America's Cup

[Mid]

so Chris Dickson steps off ............................

too little too late .

[Mid]

deafening silence as BMWO aka USA bow OUT .................

[sceadugenga]

My nephew's been in Spain working for the Oracle syndicate as a sail maker. At the end of the tournament he was to go straight into a contract with Ericsson getting their boat ready for the round the world race. He then has a position on the crew for the race. The pinnacle so far of the career of a young yachting mad lad from South Australia.

As disappointed as he will be in the weeks events it may still give him a chance to get home with the family for a few weeks before he heads to the Canary Islands to start his next job. I know his mother will be pleased to see him, apart from anything else she has the unenviable task of sorting out his bank accounts and taxation with an income that can be paid in three or four different currencies a year.

[Old Croc]

My interest in The America's Cup sunk about the same time as "Oneaustralia" in 1995!

[Mid]

My nephew's been in Spain working for the Oracle syndicate as a sail maker. At the end of the tournament he was to go straight into a contract with Ericsson getting their boat ready for the round the world race. He then has a position on the crew for the race. The pinnacle so far of the career of a young yachting mad lad from South Australia.

As disappointed as he will be in the weeks events it may still give him a chance to get home with the family for a few weeks before he heads to the Canary Islands to start his next job. I know his mother will be pleased to see him, apart from anything else she has the unenviable task of sorting out his bank accounts and taxation with an income that can be paid in three or four different currencies a year.

Once again , proof of how small the world is ..............

LR v's ETNZ for the final and watch out Alinghi there's a blood nut Aussie gunslinger coming ............................

[Donnyboy]

My interest in The America's Cup sunk about the same time as "Oneaustralia" in 1995!

ah yes, I remember that incident,

Steinlager, the local NZ beer had an ad the next day in the paper "What goes down faster than a Steinlager?" with the picture of One Australia.

Edited May 22, 2007 by Donnyboy

[Donnyboy]

My nephew's been in Spain working for the Oracle syndicate as a sail maker. At the end of the tournament he was to go straight into a contract with Ericsson getting their boat ready for the round the world race. He then has a position on the crew for the race. The pinnacle so far of the career of a young yachting mad lad from South Australia.

As disappointed as he will be in the weeks events it may still give him a chance to get home with the family for a few weeks before he heads to the Canary Islands to start his next job. I know his mother will be pleased to see him, apart from anything else she has the unenviable task of sorting out his bank accounts and taxation with an income that can be paid in three or four different currencies a year.

Once again , proof of how small the world is ..............

LR v's ETNZ for the final and watch out Alinghi there's a blood nut Aussie gunslinger coming ............................

Been in NZ watching the races with great interest. Yes James Spittal, the Luna Rosa skipper is brilliant, will give Dean Baker a run for his money. Looks like NZ vs Italy for the LV final, with 1 race for Team NZ to go at 4-2. Im thinking Luna Rosa has the goods.

Not sure where (saterlite) to watch the action when I arrive back in LOS friday. Anyone know?????

[Mid]

in Samui ,

Euro sport have been covering it , via Samui cable.

[steveromagnino]

in Samui ,

Euro sport have been covering it , via Samui cable.

asked you elsewhere, are you doing Koh Samui?

I think you'll find the Luna Rossa lads will find life a lot harder against NZ; Spithill is a gunslinger starter and Dean Barker has been a lame duck to date, but that Kiwi boat has wheels and manuvoures quite well; Oracle had some major steering issues which is why they had their bang the corners mentality I think. Also....I suspect ETNZ have been getting more out of racing the Spanish than LR got out of racing the Yanks. I am not liking the skiff style kites on the Spanish boat either; I think the Kiwis understand why that type of sail is unsuited to the heavy IACC pigs; not sure if the Italians do.

Bet this makes the clowns suggesting ETNZ should have picked Luna Rossa as the easy beat a bit shy.... not sure that Oracle would have even put away the Spanish the way they sailed against LR anyway......

Either way, really it is a Kiwi vs. Kiwi vs. Kiwi race;

Barker/Dalton vs. Schnaks vs. Butterworth

Spithill is a gingerand even worse than that he is an Aussie, and you Aussies have given up on racing in Amcup, so I guess we can almost count him as a Kiwi :-)

Loving these monster square tops on the rigs though, going to a new rig for my boat, and intend to do the same sort of huge roach; even bigger than the rediculous roach I have now :-)

[Mid]

I'll be assisting the righting moment of a fine vessel , sorry your not able to join ,

hold you to the invite for a yacht in the Gulf , be there one day ...........................

[sceadugenga]

Messaging with sister, making sure yachting nephew wasn't too shattered at Oracles loss....

Scea: heard from Ryan? Saw his boat lost

Sis: yes hes devestated...

Sis: they were all promised 3 months wages if they won

Scea: Oh no

Sis: theyre packing up now He finishes at the end of the week.... He goes to Portugal for a regatta with a NZ boat then somewhere else to sail with Alfa Romeo then hopefully home for a few days end of June and then off to UK for the Fastnet race and then on to Sweden and then the Canaries

Poor little bugger.

[Old Croc]

My interest in The America's Cup sunk about the same time as "Oneaustralia" in 1995!

ah yes, I remember that incident,

Steinlager, the local NZ beer had an ad the next day in the paper "What goes down faster than a Steinlager?" with the picture of One Australia.

Despite all the low blows you Kiwis inflict on us you still go on about that underarm ball about 40 years ago.

[Donnyboy]

Coutts tipping Team NZ in final

Tuesday May 29, 2007

Former Team New Zealand and Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts believes Team New Zealand has the better boat heading into the Louis Vuitton Cup final with Luna Rossa.

Coutts said the black boat looks good for the light Valencia conditions, with a distinct advantage in downwind boat speed.

He is confident if the sailing team get it right, the Italians will have their work cut out for them when racing starts.

Coutts said if Dean Barker and the crew at the back of the boat sail as well as everyone knows they can, then they will be more than a match for Luna Rossa.

He also believes Team New Zealand has the edge in terms of equipment and personnel.

The first race of the best of nine series is set to start early Saturday morning New Zealand time.

- NEWSTALK ZB

[Mid]

first blood to the KIWI's .

[cdnvic]

Former Team New Zealand and Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts believes Team New Zealand has the better boat heading into the Louis Vuitton Cup final with Luna Rossa.

I certainly will be cheering hard for New Zealand to bring the cup back to it's proper home after that turncoat sellout and his fellow henchmen brad butterball stole it away last time.

Couldn't believe the reigning champions selling out their own country like that. Laughed pretty hard the day coutts got the chop.

[Donnyboy]

first blood to the KIWI's .

sh*t that was a close race, it could have easily been the other way. I dont think it will be 5-0 like in 2000.

really important to pick the correct side before the start and then try to win it if both boats favour the same side.

Team NZ definately got a match on it hands.

[Donnyboy]

Former Team New Zealand and Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts believes Team New Zealand has the better boat heading into the Louis Vuitton Cup final with Luna Rossa.

I certainly will be cheering hard for New Zealand to bring the cup back to it's proper home after that turncoat sellout and his fellow henchmen brad butterball stole it away last time.

Couldn't believe the reigning champions selling out their own country like that. Laughed pretty hard the day coutts got the chop.

Coutts will be back somewhere in the AC sometime, hes a brilliant sailor and has the goods for sale for the the right $$

still hate him for what he did

[Mid]

2- zip to the KIWI's ..................

LR better get on the board next or

[Donnyboy]

2- zip to the KIWI's ..................

LR better get on the board next or

the heat is on the boys on LR for sure, where as TNZ can plan ahead and keep doing what needs to be done. If it gets to 3-0 which it might today, it will be difficult to come back,

has TNZ have a speed advantage, or is it better team work and favouring the correct side?

[Donnyboy]

Great photo of TNZ during the LV final- currently have this as my desktop background

[sceadugenga]

That's stunning.

Those guys really fly don't they.

[Mid]

3 - zip ....................

and if that weren't bad enough ,

a finishing margin of over 450 metres ..........................

[cdnvic]

Has anyone seen Alinghi's boat in action yet this year?

[Donnyboy]

3 - zip ....................

and if that weren't bad enough ,

a finishing margin of over 450 metres ..........................

you bloody beauties!!!!!!!! Now thats impressive!!

re Alinghi, didnt see anything but have read that they took races off TNZ, and vice versa so will be interesting.....jumping the gun

cant wait for tuesday now

[chuchok]

What time on tuesday?

[Donnyboy]

What time on tuesday?

if its the same time as the first couple of races, 8pm,

looks like the Kiwis have arrived in Valencia en masse!! Maybe in Kiwis could get together in the bars around Thailand!!

In Chiang Mai- Tuskers is showing it live.

Kiwi fans take over ValeNZia

5:00AM Tuesday June 05, 2007

By Julie Ash

New Zealanders have arrived in droves at the America's Cup venue some have nicknamed ValeNZia.

Support for Emirates Team NZ in Valencia is growing as Kiwis arrive in anticipation of their team winning the Louis Vuitton Cup final.

Team NZ are leading Luna Rossa 3-0 in the best-of-nine challenger series, which will give the winner the right to race Swiss syndicate Alinghi for the America's Cup.

Yachting commentator and Herald columnist Peter Lester said last night from the Spanish city that Kiwis "are coming out of the woodwork".

"They certainly stand out. Anything from Kiwi flags to Kiwi clothing to the beige cricket tops."

New Zealanders had also adopted bars in the city.

"I just hope they are well behaved and don't over-celebrate. But I don't think there will be anything like that. I have not heard anything like that."

Lester said the locals had been "really surprised" by how much support there was for Team NZ already.

It was a morale booster for the team, who were "mindful of ... the reaction at home".

"[Team chief Grant] Dalton has gone out of his way to play down too much hype."

For some fans, this is the trip of a lifetime. There is the group of 12 from Auckland who spent 18 months planning the trip.

Another 18 expats, living in Denmark and calling themselves the NZ Vikings, will arrive in Valencia today.

Brendan Reed, 37, who is leading the group, said: "The sentiment amongst us Kiwis is that it will be 5-0. Regardless of the result we will be there all guns blazing."

For the fans already in Valencia, the aim is simple - to give Team NZ as much support as possible. As NZL92 heads out, supporters congregate at one point on the canal from the cup base out to the race course.

Wellwishers call out "Go Deano [Dean Barker, the skipper], give it heaps".

From there the supporters move on to watch the racing in an area now referred to as The Woolshed. The big open shed, which has a giant screen, has become a hangout for Team NZ fans. One of them has thoughtfully provided directions in the form of a road sign illustrated with a kiwi, which he puts up each day.

The atmosphere at The Woolshed is like Eden Park for a test match.

There is a healthy dose of black and there's no mistaking the crowd's favourite.

From The Woolshed, it is back to the canal to watch the boats come in. For the past three days the Team New Zealand sailors have stood proudly on the boat, having beaten Luna Rossa three times. They are now just two wins away from challenging Alinghi.

The Italian team have been in a tight spot before. In 2000, as Prada, they went from 3-1 up to 3-4 in the Louis Vuitton Cup final against Paul Cayard's AmericaOne, but won the last two to go through.

Luna Rossa started the first-to-five-wins series with huge confidence.

But at the end of race three, the crew's body language was clear for all to see. It was grim.

additional reporting: James Ihaka

NZ Herald

[chuchok]

What time on tuesday?

if its the same time as the first couple of races, 8pm,

looks like the Kiwis have arrived in Valencia en masse!! Maybe in Kiwis could get together in the bars around Thailand!!

In Chiang Mai- Tuskers is showing it live.

I know of two blokes over there.lucky buggers.

[Donnyboy]

What time on tuesday?

if its the same time as the first couple of races, 8pm,

looks like the Kiwis have arrived in Valencia en masse!! Maybe in Kiwis could get together in the bars around Thailand!!

In Chiang Mai- Tuskers is showing it live.

I know of two blokes over there.lucky buggers.

where? Valencia or Tuskers?

seriously, it would be great to be over in Spain right now, and maybe France in Sept/Oct

[chuchok]

What time on tuesday?

if its the same time as the first couple of races, 8pm,

looks like the Kiwis have arrived in Valencia en masse!! Maybe in Kiwis could get together in the bars around Thailand!!

In Chiang Mai- Tuskers is showing it live.

I know of two blokes over there.lucky buggers.

where? Valencia or Tuskers?

seriously, it would be great to be over in Spain right now, and maybe France in Sept/Oct

Yep, france would be a little more entertaining...

[Donnyboy]

LV Race 4 on tonight @ 8pm c'mon Kiwis