AMERICA'S CUP : SEE YOU IN CANNES IN JULY 2008 !...

OK, America’s Cup 33 is dead. At least the one imagined by SNG, ACM, Alinghi and signed by their Desafio español friends, a challenger who have been uncapable to find a proper Yacht Club to support its action since 4 years now. Incidentally, it is this precise problem that has made the court action by BMW ORACLE possible, so the real fault of Alinghi was not to publish a one sided protocol – It is the defender, it’s America’s Cup, so what ? - but to do it without looking closely at the legal validity of their choosen challenger before going to war. Huge mistake !...

AC 33 protocol as published in july was a war declaration. When you know the total fighting spirit that prevails in AC circles were any smallest feature is a potential way of demolishing the opposition, this protocol was incredible to read. It was litterally falling off your hands and the only question at every line was “Why do they want do that ?...”. And each time the obvious anwer was : “To keep the Cup”. Even if the swiss later gave some explanations which were much more practical on certain points. But as they failed to communicate well and explain the reasons of their choices immediately, then it was too late, the war was on.





OK, now the decision for the immediate future will come from New York court. If Alinghi wins, BMW ORACLE will just have two choices : make an appeal, and this bring the whole thing in a 3 years procedure, so forget the America’s Cup for 10 years. Other possibility is that they will challenge like 6 challengers have done so far, and AC 33 as visioned by the swiss can start again. It could be held in Valencia, sailed on AC 90, but not in 2009.
Now if BMW ORACLE wins in New York, two choices again, as the swiss said they would not appeal. First one : BMOR ask the swiss to negociate a new protocol, with new dates, format, type of boat. This version could also be held in Valencia in 2010/2011, eventually on AC 90 yachts with a largely amended protocol giving more power to the challengers. But if Alinghi/SNG refuses to negociate anything, that’s becoming interesting !...
It will be down to a “Strict Deed of Gift America’s Cup” as in 1988 when both parties had no agreement on anything. The challenger will come with its boat, the defender will have his one, they can be totally different, and there will be 3 races.





But there is a difference from 88 : San Diego Yacht Club was established on the sea, so there were no questions about where to organise the races, which is not the case with SNG, established on a lake. So where the cup in 2008 would take place ?... Where the SNG organise its annual race on an arm of the sea, and that is...Cannes, south of France. If Alinghi does not want to have a mutual consent on anything, even the venue, that’s in Cannes bay where the start will be given july 4th 2008. Book your hotel now !...





And the boats ?... That’s the enthusiastic part of the thing : finally we will have the fastest possible boats in the world sailing in the America’s Cup. Hydroptere ? Catamaran with foils ? Trimaran with foils ? Pure small foiler ? with rig ? soft sails ? rigid sails ? kite sails ? The fastest size would not necessarily be at 90 ft. No sail limitation, no crew limitation, nothing. Just do the fastest sailing machine in the world. And with the ressources of both billionaires, I can tell you : it will be very very very interesting to discover their technical choices, knowing that there is a very limited time to builtd (is it worth to build something from scratch ?... od adapt an existing platform ?) and train.

Hopefully we’ll won’t have ISAF to do anything with it !...

By the way, “L’Hydroptere” which is now supported by a swiss armateur and close to EPFL - the top technical school in Switzerland largely associated with previous Alinghi efforts - on its technical side is now under major surgery. Anything to do with AC ?... Of course not...

And, also, there is a bunch of totally fast, spectacular, and immediatly operational 60 ft ORMA trimarans not really having a racing program for next year... Unfortunately, none of them have been built in the country of origin of the two protagonists, so they can’t race in the match, unless that obligation of the Deed is removed by mutual consent... Keep dreaming, baby !...

BAD KARMA

What’s happening ? Do we have a specific solar erruption for the sailing world only ? Is the sport of sailing now reaching such a momentum that it can only destroy itself with bad moves and wrong decisions ? If you pile up the news of recent weeks, with the complete mess in which America’s Cup have put itself in, the totally stupid decision of ISAF regarding classes that will be used in the 2012 Olymic games, the last race of the 60ft multihulls in Transat Jacques Vabre, a race which, at the moment, will have no more boats to send across the atlantic in 2 years time as IMOCA decide to do something else (which does’nt exist now...) and Class 40 being crossed against the organisation, if you look at those two races – Jacques Vabre and Barcelona World Race - that send racing offshore the same type of boat within an height days interval, well you can only conclude that something is strongly wrong in our sport. Oh yes, I could also add the jury result for Rolex yachman of the year award. Nothing to say for Claire Leroy and crew for being awarded, but, frankly, even if Ed Baird is a great sailor who did a fantastic job behind Alinghi wheel and has a stong carrer, what Ronan Veal have done for sailing at large in promoting foiled sailing with his moth will let much more memories and led to more drastic changes in our sport.

Well, America’s Cup ?... Not sure who is really responsible on defender side, but Mr Bertarelli will stay in the history as the man who have been able to destroy the most quickly the most expensive billionaire toy. From the splendid situation where we were at the last race of the incredible final of this event followed by thousands of people on site and through the media, we have now reached ground zero in just 3 months time. Worse : I have the solid feeling that people who are pursuing an America’s Cup carreer are now doing it only for the money, not for the interest of the sport. Even if a new boat comes. They won’t be as fast as Alfa Romeo or Wild Oats. And AC reputation is going worse and worse in the regular sailing world.

People around me knows I am an America’s Cup fan, they just ask politely : “When is the next one ? still in Valencia ? “ but you can feel that they really just don’t care. What can I answer ? “Well, you know, in fact, there is a little legal problem, it could be anywhere next year on big multihulls only between Alinghi and Oracle, but also in 2009, or in 2011”. I am happy I don’t have to sell that to a potential sponsor !...

And ISAF : I am wondering if those people voting against a multihull in the games are going in the sailing clubs to see how are doing young kids who just want to have speed and fun. I am wondering if they even know about those F18 events when hundred of families come and go racing, just to have fun, sail fast, on an energetic boat. Sailing is a leasure sport, it should be fun, full of emotions, sensations, physical activity. It should be modern, appealing. If you say to young guys and girls, the best you can do for your future career is dive in a rule book to learn match racing that will prevent you to the joy of speed and fleet racing, they’ll just say “beurk” and go away.

So basically, ISAF is not only uncapable to take care of the most visible events in our sport (do they have something to do with ocean racing ? America’s Cup ? just doing the rules and sleeping in the jury room, I’am afraid...) but also make the part it is historically in charge – dinghy sailing/olympic games - as unattractive as possible for the future generations of sailing fans. Really, it is a shame.

THE LAST DANCE

Sad ! sad ! sad ! So sad that the wind itself did not show up for what was almost certainly the last start of an 60ft Orma trimaran race, the Transat Jacques Vabre starting from le Havre. What a shame !... How is it possible that this formidable fleet that was still racing 2 years ago with the most performing offshore boats in the world - by far !...- is now reduced to 4 with the terrible prospect that non of them will be racing anymore ?...

I see two mains reasons : it was too expensive, far too expensive, at least for the media exposure given to the sponsors in return. And, more difficult to admit, all the people involved in the fleet, sponsors, race organisers, sailors, designers, have collectively failed to develop their sport at a point that even the young sailors that try to make a professional career prefer to think to a Vendée Globe than to multihull racing. Too expensive, too exclusive, too french, too everything and not enough management.

So goodbye those fantastic reaches bow to stern at more than 35 knots, goodbye those spectacular mark roundings with crew grabing what they can when the windward float was 15 m up in the air, no more formidable upwind legs at 17 knots, finished those crazy accelerations when the boats were bearing off at the windward mark like rockets.

For having the great privilege to take photos of those boats for years, I can tell you that nothing, really nothing can be as wild as racing aboard a 60 ft multihull in stong breeze. The only thing you are concentrated on is to hold on to avoid to be thrown away by the next wave. Those guy who were sailing those machine are really incredible sailors, especially those crazy ones who were racing them singlehanded. And don't even t think that they were doing so at night with zero visibility...

Now, what's the future ?... As the people who were in this circuit for years cannot live without multihull racing, they are now trying to set a new circuit with 70 ft one design with severe cost limitations, technical ruling to make the boats more reliables, safer, and with some rules, format and planning to attract racing sailors from all around the world. Let's hope they will succeed and that we'll see new offshore racing multihulls soon.

Never seen that in 25 years at sea !...

If I say : " I've never seen such a hail squall since 25 years or so I've been doing this job of marine photography", you will think :" Mmh, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, or doen't go that often at sea, or he speaks too loud".

Okay.

But when, speaking of the same event that happened during the 3rd day of racing of the 2007 Régates Royales sailed in Cannes (FRA), Dennis Conner himself who was attending onboard his beautiful restored Cuttom Blossom writes : "The hail was the worst I have ever experienced! It really hurt and I was concerned about the damage to the varnish with marble size rocks falling from the heavens. We could not see, like being in a snow storm. We started the motor and dropped the main with no real drama. I ordered the life jackets and many went below for shelter. I did not have my gear on and was quickly freezing. It would have been good for the rum and coke as the cockpit was quickly covered with ice!!! "

So, on our press boat it was about the same except I was rather concerned about my camera equipment than for the varnish of our Protector rib which does'nt have any.

I use to say that never a photo is worth to kill your equipment because maybe you'll need it the next hour for something even better, and definitely the next day for a more regular work, but I have to admit that this time I pushed the envelop a bit further...

In fact, hail is not exactly water, so bending over your camera to protect it and offering your back to the wind and the stones, you can shoot. Well, more or less... But after all, it's clear water, and a good rince for the usual salted water that damage every day those precious bodies and lenses.

In fact, it was a so strong moment that you say to yourself "I have to shoot, I have to shoot.", noticing in the same time that this F... hail is starting to hurt your head !... Yes, but the point is that the nice classic Yachts fleet that was under ours eyes two minutes before just vanished in the fog and we could hardly see any boat around us, knowing that they were so close anyway !...

Hopefully few of them came in our direction, and it was obvious that they were not quite in good shape nor knowing exactly where they were heading to.

Great sailing moment, anyway. One of those that you remember for years. That's why I love sailing and being at sea. It's sometimes so uncomfortable, so crazy, so frightening that you're finally happy to be able to go through it.

TP 52 / COPA DEL REY / PALMA DE MALLORCA : ULTIMATE RACING IN STYLE !...

This is the most fashionable circuit with all the international stars of Yachting racing neck to neck on nearly equal 52 fast footers.

25 boats sailed by crew of 16, a very professional organisation and setting, many sponsors, top skippers including Cayard, Coutts, Vascotto, Schümann, Peponnet, Kostecki, Cutler among others, high level crews coming directly from Valencia and incredibly close starts and mark rounding.

All that make very very spectacular images, even more when shot from onboard as I have been lucky to sail on two different boats during training races. A royal flair was added with the presence onboard the boats of nearly all members of royal family of Spain.

Trust me : it's a big thing with reports on every TV channel and all newspapers front pages in spain which is definitely one of the - if not THE - most active nation in sailing today.

Bravo Bruno and Laurie !...

French America's Cup former skipper, Louis Vuitton Cup organizer for many years, Bruno Trouble and NZ naval designer Laurie Davidson have been inducted in the America's Cup Hall of Fame during a elegant and fancy party at the city of Art. Those two big personalities more than deserved this honor, and the place was packed with the core of America's Cup true personalities - except Dennis Conner - that have been making the recent history of the Cup. Bruno took this occasion to remember that the cup should not be only a commercial event but should preserve its elegance, tradition and sportmanship. Anything to do with ACM ?...

1-1 : so what ?...

So, 1-1, and what's new in the America's Cup world ? There is one big new which is Alinghi stopped to ridiculize its opponent along the 300 meters that follow the starting line. Finished those little extra degrees stolen to the wind with an equal speed that were killing the opposition whenever wherever the swiss crew decided to since 4 years now. So the game in this 32nd America's Cup is definitely open, with two formidable teams going at each other without gloves. It's good news for the sport, it's good news for the event, it's good news for sailing at large. As for the things to come, the first two races have proved that maybe Alingi would have an edge with more wind (definitely a little stiffer, probably due to its hull shape which is a bit larger than ETNZ one + sails shape that goes accordingly), when ETNZ would probably prefer light wind and also the chop. So we are back to where we were during the Louis Vuitton final stages : awfully close race where the only one mistake, or wrong tactical choice, or unexpected wind shift, or unlucky puff distribution changes the result. Are we talking about chance ?...

Few people around...

It's sunday, nice weather, and the America's Cup in town. That's the result seen from the air. Look at those super yacht packed at the entrance of Port America's Cup queuing like vulgar cars coming back from the week-end !...