Two bullets for BMW Oracle Racing

After a day of big breeze on waters of Marseilles for Act 1 of the America's Cup

It was another day of sunshine and moderate increasing to strong winds off the Mediterranean coast of Marseille, France. However, the wind didn’t get up quite so much today, enabling two races to be held.

Peter Holmberg commented that the Alinghi boat SUI 64 “is a more friendly boat to drive” than his former mount BMW Oracle Racing's USA76. However, he agreed with BMW Oracle Racing helm Gavin Brady that “any America’s Cup boat in 25 knots becomes a scary thing.”

The teams were in for more scary stuff today as the wind got up from 12-14 knots to 20 in the first race and then increased further to 28 knots in the second race. Both races were held over two upwind/downwind sausage-style courses.

Once again the same three boats pulled out on top in the racing. Compared with Alinghi’s turnout in Newport, Holmberg said “I asked, for my benefit to bring back the old team, and asked the new recruits to give us a chance to help me get going. So we put as much stability back in the boat as we can. We’ve reverted back to the old squad that won the Cup. That’s allowed us to settle in and feel comfortable. I think we’re back on our feet.”

Off the first start it was neck and neck between BMW Oracle Racing and Alinghi. Finally, on the second beat, Alinghi was able to come back on starboard ahead of Oracle BMW Racing, but was then given a penalty for being judged to have tacked too close to BMW Oracle Racing. The resulting immediate penalty turn placed Alinghi behind both BMW Oracle Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, which had remained in contention in third place throughout the race. The places then stayed in this order to the finish.

The really impressive team in this event, though, is the South African challenge. In their first time at an America’s Cup event, many of the crew’s first visit to Europe and having had very little time big boat sailing all-up, they fought K-Challenge for fourth place in the first race today. Ahead for most of the race, Shosholoza was being caught by K-Challenge towards the end of the final leg. Skipper Geoff Meek luffed, K-Challenge lost control of the kite, and Shosholoza was able to maintain fourth position to the end of the race.

Le Defi once more had a catalogue of gear issues today, including blowing out a genoa on the first beat and breaking a spinnaker sheet later on, and brought to six the total number of kites blown out in three days of racing. Many of the problems result from ropes tearing apart. “We didn’t expect so many breakages”, said helmsman Philippe Presti. “Otherwise we are very happy on the water. It’s a great show - a great spectacle. We’re happy to be here”, he added.

It was marginal to hold the second race as the wind was increasing. The top mark was close to the shore, giving potentially dangerous, puffy, conditions, as Kiki (Christian Karcher of Alinghi) commented. This was where Le Defi lost their sixth spinnaker. Prior to this, Le Defi had been up fighting for third place in this last fleet race.

Alinghi rounded the first top mark first but BMW Oracle Racing was able to use the puffs better downwind to get an overlap at the bottom mark. This situation, with Emirates Team New Zealand once more close behind, led to a three-way tacking battle up the second beat. However, the placings did not alter and BMW Oracle Racing won its third race in a row, followed by Alinghi and Emirates Team New Zealand. K-Challenge was clear in fourth place. Since Shosholoza was wary of the conditions to the extent of not
putting up a spinnaker in this last race, Le Defi was able to finish fifth, rather than last, in this fourth fleet race.

BMW Oracle Racing has probably done the most practicing on a race-ready boat for this event, even if this was mostly at another venue. Alinghi had hardly practiced at all. Emirates Team New Zealand has a new gathering of people aboard, the new K-Challenge and Shosholoza teams are getting used to second-hand boats (which arrived only four days before the regatta in the case of the French) and new people and Le Defi is scraping by on next to no funds.

Jochen Schuemann, Sports Director of Alinghi, commented that Alinghi’s aim to have three helmsman, which was to be himself, Coutts and Holmberg, was still in place, so they are looking for the right third helmsman to join the team since the departure of Coutts. Who will this be, we wonder?

There is a lay-day tomorrow before the second half of the first Act commences with match racing between the boats on Thursday.

Results at the end of fleet racing

1. BMW Oracle Racing, 22 points (3,1,1,1)
2. Alinghi, 20 points (1,2,3,2)
3. Emirates Team New Zealand, 18 points (2,3,2,3)
4. K-Challenge, 11 points (4,4,5,4)
5. Shosholoza, 8 points (5,5,4,6)
6. Le Defi, 5 points (6,6,6,5)

More photos on the following pages...