It's a partly cloudy, cool Spring day here in Valencia. It was a beaut of a weekend -- two sparkling warm, dry days with temps in the mid 20s (C that is, high 70s F for our friends in the States). Wx prognosticator Chris Bedford says it will be sunny and warm again this afternoon, with only a light breeze -- just what the doctor ordered for our team's christening ceremony and base dedication being held this evening at our new Team Base in the Port America's Cup here in VLC.
The affair tonight is a bit of a production with over 700 VIP guests, team members, spouses and media expected. There will be a few interesting visual elements in addition to the usual speeches and, of course, the traditional smashing of a Moet bottle over the bow of the our new boat, USA 87. Bruno "Empressario" Trouble is involved, so the expectations are high.
Yesterday was a work day for most of the team. The sailing team had a long day on the water with both yachts. While they were out the base was being transformed for tonight's function -- lights, sound, video screens, staging and more -- by what must have been over 100 contractors from various French, German and Spanish agencies, coordinated by our mutlilingual marketing and ops departments. Final touches to the Base itself, and some spit and polish, were also being applied.
One expects that more than a few people will be wowed by what has been put in place, especially in the "BMW ORACLE Racing Experience" interactive area and in the "Oracle Sailing Experinece" HD video pavillion, both of which will soon be open to the public 7 days a week through the end of the Cup next July.
Late yesterday afternoon, almost immediately the yachts returned "home," the rehearsals for tonight's "big shoe" began. First, dry runs of the various elements: speeches, videos, bottle smash, boat positioning, the Henri Lloyd fashion show (set for later in the evening), and more. Guest lists were confirmed, VIP seating arrangements finalized, emails sent to remind team members of proper attire and timing, Father Antonio's blessing of the boat checked to be sure it would be, shall we say, timely....
...And checking the proper pronunciation of the mayor's name, Rita Barberá, It's pronounced "bar-bear-AH", which is not easy for Anglos to get their tongues around when all our lives we have heard it pronounced either "BAR-ber-uh" as in the nice city up the coast a bit from Los Angeles, or "bar-BEAR-uh" as in the cartoon company Hannah-Barbera. Her Excellency may be a
caricature of herself, especially during
Las Fallas, but she is definitely no cartoon character. After a few false starts, and coaching from native-speaker Alejandro Mato (marketing team), by last evening's dress rehearsal Dicko had it down pat.
Speaking of the dress rehearsal, most of the elements were ready for a run-through by 2200 last evening. It made for a late night night for many, extending well past midnight. But practice makes perfekt, knock on wood, and by tonight one expects all will be smooth.
Checking and re-checking their plan, clockwise from lower left:
Mirko Groeschner, Kerstin Schulz, Bertrand Weber, Bruno
Trouble and Jane Eagleson.
Cranes, scaffolding, girders, and a flurry of activity: the yard
at our base takes on the look of the greater Port America's Cup
yesterday afternoon as the contractors prepare the staging area
for tonight's christening cereomony.
Karen Webb checking the "Oracle Sailing Experience" (HD video
pavillion) as the contractors put the finish touches to it yesterday,
one of the two "interactive" areas at our base dedicated to the
general public.
A sneak preview of the other public area, the "BMW ORACLE Racing
Experience" which includes a very special display of future clean,
green technology that is coming sooner than you might think to a
fuel pump near you, thanks to BMW.
c|net's spectacularly-high rating of the 325xi is no April)
c|net's spectacularly-high rating of the 325xi is no April)
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...and our ever-ready team photographer, Gilles Martin-Raget, springs)
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