Speed to burn, then the bow-in crash.
Friday, October 21, 2005
CRASH AND BURN
This foto of a skiff in Sydney Harbour has to be one of the best C&B sailing pictures in a long time. Check Sailing Anarchy for the entire sequence.
Speed to burn, then the bow-in crash.
Speed to burn, then the bow-in crash.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
DAY AT THE RACES
Many BMW ORACLE Racing team members wear several hats.
My primary job is external affairs -- dealing with the other teams, the organizers, the Challenger Commission, government officials, etc. The other is rules compliance -- being sure our team doesn't break any of the rules (and to see that we have a proper defense if we are protested), and keeping a careful eye on the other teams to be sure they don't break the rules (and being sure the proper action is taken if they do). This also means being involved in the rule-writing process to see that the rules get written properly in the first place -- that they are good for the Cup in general, and do not unduly disadvantage the Challengers and/or our team.
During the Acts, I put on another hat, at least on race days -- helping the Marketing Department with our sponsor fulfillment program. Increasingly our sponsors bring VIP guests -- clients, customers, prospects, agents/dealers, their top sales people, etc.) to enjoy a "day at the races." Most find it a great experience and can't wait to be asked back.
During the six acts this year we have had nearly 3,000 guests. On a race day they arrive at the Team Hospitality Suite around 09:30.
At 10:00 I emcee a 45-minute "Morning Show" that is part introduction to the America's Cup, part update on the 32nd America's Cup, and includes a special feature on our team called "Technology and Teamwork." Usually our Operations Manager, Laurent Esquier, or our Design Coordinator, Ian Burns, gives the Technology presentation, and one of our sailing team, such as Mark Bradford or David Brooke, helps with the teamwork segment.
At 11:00 we head for our two VIP spectator boats, one hosted by Oracle Corp and the other by BMW. We have the PA systems of the two boats wired together by radio so that I can be on the bridge of one and from there do the race commentary for both. And that means talking on and off all afternoon as there are two races to cover most days -- the first from approx 12:15 until 14:15, and the second from approximately 15:00 to 17:00. We are docked and back in the Team Suite with the guests by about 18:00, and if the events of the day are particularly exciting we sometimes do a brief "Evening Show" to give them a recap and any late breaking news.
Add in the normal external affairs work, and writing one or two posts each day (a brief race-day preview every morning and a longer one most evenings) for the team blog, maintaining the Challenger Commission blog, and then sometimes an official dinner of some sort, and they become long days!
But it is good fun, especially when the racing is as exciting as it was in Trapani. We all get a charge -- indeed a big boost -- from the enthusiastic response of the guests to our team and the race day experience. It is also satisfying to see Larry and Ernesto's vision of a modernized, fan- and media-friendly Cup taking shape so well. And to top it off, the sailors love the new format, especially all the racing.
The Technology segment of the "Morning Show," with our Operations Director Laurent Esquier.
HRH Crown Prince Pavlos (GRE) and our long-time friends ISAF President Goran Petersson and his wife Gudron (SWE) during an "Evening Show" at the Malmo Acts.
Wired: On the bridge of the M/Y Zurga, one of two VIP spectator boats our team had at the Trapani Acts. One mic is for Zurga's PA, the other is a private channel radio sending the commentary to our second VIP boat, the M/Y Ava. The laptop displays the "Virtual Eye" race viewer -- a largely accurate 3-D graphic display of the racing. We also gather info for the commentary from ACM's on-course commentators, by monitoring our support boats comms, and from text messages sent by colleagues on other boats and on shore (at the base and media center). Photo courtesy of George Clyde.
My primary job is external affairs -- dealing with the other teams, the organizers, the Challenger Commission, government officials, etc. The other is rules compliance -- being sure our team doesn't break any of the rules (and to see that we have a proper defense if we are protested), and keeping a careful eye on the other teams to be sure they don't break the rules (and being sure the proper action is taken if they do). This also means being involved in the rule-writing process to see that the rules get written properly in the first place -- that they are good for the Cup in general, and do not unduly disadvantage the Challengers and/or our team.
During the Acts, I put on another hat, at least on race days -- helping the Marketing Department with our sponsor fulfillment program. Increasingly our sponsors bring VIP guests -- clients, customers, prospects, agents/dealers, their top sales people, etc.) to enjoy a "day at the races." Most find it a great experience and can't wait to be asked back.
During the six acts this year we have had nearly 3,000 guests. On a race day they arrive at the Team Hospitality Suite around 09:30.
At 10:00 I emcee a 45-minute "Morning Show" that is part introduction to the America's Cup, part update on the 32nd America's Cup, and includes a special feature on our team called "Technology and Teamwork." Usually our Operations Manager, Laurent Esquier, or our Design Coordinator, Ian Burns, gives the Technology presentation, and one of our sailing team, such as Mark Bradford or David Brooke, helps with the teamwork segment.
At 11:00 we head for our two VIP spectator boats, one hosted by Oracle Corp and the other by BMW. We have the PA systems of the two boats wired together by radio so that I can be on the bridge of one and from there do the race commentary for both. And that means talking on and off all afternoon as there are two races to cover most days -- the first from approx 12:15 until 14:15, and the second from approximately 15:00 to 17:00. We are docked and back in the Team Suite with the guests by about 18:00, and if the events of the day are particularly exciting we sometimes do a brief "Evening Show" to give them a recap and any late breaking news.
Add in the normal external affairs work, and writing one or two posts each day (a brief race-day preview every morning and a longer one most evenings) for the team blog, maintaining the Challenger Commission blog, and then sometimes an official dinner of some sort, and they become long days!
But it is good fun, especially when the racing is as exciting as it was in Trapani. We all get a charge -- indeed a big boost -- from the enthusiastic response of the guests to our team and the race day experience. It is also satisfying to see Larry and Ernesto's vision of a modernized, fan- and media-friendly Cup taking shape so well. And to top it off, the sailors love the new format, especially all the racing.
The Technology segment of the "Morning Show," with our Operations Director Laurent Esquier.
HRH Crown Prince Pavlos (GRE) and our long-time friends ISAF President Goran Petersson and his wife Gudron (SWE) during an "Evening Show" at the Malmo Acts.
Wired: On the bridge of the M/Y Zurga, one of two VIP spectator boats our team had at the Trapani Acts. One mic is for Zurga's PA, the other is a private channel radio sending the commentary to our second VIP boat, the M/Y Ava. The laptop displays the "Virtual Eye" race viewer -- a largely accurate 3-D graphic display of the racing. We also gather info for the commentary from ACM's on-course commentators, by monitoring our support boats comms, and from text messages sent by colleagues on other boats and on shore (at the base and media center). Photo courtesy of George Clyde.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
TEAM CULTURE
You may find this morning's post on the BMW ORACLE Racing blogsite interesting if not a bit amusing. Meg held forth last night at our team BBQ, along with quite a number of other kids from team families. Good times. Too bad I only had my phone cam, but amazing how well it works in a pinch.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
RHYME NOR REASON?
According to this morning's Scuttlebutt, no word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
OK, Meg and friends, there's a challenge to make up some rhymes, silly or otherwise (but, please, within reason) that prove otherwise. You might begin by looking here.
Curly girly.
OK, Meg and friends, there's a challenge to make up some rhymes, silly or otherwise (but, please, within reason) that prove otherwise. You might begin by looking here.
Curly girly.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
MY DAUGHTER THE WEBMASTER
Upon returning from Trapani, Meg showed me her new website. A girlfriend at Caxton College, Charlotte Peters, had turned Meg on to www.piczo.com.
Meg says Piczo is easier to use than Blogger. Certainly is more youth-oriented. Lots of colourful bells and whistles.
"With Blogger you have to choose a template," Meg tells me, "but with Piczo you can choose from many different backgrounds and easily move all the text and images around to different spots."
"Dad, it's awesome. Sweet." I guess "cool beans" is out.
This morning at home in Puzol. No school -- it is the Spanish national
holiday, "Dia de las Hispanidad."
Meg says Piczo is easier to use than Blogger. Certainly is more youth-oriented. Lots of colourful bells and whistles.
"With Blogger you have to choose a template," Meg tells me, "but with Piczo you can choose from many different backgrounds and easily move all the text and images around to different spots."
"Dad, it's awesome. Sweet." I guess "cool beans" is out.
This morning at home in Puzol. No school -- it is the Spanish national
holiday, "Dia de las Hispanidad."
Friday, October 7, 2005
WHEN IN ROME
Or, in this case, Sicily....
On the recommendation of a number of friends who had done so while here in Trapani, Sicily for the AC racing, I went to the coiffeur for my first ever shave (by a barber, that is) and lived to tell about it. No one burst through the door and sprayed us with machine gun fire, nor did I get my throat slit. Interesting experience, and at Euro 3.50 one can't complain about the cost. But I think with a little help from Mr Gillette one can do the job just as well or better for next to nothing, and in one-tenth the time.
Sicilian shave.
On the recommendation of a number of friends who had done so while here in Trapani, Sicily for the AC racing, I went to the coiffeur for my first ever shave (by a barber, that is) and lived to tell about it. No one burst through the door and sprayed us with machine gun fire, nor did I get my throat slit. Interesting experience, and at Euro 3.50 one can't complain about the cost. But I think with a little help from Mr Gillette one can do the job just as well or better for next to nothing, and in one-tenth the time.
Sicilian shave.
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