Starbucks

Valencia now has not one but two Starbucks. We paid a quick visit to the newest one on Sunday when touring Rachel around downtown. Rachel has lived all her life in the USA, has even been to Seattle, but, LOL, the first time she went to a Starbucks was today in Spain....

Parting Shots

We enjoyed very much having Rachel here with us these past few days. I put her on the plane this morning bound for Frankfurt (GER) via Madrid. She will train to Karlsruhe and stay with "Aunt Cristine" for a few days, then on Friday head to Bitburg to visit a friend of hers stationed at the US Air Force base there.

On Sunday Rachel flies home to Michigan, having completed a whirlwind European trip -- her first. A few of the many shots Rachel took over the past couple days that she asked be posted here....

Yesterday, Rachel and Leslie strolled on the Puzol town beach, near our home. The beaut early summer weather we enjoyed over the weekend continues this week with temps in the 70s.

The view from the Puzol beach erosion-prevention pier that also doubles as a fishing pier. The homes up on the hill, more or less behind the foot of the pier, is our neighborhood.

Valencia's bull ring.

Sunday evening, "Uncle Tom" at home in the family cabin. Am just leaving to drive the 20 mins or so into Valencia to give another talk at the team base for a group from BMW.

AC TV

The America's Cup will be carried on the Versus network (formerly OLN) in and around the USA. I just posted a story about ACTV and Versus on the Challenger Commission Blog.

For those of you in and near Ann Arbor, Versus says this is where you can find them on your TV dial:

Comcast - Ann Arbor		Channel number 71
Comcast - Ann Arbor (Digital)		Channel number 71
DIRECTV Detroit - Detroit		Channel number 608
DISH Detroit - Detroit		Channel number 151
DIRECTV - USA		Channel number 608
DISH Network - USA		Channel number 151

Others of you in North America can find your Versus channel here.

Marketing Minds

Two of TFE's good Cup friends, who are themselves close friends -- Mirko Groeschner (GER) and Lars Boecking (GER), respectively the marketing directors for BMW ORACLE Racing and Shosholoza, and two of the top marketing minds in the sport. TFE photo.

For Grandma Jan and Sister Ruth

Saturday evening "deener" at Casa Ehman. Nice Argentine beef marinated by Leslie and grilled to near perfektion on the barbecue.



Meg and Rachel in front of USA-61, the 2000-era Cup boat now used as a "show boat", outside of the BMW ORACLE Team Base in the Port America's Cup in Valencia on Sunday.



To think that TFE Sr and Jan are only 20 years older than Jr, yet Jr is 40 years older than Meg. Yikes, Meg, you got old-fart parents! Photo by Rachel.

Carrot Fibre Boats?

A piece your Ed. posted over on the Challenger Commission Blog a week or so back that you might enjoy....


Maybe this latest tech development is why the British have decided to Challenge for the next America's Cup? We are checking with Andy Green (GBR), but in the meantime....

According to press reports over the weekend, scientists in Scotland have developed a revolutionary new material called CurranTM, made from microscopic fibres extracted from carrots. Similar to carbon fibre, it is lighter, stronger and can be moulded into almost any shape when it is combined with special resins.

Your Ed. has been copied on an email to ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine asking if this new exotic fibre would be legal under the current (Version 5) of the Class Rule. The email was from a senior (at least in terms of age if not also stature) member of the Challenger Commission, who wishes to remain anonymous so as not to embarrass his/her team give away any of his/her team's potential design developments.

Mr. McAlpine's terse reply said that he would take it up with the Measurement Committee. He did add that perhaps aging members of the Challenger Commission, including your Ed., should continue to eat their carrots for the sake of their eyesight and lower tracts.

These carrot fibre press reports have also brought renewed attention to other low tech health benefits of this potentially high tech vegetable. Indeed, one hears ACM is considering opening up yet another restaurant in the Port America's Cup -- this one to specialize in dishes using Valencia's second-leading (only to oranges) agri-produce, arroz, which can be combined with the orange legume to make carrot-fiber treats.

Maybe this development will bring Andrew "Carrot Top" Johns (NZL, legal advisor to the 1988 Big Boat Challenge, and now a successful vegetable farmer) out of retirement.

One thing seems certain -- America's Cup teams from countries with a rich agricultural industry will be rooting for this new material.

Full story

Blogging Up the Wrong Tree?

P.S. Meg suggested a new title for this post -- "Your Blog is Worse than Your Bite."

Self-portrait

Photo Meg took of herself just playing around with Rachel's nice Canon A630 digicam at the dinner table last evening.

Rachel Arrives in VLC

Sister Ruth's oldest, Rachel, arrived in VLC this evening after an overnight flight from Detroit to Frankfurt, and then connecting through Madrid -- her first trip to Europe. Rachel took the 20-hour journey in stride and was none the worse for wear. Tonight, after raising a glass at dinner to the memory of "Aunt Ethel" (Rachel's grandmother -- see previous post) we got Grandma Jan on the speakerphone....

"Aunt Ethel" Stevens, 1919-2007

We are profoundly saddened by the passing of "Aunt Ethel" Stevens, aged 88, in Chelsea, MI this morning after a long illness. Ethel shared a 31 January birthday with Grandma Jan, and they were close friends for over 50 years. Ethel was grandmother to sister Ruth Ehman's four kids (Meg's cousins). Her late husband, Commodore W. Robert Stevens, was one of the founding members of Portage Yacht Club. A simply delightful lady, she was universally popular among, and treasured by, our extended family. A celebration of her life will take place at Portage Lake in July.

Grandma Jan (left, Tom's mom and Meg's grandmother), Kathy Wilson Leonard (center, Leslie's older sister), and "Aunt Ethel" Stevens at Ethel's 85th, and Jan's 70th, birthday party at PYC on 31 January 2004.

Ann Arbor's AC Team?

If for some odd reason our family and friends in A2 do not want to get behind and cheer for the "home" America's Cup team, the USA's BMW ORACLE Racing, then maybe you will find reason to back Sweden's Victory Challenge. From this morning's issue of the popular sailing newsletter Scuttlebutt....

* The Victory Challenge’s new America’s Cup boat, SWE 96, has been named Järv, or wolverine in English. The wolverine is one of the least known predators which is remarkably strong for its size and often described as cunning. By naming SWE 96 Järv, Victory Challenge continues its tradition of giving their America’s Cup boats names from nature. The two boats built in Auckland, SWE 63 and SWE 73 were called Örn, eagle, and Orm , snake. -- http://www.victorychallenge.com



Järv, training off Valencia against one of Victory's 2003 Cup boats in recent days. Photo: Victory Challenge.



Järv (upper right corner) was christened last night at a raging party, sponsored by title partner Red Bull, at their team base in Valencia. Photo: TFE.



You Univ of Mich fans will even appreciate the colors of the Swedish
national flag.

Mystery Music Man

Speaking of making music, this snap was taken in a bar here in VLC just before Christmas. Four of us had been asked to sit in for one set with the mystery man in the middle -- a semi-celebrity on his way up whose reputation we did not want to tarnish by blogging him playing with amateurs! Visible, from left: Carmen Hidalgo (ESP), Beatriz Pastor (ESP), TFE and BMW ORACLE Racing colleague Jane Eagleson (USA).

In Too Deep

After a Saturday night sleepover, band practice at our home this morning. From left Meg, Hayley Braun (USA), Rebecca Norberg (SWE), whose father sails with United Internet Germany), and Rosie Huhtamaki (FIN). Yesterday we re-arranged the living room furniture to accommodate a bandstand with a café ambience.



Name of the fledgling combo: "In Too Deep" (we won't ask). When we took this snap they were working up their first original song, yet to be named, written by Meg. No doubt about love and teenage angst. Yesterday, they were in town at the Aqua Mall all afternoon, at the teen nightclub "Guru" until 2300, then watched movies here at Casa Ehman until the wee hours. Not pictured, posse members Meggie Davison (AUS/NZL) whose dad sails with Alinghi, and Mikkel Bank (DEN), whose dad skippers United Internet Team Germany.