Nice Ink: Ready for Action Nov 22, 18:13
Another nice story by Julie Ash in this (Thursday) morning's New Zealand Herald....
Thursday November 23, 2006
By Julie Ash
Chris Dickson's America's Cup syndicate BMW Oracle Racing hope to leave Auckland in February having finalised a race crew.
Oracle have arrived in Auckland for their first training session here since 2004. There are 38 team members here but that number will double in the new year, when the syndicate ships down a second boat.
Up until Christmas they will train on USA71, which was built for the last cup.
"We are done with testing," Dickson said. "We have spent four years on the design, research, boat speed development - the objective is to zero in on sailing the boats as well as we possibly can."
Oracle's sailing manager Craig Monk said there would be 34 sailors here in January and they hoped to come away with a solid group of 24 who could race the boat on any day.
"That is our goal. In the days of old it was just one group of 16 sailors who did the whole regatta. But three months sailing in pretty tough conditions over there - with the heat and the viruses that go around - we don't know how many sailors are fit and well on any given day."
It is generally felt that little will separate the boats in next year's event, so crew work could make all the difference.
"We have seen some of the closest racing ever in Spain this year. A couple of seconds is now regarded as a comfortable win, it used to be a couple of minutes," Monk said.
"I believe it won't be 5-0 [in the cup]. The boat speed edges are very small now, so it is up to the sailors to be able to really drive the boats a bit harder. We have got lighter wind over there so it means maybe some of the smaller teams can hang on."
Oracle would not reveal which boat would be shipped here - USA87, which was launched earlier this year, or the new second boat.
Several features differentiate USA87 from its rivals, most noticeably the bowsprit and the mast, which is further forward.
"Eighty-seven is very, very innovative, the most innovative of any this time around," Dickson said.
"She is innovative in her structure, in her laminate, in the internal layout, in her hull structure, rig placement, bowsprit and appendages - we didn't hold back.
"We have learned a lot from 87. Our second boat isn't out of the same mould, it is out of a different mould but you'll see more next year."
A series between Oracle and Team New Zealand, who will also train in the Hauraki Gulf until mid February, has been mooted and is something Dickson would like to happen.
"One thing that we and Team NZ have in common is getting it [the cup] off Alinghi. By racing Team NZ we'll gain a bit, they'll gain a bit but we'll both get stronger," Dickson said.
Full story
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Thursday November 23, 2006By Julie Ash
Chris Dickson's America's Cup syndicate BMW Oracle Racing hope to leave Auckland in February having finalised a race crew.
Oracle have arrived in Auckland for their first training session here since 2004. There are 38 team members here but that number will double in the new year, when the syndicate ships down a second boat.
Up until Christmas they will train on USA71, which was built for the last cup.
"We are done with testing," Dickson said. "We have spent four years on the design, research, boat speed development - the objective is to zero in on sailing the boats as well as we possibly can."
Oracle's sailing manager Craig Monk said there would be 34 sailors here in January and they hoped to come away with a solid group of 24 who could race the boat on any day.
"That is our goal. In the days of old it was just one group of 16 sailors who did the whole regatta. But three months sailing in pretty tough conditions over there - with the heat and the viruses that go around - we don't know how many sailors are fit and well on any given day."
It is generally felt that little will separate the boats in next year's event, so crew work could make all the difference.
"We have seen some of the closest racing ever in Spain this year. A couple of seconds is now regarded as a comfortable win, it used to be a couple of minutes," Monk said.
"I believe it won't be 5-0 [in the cup]. The boat speed edges are very small now, so it is up to the sailors to be able to really drive the boats a bit harder. We have got lighter wind over there so it means maybe some of the smaller teams can hang on."
Oracle would not reveal which boat would be shipped here - USA87, which was launched earlier this year, or the new second boat.
Several features differentiate USA87 from its rivals, most noticeably the bowsprit and the mast, which is further forward.
"Eighty-seven is very, very innovative, the most innovative of any this time around," Dickson said.
"She is innovative in her structure, in her laminate, in the internal layout, in her hull structure, rig placement, bowsprit and appendages - we didn't hold back.
"We have learned a lot from 87. Our second boat isn't out of the same mould, it is out of a different mould but you'll see more next year."
A series between Oracle and Team New Zealand, who will also train in the Hauraki Gulf until mid February, has been mooted and is something Dickson would like to happen.
"One thing that we and Team NZ have in common is getting it [the cup] off Alinghi. By racing Team NZ we'll gain a bit, they'll gain a bit but we'll both get stronger," Dickson said.
Full story
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Sailing Manager Craig Monk and Skipper/CEO Chris Dickson (both of NZL) share a light moment with reporters during Wednesday's media briefing at the BMWOR winter base in Auckland.
Auckland | by TFE
