ONE COMPOUND FOR EVERYONEProbably the biggest change......that we have put into the "modernized" America's Cup, at least for the pre-regattas or "Acts" as they are now called, is that teams are all together in one "compound" or "paddock" as we would call it in Formula One. This article from the Alinghi website (www.alinghi.com) captures the new spirit and openness this has engendered here in Marseille.
Left to Right: ETNZ, BMW ORACLE and Alinghi side-by-side in Marseille.In Marseille, the America's Class competitors are happy to show off their attributes out of the water, as well as in it… and as a group! There are no skirts here to hide the secrets of keels and hulls, and no separate compounds as there were in New Zealand and San Diego. The teams are sharing the same quayside in the friendliest of atmospheres. It's a real first for these specialist boats, which are more used to being veiled in mystery than revealing all to their opponents. Nevertheless, this complete openness reflects the fact that these boats and their technology date from the last Cup competition at the latest and that, for the moment at least, there are very few secrets to be copied.
"It's interesting to see how the different teams work… It lets you see who is well-organised as well as revealing who is not so well-organised". This insight comes from Bernard Labro, the Team Alinghi Bowman. "I've sailed in 4 Cups, two in San Diego and two in Auckland. But none of them was anything like the way it is here. In San Diego, the team compounds weren't even in the same place. They were in two different bays; one of them for the richest syndicates and the other for everyone else. Each group was really a long way away from the other and the only opportunity we had of meeting in the technical and sporting sense was at the ACDC - "America's Cup Drinking Club" - evenings! In Auckland, the compounds were next to each other, but much more private than they are here. We had less contact with the other teams, because we would arrive at the compound at 6 in the morning and stay there until 8 in the evening, with practically no rest days."
In Marseille, practically all the competitors know each other, mix well, discuss issues freely and can easily see exactly what is going on in the neighbouring team compound. "We've even been known to borrow tools from our opponents", explains Andrew Harral of the shore crew. In the real world, no one has every possible tool they might need, because we're only here for a short while and you can sometimes find that you're missing something. At the same time, we have to be careful who we ask. After all, we don't want everyone knowing what we're up to…" SUI-64 strategist Murray Jones, and Steve Smith of the maintenance team, are enthusiastic about what they see as "a positive development in the competition". There seems to be a new feeling in the air. "It's a lot healthier now that teams are not haunted by the idea that their opponents have a secret weapon. It does away with all the machinations and surprises", explains Hamish Ross, the Team Alinghi Legal Advisor. "All the more so, because here, there is only old technology: even the most modern boats date back to the last Cup… It's also better because the shore team hates all the wrapping up of America's Class boats before the America's Cup. It's a real extra burden for them, because it involves so much more work".The current generation of America's Class boats will therefore remain on open view until 1 January 2006. On that date, competitors will once again be permitted to conceal their boats for nearly 18 months. They will be revealed, together with all their latest secrets, before the first Louis Vuitton race in April 2007.
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One other very significant change is some of the competition is fleet racing instead of match racing (one boat vs. one boat, like a boxing match). Have a great Carlo Borlenghi photo courtesy of ACM from, I believe, the first race yesterday showing four the six boats in the fleet (at this point, ETNZ and Alinghi were just ahead of BMWOR). Will get it uploaded when I can.
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