ROYAL REVIEW

HM King Juan Carlos...



...spent the day yesterday America's Cupping it. Spain's popular monarch, and champion sailor, visited the team bases in the AC Harbour one by one.







Above, our Skipper and CEO, Chris Dickson (far right), escorts HM to our dock. Jane Eagleson, our media relations manager, impressed everyone with her protocol-proper curtsy. Two other good team friends are to her left: marketing director Mirko Groeschner, then logistics manager Grant Davidson.



Below, His Majesty kindly pauses for a quick chat about how similar the AC is becoming to Formula One, and to ask if and when we would be relocating to Spain.







We were the last team he visited. His Majesty then changed into his sailing clothes and raced as "18th crew" with Alinghi in yesterday's first race (AC boats carry 17 crew and may have an 18th, non-racing, guest who rides in the stern and cannot contribute to the racing of the yacht in any way except by moving their weight from side to side).



Unfortunately for HM, Alinghi was beaten rather soundly by Emirates Team New Zealand. ETNZ proved quick in yesterday's light lumpy conditions as they also took a race off us -- but at least ours was a close and exciting match, the best so far of the series. ETNZ, Alinghi and Luna Rossa stand atop the leaderboard with 4 wins each; we have three wins with races against Alinghi and Luna Rossa slated for tomorrow.



Racing for Act 2 concludes on Tuesday. Wednesday is off, then we begin Act 3, which will be seven fleet races over four days.



All told, when Act 3 is done next Sunday, we will have raced 21 races over 15 days -- the most intense period of racing in the 154-year history of the America's Cup.