Sea, Sail & Surf news
33rd America’s Cup
Bertarelli and Ellison at the helm
For the Match, both bosses will steer their own multihulls
mardi 1er avril 2008 –
America’s Cup America's Cup #AmericasCup has a long history of tycoons. Swiss Ernesto Bertarelli and American Larry Ellison are both in true inheritance of Sir Thomas Lipton, Baron Bic, sir Michael Fay… Both men are also great sailors et good helmsmen. Bertarelli is well known on the D35 circuit in Switzerland, a one-design catamaran circuit. He has also competed many times in the Bol D’or race at the helm of his catamaran. And he may be the best swiss helmsman for « The Match » after Ed Baird did capsized off Lorient Lorient L’actualité du port de Lorient et de sa région. (South of Brittany, France) last weekend.
As you could see it in TV.SeaSailSurf.com, your Ed was in Lorient Lorient L’actualité du port de Lorient et de sa région. (his home port) when the Alinghi Team came back aboard the upsized-down trimaran Foncia. After the video tape of Pierre-Yves Jorand’s interview (Team Alinghi’s coach), Ernesto Bertarelli was called on the phone to get his comments after this sad experience aboard a 60’ trimaran. The double winner of the America’s Cup America's Cup #AmericasCup did not want to make any comment about the accident as his sailing team and his PR team did it earlier in Lorient.
But when asked if he would let the helm to Ed Baird for the 33rd Cup, the Swiss sailor answered Baird was not yet the helmsman for the next Cup as they were « still preparing the boat ». Remembering Bertarelli he was a top catamaran sailor, I asked him why would he not steer the giant cat by himself ! And the answer was « whynot ! If Ellison steers his own multihull, I will take the helm to all the match between our two multihulls. »
As you know, the swiss team was not alone in Lorient. When they were making tests on the swinging mast of Foncia, the Americans were in Lorient too. (They were also in the same hotel, hundred of metters from the Keroman submarine base of Lorient !) Last week, the designer team was in Lorient to analyse Groupama 2’s moves of the plateforme when sailing. And this week, the crew headed by Russell Coutts himself arrived in Lorient to set sail aboard Franck Cammas’ 60’ trimaran.
Before leaving Lorient for Paris, I had time to talk to them about Bertarelli’s new challenge to helm himself his future multihull. They got me Larry Ellison on the phone. I did repeat him that his good friend was ready to challenge him at the helm. And the american answer was « yes ! ».
Both men agreed for the first time without any lawyer mediation. They will steer their 90’ multi hulls weapons by themselves. No one else aboard Alinghi and BMW Oracle will touch the helm of the giant cats (or trimaran) in Valencia in October (or later).
This is a great first good step for this 33rd edition of the America’s Cup. We already saw Tycoons steerng their yacht in an America’s Cup match but for the first time, the winner will have done it from the starting gun to the end.
Messieurs, à vos armes… prêts… partez !
Christophe Guigueno
Links
www.alinghi.com/en/
www.bmworacleracing.com/en/
www.martin-raget.com/fr
April fool’s day : Of course, this is an April fool’s day article. If I was in Lorient, I never had (of my life) Mr Bertarelli on the phone. And no more with Mr Ellison.
Dans la même rubrique
Team Alinghi : Swiss team capsizes off Lorient
32nr America’s Cup : Alinghi wins the 32nd America’s Cup
Louis Vuitton Cup : No loose gives the LVCup to the Kiwis
Louis Vuitton Cup : Kiwis join italian team in Challenger final
