BMWOR advance team for Malmoe -- logisitics manager Grant "Guthrie" Davidson (NZL), sailing team manager Aimee "Aimster" Hess (USA) and yard manager Scotty "Big Equipment" Sandford (NZL) -- report that things are shaping up very well in the Swedish city.

And, no surprise, it is cool. Daily highs are 14-16 deg. C., there is chilly 20 kt onshore wind, and they have not seen much sun. Those of you who live or have lived in northern Europe know that can all change overnight, and this time of year you can just easily have a week of summer as winter. Here's hoping for the former. Otherwise it is going to be some shock for us "Valencianos" who are more accustomed by now to daily highs of twice that.

Thank goodness we have all just received new fleece jumpers from our clothing partner, Henri Lloyd. Long-johns anyone?

The MSC ship with the AC yachts and materiel will arrive over the weekend, Operations Director Laurent "Lafayette" Esquier (FRA) and our shore team begin arriving on Monday, and by the end of next week when the sailing team and others arrive all should be set up and ready to go.

In addition to the Swedish Victory Challenge switching from SWE 63 to SWE 73, the newer of their 2003 yachts, one also hears that in Malmoe the South African Challenge, Shosholoza, will have a new helmsman -- veteran match racer and former AC skipper Chris Law (GBR).

It will be interesting to see who Alinghi has on the wheel. They have three helmsman on their team: Peter Homberg (USA), Ed Baird (USA) and Jochen Schuemann (GER). Peter steered the Valencia Acts. Some have suggested that we can expect to see Ed Baird on the wheel in Malmoe, and Jochen driving in Trapani. Will be interesting to see who has the best hands, and sharpest elbows.

By the way, Malmoe is just across the bridge from Copenhagen, which has one of Europe's best international airports, so it is a cinch to get to Malmoe. Mirko reports that our sponsor-partners will again be bringing many VIP guests, so we are looking forward to another large group of supporters in Malmoe -- as we had in Valencia.


The Oresund Bridge, the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe,
links Sweden and Denmark for the first time since the last Ice Age.


Oresund Bridge.

Check the Challenger Commission blog for other info on Malmoe.

Every now and then I send an email around to the executive committe and heads-of-departments in our team called "know the competition" when we learn of an important development or factoid concerning that team.

LIkewise, our CEO Chris Dickson thinks it important that we "know our partners" and has encouraged me to send similar infos around when we come across interesting facts and figures, or developments, concerning our partners.

This very positive piece of news came across the wires this morning, which I will be circulating within the team -- and thought it appropriate to blog as well....


BMW expands global lead
Monday August 8 2005 20:29 IST
Reuters

FRANKFURT: BMW, the world's largest premium carmaker, posted a 13.7 percent increase in group vehicle sales to 110,957 units in July, thanks to an even stronger performance at its flagship BMW brand.

Group deliveries to customers in the first seven months rose 10 percent to 757,498 vehicles.

In July, the BMW brand increased sales by 15 percent to 93,797 units, while deliveries of its Mini brand gained 7.1 percent to 17,115 cars.

The Munich-based carmaker said it sold 94,622 new 3-Series saloons since the model's relaunch in March -- 85 percent more than were sold of the previous-generation model in the same time period after its launch in April 1998.

BMW also kept sales of its high-margin 5-Series largely stable, with deliveries of the line down 0.6 percent to 131,388 units in the first seven months of 2005.

Sales of its super-luxury Rolls-Royce Phantom gained 15 percent to 45 cars, bringing deliveries for the first seven months of the year to 330 units, a drop of 7.8 percent.

"We've expanded our leading position in the premium segment across the world," BMW sales and marketing chief Michael Ganal said in a statement.

"While the entire premium segment worldwide has grown some 2 percent year-to-date, we have been able to clearly surpass this with 10-percent growth," he continued.

During a conference call on Wednesday, Chief Executive Helmut Panke had said preliminary data showed car sales for the month of July rising by more than 10 percent.

On Thursday, archrival Mercedes Car Group, DaimlerChrysler's premium division, reported vehicle sales rose by 2.2 percent to 100,200 units in July.

In the first seven months of the year, divisional sales were down 1.3 percent at 674,200 units.

BMW's sports marketing strategy has three pillars -- motorsport, golf and now sailing. Not only does BMW partner with BMW ORACLE Racing in the America's Cup, but has made a strong commitment to other sailing events including Kiel Week, the Swedish Match Tour, and the BMW Royal Langkawi International Regatta in Malaysia.

This past weekend 13 winners from this year's RLIR were the guests of BMW for an America's Cup "fantasy camp" here in Valencia.

Aside from taking in the sights and sounds of Valencia Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, on Saturday morning they were treated to a special Morning Show, that morped into more of an AC seminar, featuring presentations by team members Ian Burns, David Brooke and Asim Khan, and an insider's Base Tour conducted by Kevin Batten -- including being to climb aboard and inside USA 71 (which is on shore in her cradle while 76 heads to Malmoe).


After the Saturday morning Base Tour. Host Peter Burkardt, BMW Malaysia's
Sales and Marketing Director, is standing in the back, third from left.

In the photo above, some of you AC mavens may recognize the gentleman to the left of Chris Dickson (Dicko is front row, far right). That's Scotty McAllister (AUS) who was mastman on Australia II when they won the Cup at Newport 1983!

Saturday afternoon our guests split into four teams and had a match racing tournament in the SM-40s, with one or two of our sailing team on each of the yachts led by Brian "Puck" MacInnes.





The winning team, "Double Dutch," was captained by Rolf Heemskerk (grey shirt, middle in the photo bewlow). Puck, second from the right (duh!), presented the "trophies" which, no doubt, were consumed later that evening. Double Dutch dominated, winning all three of their matches.


Match race winners "Double Dutch."


Mirko "Herr Direktor" Groeschner (left) with '83 Cup winning crewman
Scotty McAllister.

BMW ORACLE Racing congratulates Tina Lutz from the Chiemsee Y.C. in Bavaria, Germany. Tina is the 2005 Optimist Dinghy World champion, the largest and most prestigious junior sailing class and title. 241 competitors from 52 countries!



14-year old Tina is only the third girl to win the championship in its 43-year history and the first since Lisa Westerhof (NED) who won gold in 1996. Last year in the very different conditions of Salinas, Ecuador she was 12th over-all and the first girl.


Tina celebrating her win at the IODA Worlds.

Why is Bavaria suddenly such a yachting power? First BMW, now Tina. Presumably she doesn't drink, so it can't be the beer. Perhaps Henri Lloyd should be outfitting our sailing team in lederhosen?

USA 76 joins 11 other ACC yachts, various team tenders, chase boats, weather boats and 60+ ACM race committee vessels aboard the MSC ship that will depart Valencia at 20:00 tonight to take the America's Cup circus to Malmoe for Louis Vuitton Acts 6 and 7.





Our shore team begins arriving Malmoe a week from tomorrow (Monday) to begin setting up, and by Friday the 19th the sailing team and most other support personnel will all be there. We have a few days of practice sailing, measurement checks, various team and official meetings to attend and, finally, racing -- which begins Thursday 25 August. Act 6 is match racing, one full round (11 races; we race each of the other teams once). Act 7, five fleet races, follows. The last day of Act 7 is Sunday 4 September.

It will be a shock to more than a few systems to go from the 25-35 degree (C.) heat of Valencia to the much cooler Malmoe. The five-day weather forecast for Malmoe next week shows highs between 17 and 20, and lows of 12-15. After months here in t-shirts and flip-flops, don't forget to pack the woolies!

At Malmoe we will be back to daily blog posts, so be sure to tune in.

A schedule of the Malmoe racing and other events is posted, along with other challenger-related information, at the Challenger Commission website. Note on the list of entries recently posted there that the same 12 yachts will race in Malmoe as in Valencia Acts 4-5, except that the Swedes will be using SWE 73 instead of 63, having recently modified 73 to Version 5 of the ACC class rule (under which we have been racing since 1 January 05).

Also check ACM's official site for more information on the Malmoe LV Acts.

1. It's spectacular. "A synonym of things brave and big and famous" is what one historian called the America's Cup. For 150+ years teams have been dueling for international supremacy in breathtakingly beautiful boats.

2. It's passionate. Cup-obsessed owners, sailors and engineers push the limits of teamwork and technology, always aware that in these big, fragile boats the chances of mistakes and even disaster are high.

3. It's complex yet simple. Australia's Alan Bond, the former sign painter who took the Cup from the New York YC in 1983, described the aura of the Cup this way: "You get out there and you're as good as the next guy, who might be a Vanderbilt. You get out there and all you've got is a common element -- the wind and the sea -- and everybody's equal."

4. It's thrilling. There's nothing like sailing on the knife edge of control, with stinging salt water flying in your face, and the yacht groaning with strain as you fight for an advantage of a few centimeters.

5. It's the Challengers' race to win. Challengers have won two of the last three AC Matches (Cup finals), and four of the last seven. Of all the Challengers, none has worked harder nor is better prepared than BMW ORACLE, and none can call on so many Cup veterans and so much cutting-edge technology.

(With thanks to John Rousmaniere, Cup historian and yachting author par excellence.)


September, 1983 -- Australia II syndicate
chairman Alan Bond during the prizegiving
at Marble House in Newport, RI the day
after Aus II won the seventh and final
race in the '83 Match, thus ending the
longest winning streak in sports history
(NYYC's 132-year reign as Defender) and
signalling the start of the brave, new
"globalized" world of Cup racing we enjoy
today.

Hola, otra vez -- hello, once again. It has been almost a month since our last post. Originally we were to blog only during the Acts, but due to the all-around popularity of the BMW ORACLE Racing Blog we will try to post from time to time during the non-racing periods as well.

The past month has been anything but dull. Post-regatta debriefs, analysis, a lot learned and some adjustments. A few days off, and then right back to testing for the design of the new yachts -- and training for the Malmoe Louis Vuitton Acts 6 and 7 now less than a month away.

After the disappointing results of Acts 4 and 5, we seem to be lifting our game. Last Friday we had three good practice races with Luna Rossa, one of our "neighbors" who, like us, are temporarily based here at the RCNV (along with Alinghi, China Team and ACM Race Ops). With Dicko steering and Gavin calling tactics we appear to be getting back on track with "a fast boat, well sailed, that doesn't break."

There's light at the end of the between-Acts tunnel. Can't wait to get back at it in Malmoe.

[Revised 11 July 05]

Just before Acts 4 and 5 old friend Rich Roberts wrote a column for the San Diego Log (that is also the lead item in the 28 June Scuttlebutt) about Peter Isler and the scoring system for the 32nd AC.

Nice bit about Peter, but IMHO Rich was off base about the scoring system. Given the support for the scoring system shown at the syndicate heads press conference, the close, exciting racing, and the overall results of the Acts, I wonder if Rich has a different view now?

While it is by no means perfekt, most if not all the Challengers are pleased with the CSS scoring system. Time will tell. In the meantime we hope Rich can get over to Malmoe or Trapani and experience the exciting, new-era Cup first hand. And it would be good to see Rich again on the Cup scene.


Rich Roberts

2005 Louis Vuitton ACC Season Championship Standings after two Acts:

1. Alinghi - 23 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand - 21
2. Luna Rossa Challenge - 21
4. BMW Oracle Racing - 19
5. Victory Challenge - 15
6. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team - 13
7. K-Challenge - 12
7. Desafío Español 2007 - 12
9. +39 Challenge - 8
10. United Internet Team Germany - 6
11 China Team - 4
12. Team Shosholoza - 2

*Speaking of, er, longtime friends, Jane "Red Bull" Eagleson is a good influence. We have been editing each other on and off for at least the last 15 years. If you have noticed a re-tooling of this piece, including the title, it is the result of Jane's firm but gentle guidance. When I get a minute, she deserves a "Cool People" posting, and do I ever have some great pictures to choose from. ;)

For me writing is not a huge struggle, but I do have to work at it. For Ivor Wilkins (NZL) it just seems to flow out of his fingers at speed, and with dignity and grace -- like a well-balanced AC yacht moving through the water?

OK, so much for my silly similes; that's why he's the journalist and I'm a bloody blogger!

Ivor was my flatmate these past two weeks while he helped the team, especially our p.r. manager Jane "U2" Eagleson, with the heavy writing load these regattas entail. Under Janey's watchful eye, Ivor produced most of our press releases and the excellent stories on the team website.

Via the Cup we have been acquainted for more years than either of us care to admit, and in that time I seem to recall an unflattering article or two about your humble blog editor, tho they were probably well-deserved at the time. Regardless, it was good to get to know him better during Acts 4 and 5. Ivor not only aided Jane, but was a big help in proofing these blog posts at all hours of the night and day, and I do mean all hours, for which I am grateful.

Today we put Ivor on the plane back to his beloved Auckland, and look forward to having him with us again in Malmoe.


One last early-morning coffee today with veteran Cup journalist Ivor
Wilkins, who has helped keep this blog from being too inane, or insane,
these past two weeks.

Broke our kite (gennaker) on leg 2 of today's fifth and final race of ACt 5, and that was pretty much the story of our day. We were in a strong fifth at the time, just behind Luna Rossa, and with Alinghi and ETNZ struggling back in the pack. However, by the time things got sorted we had slipped to 10th.

Meanwhile the jury, no surprise, disqualified the Swedes from the race yesterday afternoon, which they won, after they failed the post-race measurement check. Instead of scoring 12 points for that race, the Swedish team now score 0, dropping them from 1st overall to sixth.

So it all came down to a photo-finish in today's final race between Luna Rossa and Alinghi. Luna Rossa edged Alinghi, tieing the two of them for first overall on 45 points. The tie break went in favor of Luna Rossa as they finished higher than Alinghi in three of the five Act 5 races.

Full marks to Luna Rossa who, from Day One, sailed a consistently good series. I sat at dinner at last night's posh Louis Vuitton dinner with Luna Rossa skipper James Spithill (AUS). At age 25 or 26 he is already sailing his third Cup. No doubt Jimmy and his team will be a force to be reckoned with.

Good news is that we need a good hard slog among the Challengers between now and the end of the Louis Vuitton Cup if one of us is going to be good enough to beat Alinghi. Looking more and more like we are going to get every bit of that and more.

Can't wait to get back at 'em in Malmoe (SWE) for Acts 6 and 7 beginning 25 August.

For nearly five minutes during yesterday's second race, ten of the twelve yachts were all lined up together on the Virtual Eye "ahead/behind line" as they sailed up the first weather leg. No exaggeration.

Virtual Eye is the latest version of what last Cup was called Go Virtual -- the real time, computer-aninmated 3D display of the racing yachts as they go around the race course that we show on VIP boats and at the Base.

We were in "lane 2" on the left with ETNZ. At first Virtual Eye showed us in third. Then the wind shifted 5 deg to the right, and we fell to eighth. Then it oscillated back to the left and were in second; then back to the right and we were in ninth!

And after watching AC racing for 25 years, the TFE eye is pretty tuned up to judging such things, and I could not argue with what the Virtual Eye system was showing. Very cool technology, to say nothing of extremely close racing.

When all ten yachts got to the weather mark it was a sight to behold. Never seen anything like it in Cup class racing. Like a fleet of Lasers.

ETNZ forced an overalp at the weather mark, touched the mark, and were penalized. In doing their loop they fell from near the top to 10th place. Mascalzone, also one of the leaders on the approach to Mark 1, came in on port tack and had to take eight or nine transoms before finding a hole to tack into, dropping to 9th at the mark.

For today's final race you will have seen that the standings are very tight, and that it is up for grabs at least among five or six of us. And the Swedes are in the jury room as I write this Sunday morning after failing the post-race measurement check last evening and being protested by the Race Committee.

The weather forecast is carbon copy of the past two days. I won't even bother posting today's wx graphic from Chris "Sunshine" Bedford. Reminds me of San Diego where it seems they tape one forecast and use it all week.

We did a small modification to the yacht overnight (each team is permitted one "mode change" during Acts 4/5 -- a change to the yacht that does not involve reweighing or refloating the yacht such as changing the angle of the winglets on the keel bulb). Will be interesting to see how the mod works.

We are all beat, and frankly happy this is the last day. But it has been exciting, and everyone on our team -- sailing, design, shore, marketing and admin -- have learned heaps.


Speaking of sights to behold -- following the fleet in to the Port America's Cup after yesterday's second race. Count 'em.

"My goal in sailing isn't to be brilliant or flashy in individual races, just to be consistent over the long run." --Dennis Conner, three-time winner (80, 87, 88) and twice loser (83, 95) of the America's Cup.

In a word, consistency was the story yesterday on the race course (as it usually is in fleet racing), and, unfortunately, it is the story today on the weather front...



Let's hope we see every one of those ten knots, or it could be another long afternoon.