Fuente info Oracle Racing
ORACLE Racing in final preps for ACWS – Cascais
San Francisco, Monday, August 01, 2011
The regatta pits the U.S. champion team against all of the challengers for the 34th America’s Cup for the first time. And it will demonstrate the vision that has fast-forwarded one of the oldest competitions in sport into a high-seed, innovative and modern event.
ORACLE Racing will field two crews in the event, headed by America’s Cup stars James Spithill and Russell Coutts, respectively the youngest skipper and the most successful skipper in the 160-year history of the event.
“The America's Cup World Series will showcase all of the teams racing right in front of the spectators,” said Coutts, the ORACLE Racing CEO who has won the Cup a record four times. “So I expect fans to see hard, fast and dramatic racing taking place right in front of them.”
Spithill, who was 30 years old when he won the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010, expects a fierce challenge, not just from the competitors but also the conditions. Cascais is renowned as a windy venue, and it’s lived up to that reputation the past few weeks.
“We’ve been looking forward to Cascais for a long time now,” said Spithill of Australia. “We’re very anxious. Obviously, there are some nerves. We want to get out there and have a good result. You have to be consistent and have good team work. These boats reward good team work.”
The team’s two AC45 catamarans arrived last Thursday, July 27, after a 10-day voyage from Savannah, Ga., that wound through Algeciras, Spain, before being trucked overland to Portugal, proof of the smart logistics and easy transportation that were a key part of the AC45 design concept.
The shore crew began assembling the boats over the weekend and preparing for the expected arrival of the sailing team tomorrow.
“It’s about a four-day turnaround from pulling the pieces out of the containers to wheeling the assembled boat out the door for its first sail,” said Wolfgang Chamberlain, ORACLE Racing’s shore team manager in Cascais. “We started on Saturday and the first scheduled day of sailing is Aug. 4, so we’re well on schedule.”
With the regatta set to start Saturday anticipation is building for all involved. The ACWS – Cascais is the first step on the road to the 34th America’s Cup in September 2013 and will be followed by two more events later this year.
ORACLE Racing’s first scheduled sailing day is Thursday, Aug. 4. The regatta begins with three fleet races scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 6.
