur Navigation

Intrigue

Weather or Not  Jan 27, 10:52

Forecasts courtesy of the BBC Weather Center. As usual, click on image to enlarge.


akl_bmwPreview
Nice summer weather, and generally good breeze.


dbx_bmwPreview
Bright, but light.


vlc3_bmwPreview
After yesterday's shocker (rain, wind and sleet -- snow in the hills), it's bright but cool cold today, and light again this week.

Coming Soon...  Jan 2, 10:39

...to the Port America's Cup in Valencia -- in less than three months in fact (on 1 April) -- "Unveiling Day".

See the Unveiling Day story posted last evening over on the Challenger Commission Blog.

Here is a nice photo sequence by Gilles Martin-Raget of the launching of a skirted ACC yacht, whichs will give you a bit of an idea of what a pain it is to deal with the skirt and, hence, why the sailing and shore teams will be happy when they come off on April 1st....


skirt1_bmwPreview

skirt2_bmwPreview

skirt3_bmwPreview

skirt4_bmwPreview

skirt5_bmwPreview

Coming Soon...  Jan 2, 10:07

...to a BMW showroom near you.

BMW is well known for nifty in-car implementation of technology, but our Bavarian friends have something brewing that is causing quite a stir in the geek press. There's more of this tech tease on the Autoblog website. Why does this remind me of the cheeky launch of the bow-spritted USA 87?

;-)

bmw_gadget_1_1280_bmwPreview
As usual, you may click on the image to enlarge.

Coming Soon...  Jan 1, 11:16

...to waters near you, assuming you live in or around Auckland....

bmor-action-2_bmwPreview
...our sailing team training off Auckland in USA 71. Ivor Wilkins photo above taken during training there in December; more to come in January. Will there be racing with ETNZ as well? Not necessarily, but stay tuned.


...to waters near you, assuming you live in or around Dubai....

gallery_big__748_bmwPreview
...the Defender and a Challenger training in the same waters. Inquiring minds, especially on the Challenger Commission, want to know -- will there be racing? Stay tuned. (Photo above from Act 12 in Valencia, in a race won, interestingly, by Victory Challenge the same day they announced their new, bullish sponsor.)

Another Sail Number  Oct 18, 08:14

99_old_shield_big_bmwPreview
99 has been allocated. Details on the CC Blog. Va bene?

Mad Dash: Sail Numbers  Oct 14, 05:55

Since 6 October, ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine has allocated sail numbers 95 through 98, including two (96 and 97) on one day. Four numbers in eight days has to be some sort of a record, to say nothing of the unprecedented daily double.

It's no surprise. really, given that teams have to build their final boat, get it measured, transport it to Valencia, set it up, check it out, get it sailing and get it sailing fast, and all in time for the start of the LVC next April. So, at least for the Challengers, time is running out. Alinghi has a bit more time as they have until the start of the Match in June to be ready with both their new boats. That's why many expect Alinghi to get the last number that is allocated in this (AC 32) go around; if all Challengers presumed to be building two boats follow through in the meantime, Alinghi should end up with sail number 100.

Unless, of course, Alinghi has one of the two numbers already allocated by Mr McAlpine for which no team has yet fessed up to owning (the Technical Director only announces that he has allocated a number, not to which team).

Details on the Challenger Commission Blog.


i94big_bmwPreview
Which team has been allocated number 94...


98_bmwPreview
...and number 98?

Now You See It...  Oct 7, 08:54

With some teams, including BMW ORACLE Racing, shipping boats around the world for training elsewhere during the Valencian winter, we thought it would be good to start the BOB's Book of the Month Club. Here is our recommendation for October....


FC0425176037_bmwPreview
...and Now You Don't.

Noventa y Cinco  Oct 6, 13:04

This morning the AC Class Technical Director, Mr Ken McAlpine (AUS), allocated sail number 95 -- noventa y cinco (no-VEHN-tah ee SINK-o) en espaƱol. The Challenger Commission Blog has the story.


95who_bmwPreview

Sheik & Bake  Sep 17, 17:36

Confirming what had been widely rumoured around VLC these past weeks, and as we noted here on the BOB in late August, today Reuters is carrying an interview with Alinghi managing director Grant Simmer saying they will test and train in Dubai this (northern hemisphere) winter.


dubai_UAE_bmwPreview
Alinghi heads to Dubai for winter training, while BMW ORACLE Racing will train in Auckland, overlapping there at least for some of December with ETNZ (story on our main team website).

Spritting Image  Jul 14, 15:19

This post has any number of possible good titles. Another is "On the Waterfront" -- the name, of course, of the classic 1954 mobster movie starring Marlon Brando in which he gave his famous, "I coulda been a contendah" speech. On the Waterfront won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Brando, and Best Supporting Actress for Saint. Will bow sprits be winning any awards come next year? Or will they just be Yesterday's Love?


sprit_bmwPreview
Pier pressure? Seen today On the Waterfront in the Port America's
Cup, at the Alinghi Base poking out of their eastern boatshed, the bow
of an ACC yacht -- the spritting image of another another yacht three
bases to the west. 64 Ways to Leave Your Lover? Or just some Hot Fun
in the Summertime??