33rd America's Cup

[Guillermo]

Just a place where to gather and discuss in these forums all news relating to the forthcoming event.

To begin with (From Scuttlebutt):

DESIGN OF NEW RULE UNDERWAY
America's Cup designers from Alinghi and the five challengers attended the
first design consultation meeting on Saturday 15 September at the AC
Management offices in Valencia. Tom Schnackenberg, the class rule and
competition regulations consultant, on behalf of ACM, submitted the general
summary of the rule status and invited comments from the challengers. The
key dimensions were confirmed as 90ft waterline length and 6.5m draft with a
retractable keel to 4.1m, while other key dimensions, including beam, weight
and consequently the sail area have been decided based on the infrastructure
constraints in Valencia (bases, pontoons, etc). These and the key structural
rules will remain confidential to the teams participating in the meetings
until the 31 October when the new class rule will be made public. The next
meeting is scheduled for the 15 October where the design group will discuss
the 1st draft of the rule. And meanwhile Schnackenberg will continue to
receive input and develop a dialogue with the challengers and Alinghi as
part of the design process. -- Complete announcement:
http://33rd.americascup.com/en/index...nt=16&idPage=1

[Guillermo]

Just announced by Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) and Team Alinghi, with the "agreement" of Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV), are subtle changes in the 33rd Protocol that (i) limit the powers of America's Cup Management (ACM) to act in an arbitrary and capricious way, (ii) redefine aspects of the protocol, yet curiously (iii) protect the power of the Alinghi-appointed Arbitration Panel (ACAP).

The fact is, there is a lot vested in the honor, integrity and independence of the three panel members, a Swiss, a Kiwi, and a Spaniard. All of whom were appointed by Alinghi, and none by the challengers.....

More at: http://americascupview.blogspot.com/...k-ernesto.html


Current entries:

SUI Alinghi
-
ESP Desafio Español
RSA Team Shosholoza
GBR TEAMORIGIN
NZL Team New Zealand
GER United Internet Team Germany

[Guillermo]

At the Galician Chapter of the Naval Architects, Marine & Oceanic Engineers Association of Spain, we have organized a technical session to spread the knowledge on the AC boats.

Main lecturer will be Manuel Ruiz de Elvira, a renowned spanish NA & ME who has been involved in the AC for more than 10 years and worked as a designer for Alinghi. Manuel has now been hired by BMW Oracle, to design their new boat for the 33rd edition of the Cup.

He will talk about the basic criteria and most important parameters for the designing of an AC boat.

The Session will take place at the Club Financiero de Vigo, October the 19th, 16:00 hours.

[Guillermo]

Just to inform the technical session was postponed to November the 2nd, same place, same hour, because of Manolo Ruiz de Elvira's last minute agenda problems. Unexpectedly he had to flight to San Francisco to meet the BMW-Oracle design team, coinciding with the Session.

Also interesting is to know that Manolo is a member of the ORC's “International Technical Committee” (ITC) since year 2000. He was its chairman between 2002 y 2006.

[lazeyjack]

last I heard Guillo was that Ori, was hauling Alinghi before the New york Supreme court?

[Roly]

Not without substantial cause, either.
Been & done----reserve decision.We will know in the next..........3 years?
It is fortunate that L.E. has the ware-with-all to challenge SNG's dictatorial protocol.

I am told fourteen lawyers were present.

[Guillermo]

Stu,
there is a big fight at court which I'm not at all interested about. I'm just waiting for that s**t to end and talk about the new designs, their performance, etc.

By the way: You may Skype me at guillermo.gefaell in office hours. I'll be glad to chat with you.

Cheers.

[charmc]

Originally Posted by Guillermo

Stu,
there is a big fight at court which I'm not at all interested about. I'm just waiting for that s**t to end and talk about the new designs, their performance, etc.

While the legal point of issue is the validity of CNEV to be the challenger of record, the underlying issue is the dictation of home team favoring protocol by Alinghi.

Apart from the stupid Fay vs Conner, megamaxi monohull vs cat fiasco 20 years ago, when the judges and lawyers outnumbered the crewmembers, I believe that rules favoring the home team are actually an AC tradition. For a long time a key rule held that the challenger had to be built in the country of challenge, with native materials and crew, and sail across the ocean to the race site. Unfair? America had to meet all those conditions to win the cup the first time, so the rule was merely a continuation of the original conditions. Whether CNEV or GGYC becomes the challenger of record, it will still be Alinghi syndicate's privilege to dictate the terms of the challenge.

So I guess you're right, Guillermo. At some point the lawyers and judges will be finished and someone will dictate a design. Then there will be something relevant and interesting for us to discuss.

[lazeyjack]

Originally Posted by Guillermo;

Stu,
there is a big fight at court which I'm not at all interested about. I'm just waiting for that s**t to end and talk about the new designs, their performance, etc.

By the way: You may Skype me at guillermo.gefaell in office hours. I'll be glad to chat with you.

Cheers.

i added you but can not see you on list, I'm unfamiliar with Skype
Thank you Charlie!!

[RHough]

AC90 Rule

I'd love to hear what the folk here think about it.

[Guillermo]

(Scuttlebutt)
This rule has been crafted over the past six weeks through a design consultation process with all entered challengers, the Defender, and headed by Tom Schnackenberg as the class rule and competition regulations consultant for ACM.

Designers from all six entered teams have met regularly since the design process began on 15 September. Tom Schnackenberg comments on the sessions: "The process has been an invigorating one with the challengers helping enormously in making improvements to the rule. It is amazing how inventive people are in this environment, bouncing ideas off each other, these past six weeks have been a very enjoyable experience."

The AC90 Rule, in brief, will be 90ft overall maximum length, 6.5m in draft whilst racing and will have a displacement of 23tons. This last parameter was defined by the challengers on their request. Tom adds some insight: "In writing the AC90 Rule we have used the experience gained in forming Version 5 of the America's Cup Class rule. We have tried to keep it simple because of the short timeframe, while also taking care not to ignore the lessons of the last 18 years of the ACC. The rule is a box rule rather than a rating rule and differs greatly to Version 5 in that the yacht will be big, fast and much more demanding."

More at: http://33rd.americascup.com/en/index...nt=25&idPage=1

IT'S GOING TO BE FUN!

I hope they'll soon stop struggling at court and concentrate in producing and racing these outstanding machines.

Cheers.

[curridronan]

What a load of you know what, why are they insisting on 23/4 tonne boats! Isnt this the F1 of sailing? 23bloody tonnes! They're never going to move. I know it's tough to expect teams to develope a new boat in two years thats completely different but hey that'd give all the teams a level playing feild and some innovation which is badly needed, Fair innovation at that!
I propose an 80/70 whatever length, LIGHT displacement, semi-planing, canting keel, twin rudder & Canard MODERN yacht. Even just a box rule a la the transpacs, these IACC boats are 20 out of date and plain and simply SLOW! I know the Purists will srgue the fact of prestige and upwind blah blah blah, but come on, the Volvo's were doing 45knots and these 180million developed yachts are doing what, 18 or so max!
Plus they wont race in heavy weather?!
Fair weather Girls I say, sort it out Alinghi!!!

[Vega]

Originally Posted by curridronan

I know the Purists will srgue the fact of prestige and upwind blah blah blah, but come on, the Volvo's were doing 45knots and these 180million developed yachts are doing what, 18 or so max!
Plus they wont race in heavy weather?!
Fair weather Girls I say, sort it out Alinghi!!!

What heavy weather? Do you call a 30k wind... heavy?

[curridronan]

Youre right, they should host it every 2years down by the Cape! Last boat floating!

[RHough]

The VO70's were sailing in areas and in conditions that the AC will never see.

In Valencia this year a VO70 would not have made the semi-finals. A V5 ACC boat would eat it alive in a match race.

Since the likelihood of the AC ever being sailed in a venue that has 30+ knot wind on a regular basis is very slim (no Yacht Club that I know of has such conditions in their home waters), what relevance does the fact that they aren't designed to do so have?

Face the facts, no rule is going to satisfy everyone. Since we have a new rule for the first time in years, why not take a look at it and offer some thought on what the rule allows, what some of the options are, how the new boats will be different than the old boats, how they are going to be similar ..etc.

Save speculation about canards, canting keels, other moving ballast, foils etc for when you have input to the next rule. These ideas have been beaten to death in other AC threads.