NICE LETTER FROM AN OLD FRIEND

Leeds Mitchell Writes to 'Butt about the UBS Trophy







LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com)



* From Leeds Mitchell, Barrington, RI: This past week, I had the opportunity to watch the UBS races in Newport, RI in two venues. On Tuesday and Thursday, we watched from Fort Adams, Saturday, we had the pleasure of being aboard Ticonderoga, an experience in itself.



Having been a spectator and sightseeing boat operator at Cup races in Newport before "the loss," I could experience the difference, and what a difference it was. Where else in international yacht racing would you have the R/C on the VHF keeping the spectators up to date on the action? Where else could you watch the races from land, close enough to see the faces of the crew? Where else would you have a fleet of patrol boats professionally run and with a positive attitude not yelling at you, but asking you to observe the limits of travel near the competitors? Where else would you have professional commentators on AM radio, in a boat near the competitors, and on site at Fort Adams, providing commentary, humor, advice, and entertainment? We had it all here in Newport, even with unfettered access to the boats and crew at Newport Shipyard. Gone are the beefy guards, (except when the Cup was on display), gone was the elitist attitude towards all except the inner circle.



Anyone connected with the organization and execution of this event deserve more accolades than available for quite possibly changing sailboat racing from merely a competition between boats to a true, existing, engrossing spectator sport. These folks have shown that our sport of sailboat racing can be, and should be, something for all to enjoy. I can't wait for the next event run by them. I'll be there.

LAY DAY IN NEWPORT



Wednesday last week was the UBS Trophy "lay day" (day off from racing) so I took the gang of five for a tour of Newport and then rented two J/22s from Sail Newport. We did a harbour cruise until the seabreeze asserted, then had a fine afternoon of sailing out on Narragansett Bay past Hammersmith Farm (Jackie's family home where JFK had his "Summer Whitehouse"), over to Clingstone (the house perched on the rock near Jamestown), and a flyby past New York Yacht Club's spectacular Newport clubhouse, "Harbour Court" (the old Brown Mansion).

The photo above of Paul, Colleen (see below) and myself was taken by Barb Johnson who was sailing on the other J/22 with Tom Sr and Lynn. Notice, please, that we did all have our life jackets on as required by the Sail Newport rules, nor is there any evidence of alchohol on board.

UBS TROPHY
Spectacular Regatta Ends with BMOR Wins

BMW ORACLE Racing won both the owner-driver and pro-driver series with two wins on the final day of racing in Newport on Saturday.

Am back home in Hamburg now (Monday afternoon) tired but elated with the success of the regatta, both on and off the water. Here is a spectaular photo captured by one of the gang of five attending from Ann Arbor, Barb Johnson. And I haven't seen this shot from any of the many pro photogs who were covering the event. Nice work, Barb!



The incident was perhaps the most exciting, and scary, moment of the week. BMOR rounded the windward mark barely ahead of Alinghi, and our kite exploded when it filled in the strong winds of that afternoon. Moments after this shot was taken, Alinghi's kite filled, then they were luffed by our guys, Alinghi's kite also exploded, our bowman was thrown overboard, Alinghi was penalized for failing to keep clear of us, and we were given a penalty for using outside assistance (our chase boat) to pluck our bowman out of the water and return him, fortunately unharmed, to the boat. As in hockey, penalties are offsetting (cancel out), and it was an exciting and very close race to the finish, won by BMOR.

COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER....





Alinghi's bowman Dean Phipps and BMW ORACLE'S Brad Webb eyeing the starting line, and each other, at the start of Sunday's Race 3.





A terrific letter in this morning's Scuttlebutt about the UBS Trophy here in Newport:



* From Larry Pierce: This Saturday my family and I were in Newport where we moor our boat. We thought it would be interesting to watch the UBS Trophy so we motored out of the harbor (10 minutes) and the 2 behemoths were just about to duke it out. It was a blustery, crystal clear, day with the SW sea breeze losing domination to a NW breeze filling from a frontal passage.



In our immediate visage were at least a dozen perfectly restored 12 meters sailing around, J Class Endeavor, a Portuguese tall ship, countless mega yachts, and the Quonset Air Show overhead with the Blue Angels performing death-defying formations above. The 2 AC class monsters were so close that I thought we would be run through when I misjudged where to position my boat to watch the event. The magnificent Newport bridge to was to starboard, historic Fort Adams to port, mansions dotting the coastline and plenty of enthusiasm left in the fleet of spectators even though much of the harbor had left the previous day for the Newport Bermuda race.



Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe how lucky I am to be born near the epicenter of sailing in the US. What a spectacle! I have been fortunate to visit many a harbor here and abroad but nothing compares to Newport, RI.

Nice AP Photo







The BMW-Oracle Racing yacht sails along the waters in Newport, Monday. The BMW-Oracle and the Alinghi will be in a week-long regatta off Newport's Fort Adams State Park. The exhibition races, which have no effect on standings in the America's Cup competition, mark the first time since 1983 that Newport has hosted this style of match racing. (AP Photo)

NEW AC LOGO



Hello from Newport where it has been a bit hectic the past week getting ready for the UBS Trophy exhibition regatta (vs. Alinghi) which begins Saturday. Sorry for the lack of posts but will try to make up for that in the next days.



(Tom Sr, Lynn, Paul, Barb Johnson and Colleen Hughes will arrive from Ann Arbor on Sunday evening and stay through Thursday morning.)



In the meantime ACM (America's Cup Management, the newly created central organizing authority for the next Cup) has released the AC 32 logo. Here it is with an explanation of what they are trying to achieve with it. Reactions?







"There will be no second ..." (06/15/04)

(source : AC Management)



With the first races of the 32nd America’s Cup looming just over the horizon in September, a bold, new brand identity for the America’s Cup has been unveiled today on the official website of the Cup.



‘The Blazing Cup’ is an incarnation of the passion, the prestige, and the fascination with the duel that is at the heart of the America’s Cup. Flames, sparked from two duelling yachts at the base of the Cup spiral up along its edge, symbolising the intensity and passion of the drama that is the America’s Cup.



‘The Blazing Cup’, the brand architecture and the visual identity of the 32nd America’s Cup was created by Dragon Rouge, a European design and creative agency that was established in Paris by Pierre Cazaux and Patrick Veyssière 20 years ago.





"AC Management is very proud of the brand identity developed in collaboration with the team from Dragon Rouge. The identity developed completely captures the passion and spirit of the whole America’s Cup story, both from the past, and towards the future," said Margrethe van der Stroom Holdener, Director of Marketing and Business for AC Management. "I really think that this is the ultimate expression for the 32nd America’s Cup."