And from Valencia

We've already had stories from Monaco and San Diego today. Now, the latest from Valencia...

BMW ORACLE Racing optimistic following meeting

with Spanish officials and SNG/Alinghi

The Challenger for the 33rd America's Cup, Golden Gate Yacht Club and their team BMW ORACLE Racing, along with the Defender, Alinghi, met with government officials in Valencia on Thursday to kick-off plans for staging the event in the waters of Valencia in February.

Representatives from the city, including Mayoress Rita Barberá, along with senior officials from the regional and national governments, were on hand to begin making plans for all aspects of hosting the event, which is scheduled to start on February 8, 2010.

(Photo from Pierre Orphandis / www.valenciasailing.com)

BMW ORACLE Racing was represented by Grant Davidson (NZL), Tom Ehman (USA), Joaquin Maldanado (ESP), Pablo Mataix (ESP) and Ruiz de Elvira (ESP).

"With the America's Cup Match now less than two months away, we're happy that today, for the first time, the key parties were in the same room discussing what needs to be done to make this a successful event," said Tom Ehman, GGYC spokesman and head of external affairs for BMW ORACLE Racing.

"The discussions were fruitful, we made real progress, and I am optimistic we are on the right track. The February date is fast approaching, but we all want the same thing -- to make this an event worthy of the America's Cup. We all agree that there is a lot of work to do in a very short time. But with Valencia's experience from the 2007 event and working together we can do it.

"We agreed that a number of working parties will be immediately formed, with the relevant people from the Spanish authorities and each of the teams, to tackle the important tasks that need to be completed over the next eight weeks," Ehman said.

San Diego

The Fox 5 webcam is live from the team base in San Diego. The BOR 90 is in view as the team continues packing in preparation for shipping to Valencia in the coming days.

'Mutual Consent' - two beautiful words

Team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL) addressed delegates at the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco on Thursday afternoon, with Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth following in turn. The two principals of the teams who will race in the 33rd America's Cup Match in February each spoke ahead of a larger group discussion about the future of Cup.

On the heels of a magnificent slide show from team photographer Gilles Martin-Raget (FRA), Coutts opened by speaking about the BOR 90, the powerful trimaran his team has designed and built to race in the Match. Featuring for a sail the biggest wing ever built, Coutts called the boat a triumph of imagination, design and engineering. He also paid tribute to Alinghi's catamaran.

"I think in another 100 years, people might look back and see the BOR 90 and Alinghi 5 in the same way we now look at Reliance and Shamrock - as two of the most extreme Cup yachts of all time and landmarks in the Cup's rich history," he said.

He went on to talk about the disputes that have plagued the Cup since July 2007, but paid a personal tribute to Butterworth, his previous tactician, saying: "Throughout these past two years, our team has tried not to personalise our differences. The fact that friendships have remained is a sign of how robust the links are between many of the people at BMW ORACLE and Alinghi. Thank you Brad, for still being Brad."

Looking towards the future, Coutts said establishing neutral management for the event would be critical. In fact, he said, the next America's Cup must be guided by the principles of neutrality, fairness and mutual consent between the Defender and challengers.

"The simplicity of the Deed is its beauty, particularly the words ‘mutual consent’," Coutts noted. "It works.

"The first step to a healthier future has to be truly independent management of the sporting issues. I believe this as does Larry Ellison, who has made a public pledge to have professional and independent management if BMW ORACLE is successful."

This seemed to match up with what the majority of Cup teams want, if the group panel discussion which followed was anything to go by. A point repeated time and again was that the class of boat, for example, should be something the majority of the teams support.

Coutts closed his talk by emphasising that much of what of the America's Cup community wants can be achieved under the terms of the existing Deed of Gift.

"All it takes is a commitment to Mutual Consent. The two most beautiful words in the Deed of Gift."

More from Munich

Some more feedback from the BMW technology workshop in Munich. This from Gian Luca Pasini and La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

As well as a couple of more images from the conference that have come in from BMW.

Team CEO Russell Coutts is now in Monaco for the World Yacht Racing Forum, and we'll have a report from there later this week.

After the rain

Seems it never rains in Southern California
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California
But girl, don't they warn ya
It pours man it pours – Albert Hammond

[We've had this come in from the San Diego branch, where heavy rains have challenged the pack-up crew... Thanks to Stephen Barclay (NZL) for the report].

We arrived at the base this morning (Tuesday) to pools of water after receiving over four inches of rain to start the week.  VERY un-San Diego!!

(The barge in the foreground will be used to transport containers out to the cargo ship, which will use its own crane to load from the barge to the ship)

But despite the weather, the pack-up continues. The number of team members in town is dropping as designers and sailors leave for a well-earned break.  As usual, the boat-builders and shore team will be the last to leave and the first to return.

The BOR 90 is being prepared for shipping and is scheduled to depart San Diego next week, bound for Valencia.

Munich

A big day for the team in Munich on Tuesday. As referenced earlier, BMW held a 'technology workshop' for the media with several members of the team at the BMW Welt in Munich. 50 media representing eight countries were present.

They were treated to exclusive insights on the technology behind the BMW ORACLE Racing team's campaign for the 33rd America's Cup.

Team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL) gave a talk entitled 'Dare to dream', speaking about what happens when talented designers are given the freedom to 'play in the sandbox' in the open design space of a Deed of Gift challenge.

And design coordinator Ian 'Fresh' Burns (AUS) gave his insight into the risk vs. reward balance the team is attempting to strike as the Match draws near.

The assembled media also enjoyed presentations from Joseph Ozanne (FRA) the leader of the wing project, who you've seen on the blog and YouTube before, Thomas Hahn (GER) and Christoph Erbelding (GER), two structural and aeronautical engineers with the BMW Group who have worked with the AC design team since 2004, and Francesco Pozzi, an expert in hydraulic systems and winches who led the engine project. Tom Ehman (USA) did a sterling job as master of ceremonies.

Standing out as a highlight on the day was a spectacular slide show put together by team photographer Gilles Martin-Raget (FRA), which documented the progress of the team over the course of 2009. We'll be sure to bring you that here on the blog later this week.

And John von Seeburg and his team put together some impressive videos. Here's the one used to set the mood for the day.



It didn't take long for word from Munich to filter out into the media world. Stuart Alexander, writing for The Independent newspaper in the UK filed this report, including an audio interview with Russell Coutts, within a few minutes of the close of play today.

Of course, we have to acknowledge our friends at BMW who pulled the day together. And a big thanks was also extended by Russell and the other presenters, acknowledging how important the support of BMW has been to the team through what has been a very challenging AC campaign. It's great to have friends like that when you need them most. Our thanks to all involved.

Wet days

Yesterday we had snow in Nevada. Today, it's rain in San Diego and Munich. After going almost completely without rain for the past six months in San Diego, on Monday, the heavens opened, making for unpleasant working conditions for the team on pack-up duty. It must be time to leave.

(Rain makes it way into the tent in San Diego and under the wing which is being prepared for transport)

Similar weather in Munich, where the PR and media team is at BMW Welt, where BMW is hosting a technology workshop featuring team CEO Russell Coutts along with a handful of design team members.

We'll have more from Munich, and the BMW technology workshop, later today.