SailingXperience.com audi medcup News

Emirates continues Team New Zealand support and backs new TP52 campaign

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:06:13 +0200

[Source: Emirates Team NZ] Emirates, the Dubai-based global airline, on Wednesday confirmed its continued support for New Zealand and the sport of sailing by renewing its successful partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand.

Following on from last week’s announcement that Emirates has become the first Worldwide Partner to sign up for Rugby World Cup 2011, the airline has also committed to backing Emirates Team New Zealand on the Mediterranean TP52 regatta circuit next year.

TP52s are pure racing platforms, high performance monohulls capable of racing in both buoy regattas and offshore races. They are 52ft long and race with a crew of 15.

TP52s do not have water ballast, canting keels or running back stays; owners preferring to keep it simple, safe and reliable. They can easily exceed 25 knots off the wind and frequently break 30 knots, and have won the majority of bluewater regattas that they have entered, as well as a number of high-profile buoy races against the best boats in the world.

The team has started building a TP52 yacht in Auckland. It will be launched on February 17 and shipped to Europe in mid-March. It will compete under the Emirates banner, with the award-winning airline and Matteo de Nora, a strategic adviser to the team, funding the project.

In signing the sponsorship agreement in Auckland on behalf of Emirates, Gary Chapman, President Group Services, Emirates Group, said: “We saw a fabulous 33rd contest for the America’s Cup, with Emirates Team New Zealand winning the Louis Vuitton challenger series and then putting up a fantastic effort in the America’s Cup challenge itself. We were as inspired by this great challenge as much as the New Zealand public was and we are delighted to once more get behind Emirates Team New Zealand with this TP52 initiative, and beyond to 2011.

“Emirates Team New Zealand has proved its worth on the water as a real competitor, and, it is fair to say, it surpassed our international expectations promotionally on the global stage as a brand builder.

“Our participation has also underlined our commitment to the New Zealand market, in which we are now a key player with four wide-bodied services a day from New Zealand to Dubai and beyond via Australia.

“When we first backed the team in 2004 we saw in it many features that we could relate to, including its drive, focus and competitiveness. The team continues to also seek excellence in all aspects of its operation and in all these respects we feel there a strong compatibility with Emirates Airline as an award-winning international airline.”

Mr. Chapman said Emirates Team New Zealand now had the opportunity to take its performance to another level.

“With new inflight comfort, services and entertainment features in our fleet, and the Airbus A380 super-jumbos coming into New Zealand in 2009, we are also going up another notch.”

Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said the Grand Prix TP52 circuit is one of the most competitive in the world. “A team entry on the circuit is the next logical step in our preparation for a next multi-challenge America’s Cup.

“The Med Cup circuit got going three years ago and each year has got better and better to the point where it is now the absolute top-end of keel boat racing outside the America’s Cup.

Many of the 2007 America’s Cup teams are involved as teams or with crewing on the boats.

The aim has been to use the expertise available within the team to compete on a circuit widely regarded as the most competitive in the world.

The ETNZ TP52 was designed by the team’s principal designer Marcelino Botin and structural and mechanical engineers. Sail and rig designers have also been involved. Members of the sailing team have designed the deck layout and internal systems.

Building started at Cookson Boats on the North Shore on 15th September. It will be launched on 17th February next year. Sea trials and testing will follow and the yacht will be shipped to Europe in mid-March 2009.

Dean Barker said: “The TP52 is still a development class and there’s scope to optimise every part of the boat’s equipment and operation, much as there has been in the America’s Cup Class.

“The TP52 will give us the opportunity to continue to develop and test the sailing team in preparation for the next multi-challenge America’s Cup.”

“With a crew of 15 we will be able to work on combinations and communications that we use on the Cup boats. These boats at 52ft long are like big, high-performance dinghies, something like the new AC 90 class and they definitely reward good crew work.

“If a team is to stay sharp and focused it needs to sail as a team. With a crew of 15, the TP52 will let us work combinations and communications in full-on racing conditions.”

ETNZ sailing team members have been represented on the Med Cup circuit previously, most notably on board Mean Machine the 2006 winner. This year Bribon, often helmed by the King of Spain, was sailed into second place overall by Dean Barker.

Grant Dalton said he appreciated the continued support from the team's naming sponsor, Emirates. "This project and continuing support gives us a team-wide focus while we wait for final resolution to the Oracle/Alinghi legal action.”
Published by Valencia Sailing via SailingXperience

Team NZ builds TP 52 for Audi MedCup

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:23:00 +0200

Team New Zealand sailors and ex-Team New Zealand sailors have been at the forefront of the MedCup Circuit
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Quantum Racing Win Portugal Trophy To Score Overall Victory In 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:19:00 +0200

Skipper Terry HUTCHINSON and the crew of Quantum Racing added the Portugal Trophy to the regatta wins in Mallorca and Sardinia which contributed to their overall victory in the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008.
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Audi MedCup Circuit 2008: Prizegiving

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:08:29 +0200

Terry Hutchinson and the crew of Quantum Racing (USA) were tonight crowned 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit champions at the glittering prize giving in Portimao, Portugal Skipper Hutchinson said: "It is just over the top. This rivals the feeling we ...
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Quantum Racing win Portugal Trophy of Audi MedCup

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:51:00 +0200

Quantum Racing win Portugal Trophy, Audi MedCup series.
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Audi MedCup - A full Quantum Quota: Quantum Racing win Portugal Trophy.

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:27:00 +0200

Crew of "QUANTUM RACING" (USA) , celebrating overall victory of Audi MedCup 2008.© Th.Martinez/AUDI MEDCUP. Portugal, Portimão. 20/09/08.

[Source: Event Media]
Terry Hutchinson and the crew of Quantum Racing today added the Portugal Trophy to the regatta wins in Mallorca and Sardinia which contributed to their overall victory in the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008.

After winning the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 title with a day to spare, Quantum Racing added victory in the Trophy of Portugal to cap their triumphant five months long season over which they won three of the six Audi MedCup Circuit regattas.

Steered by skipper Terry Hutchinson (USA), who started putting the winning campaign together just less than one year ago and has raced on the circuit over each of the three previous years, Quantum Racing won in Cagliari on Sardinia in Italy, at the Breitling Regatta on Mallorca, Spain and now in Portimao on Portugal’s Algarve coast.

As well as their three regatta wins Quantum Racing finished third at the first regatta of the season in Alicante. Fifth in Marseille in June was acall to raise their game, according to Hutchinson, and their fourth place last month in Cartagena, Murcia, Spain was enough to keep them firmly on course for the championship title they clinched yesterday.

A first and a fourth placed today for Quantum Racing pushed them to the top of the overall Portugal Trophy standings, winning by four points from Matador (ARG) who were let down by a disappointing 11th in the first race. Read Full Story

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Audi MedCup: Comments on the final event

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:21:04 +0200

Ignasi Triay (ESP), Project manager of Bribón (ESP), second overall on the Circuit: “We have had six events with several that were very windy, so the season has been a bit of a marathon, but as we have enjoyed ...
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Audi MedCup: Terry Hutchinson talks about a full Quantum quota

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:17:29 +0200

Terry Hutchinson and the crew of Quantum Racing today added the Portugal Trophy to the regatta wins in Mallorca and Sardinia which contributed to their overall victory in the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008. After winning the Audi MedCup Circuit ...
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Audi MedCup: Desafio could not have had a much worse day today, says Paul Cayard

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:44:04 +0200

An 8th and a last dropped us to 6th overall. The wind was light all day. We did not get off the line well in either race. In the first one, we made a nice come back to round ...
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Audi MedCup: Personal thoughts and opinions of Terry Hutchinson, helmsman of Quantum

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:04:35 +0200

The Quantum team idea started about this time last year, I was still working for ETNZ and we were hatching a plan to keep the team together to train for the next America’s Cup, When we went our separate ...
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Audi MedCup: Win for Roemmers Matador team would be the perfect sign off

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:03:02 +0200

Holding a lead of four points in the Trophy of Portugal regatta Alberto Roemmers’ Matador go on the water for what is planned to be a three race day to bring the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008 to a close. ...
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Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard ponders on decision to abandon last race

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:08:29 +0200

One race today as the wind died in the second race and it was abandoned on the last windward leg. In the first race, with the wind 11 knots from 125, we had a decent start about halfway down ...
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Quantum Racing wins Audi MedCup Circuit title

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:45:00 +0200

Quantum Racing crew came ashore today at the Marina of Portimao having secured the overall Audi MedCup Circuit title
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Audi MedCup, Portugal - Day 3

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:00:00 +0200

[source: Event Media]
No wind, Coastal race cancelled in Portimao, Portugal.

Without leaving the dock in Marina Portimao Quantum Racing took a big step closer to the endgame, winning the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008, when the double points Coastal Race was cancelled due to the lack of wind. Audi MedCup
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Audi MedCup: Cancelled coastal race makes Quantum Racing almost impossible to overtake

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:00:15 +0200

Without leaving the dock in Marina Portimao Quantum Racing took a big step closer to the end game, winning the Audi MedCup Circuit 2008, when the double points Coastal Race was cancelled due to the lack of wind. ...
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Coastal race cancelled in Portimao

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:00:51 +0200

[Source: AUDI Medcup] Basic arithmetic, conventional logic and the wind as per current forecast for the final two days of the season points to a maximum of 75 points to be scored, completing each of a possible five races left this season, as things stand.

Quantum Racing (USA) have 45.2 points in hand over second placed Bribón (ESP). In third place Matador (ARG) are 24.8 points behind Bribón and two points clear of Artemis (SWE) whose slender chance of retaining the 2007 MedCup title that Torbjorn Tornqvist (SWE) and his crew won in Hyères a year ago were wafted away by the gentle breeze today.

Principal race officer Maria Torrijo (ESP) and her team went afloat on cue, but spent the day monitoring a breeze which peaked at five or six knots and just never had the puff to cover enough of the bay, due to be the scene of what would have been one of the pivotal races. Ashore the crews waited in the plush surroundings of the sumptuous regatta village, enjoying the excellent food, waiting, watching, musing over lost opportunities and mistakes this season, and meeting to discuss plans for next season.

Local forecasters promise wind for the final showdown windward-leeward races, around 10-12 knots, which should be enough motive power to either ignite any grudge matches set to develop, or to provide open racing. The most likely duel would be a scrap over third place on the Audi MedCup Circuit between Artemis, with John Kostecki (USA) as tactician and Tornqvist steering and Parada on the helm of Matador with Francesco Bruni (ITA) as tactician.

Quantum Racing’s skipper-helm Terry Hutchinson (USA) remains religiously on message, conceding the end is in sight, but this is regatta they want to win:

“ I think I am not incredibly happy with how we have sailed some of these races. I mean by that that we have hit a top mark, where all the way through the season we have been pretty good in these situations. The flat water here brings things a lot closer because everybody is going at relatively the same speed.Some of the mental mistakes we have made have been exactly that.”

“ The end is in sight but we are still focussed on doing a good job and winning this event. It would be nice to go out being on top of the podium, and there are some very good teams here: Desafío have raised their game, Platoon have raised their game, Matador is going well, Bribón is going well and Mutua Madrileña is going well. It is all there for the taking, and my mind set is that here we have to learn to transition from a six regatta series to a world championship in a month’s time where we need to gain more confidence in sailing closer to the favoured side, sailing more aggressive regattas, so I think we are going focus a lot more on talking about these processes and what that means, and making sure that we continue.”

But, would he rather have sailed the Coastal Race?

" I would be lying if I said yes. We would be happy to go sailing, it doesn’t matter whether or not are good to sailing. Maria (race officer) has made decisions we have benefited from and there are times that we have been on the receiving end. In effect there are two less scoring opportunities, but we are our biggest competitor we are our biggest critic.”

Quantum Racing remain one of the most active teams in their process to constantly refine and improve their sails: "As we have talked all season long, our mode is continual improvement and so if we can improve something overnight, we do it. The nice thing is that we have back up sails now, we can do the work on our back up sails and then look at it on a test run downwind and on those opportunities you have before races then you have all the information there to do it to the race sails."
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Audi MedCup - Coastal race cancelled in Portimao

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:59:00 +0200

Without leaving the dock in Marina Portimao Quantum Racing took a big step closer to winning the Audi MedCup Circuit
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Audi MedCup: Personal thoughts and opinions Luis Doreste tactician of TAU Ceramica-Andalucia

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:13:52 +0200

I did the first regatta this year in Alicante with CAM, and was delighted to now be offered to do the Trophy of Portugal with Tau Cerámica-Andalucía. I was sailing with the team for a few years, have always ...
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Audi MedCup: Paul Cayard on Desafio win in Portimao

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:14:43 +0200

A very good day for Desafio today and we took over the lead. It was as much that Quantum and Audi Q8 had bad days as it was that we had a good one. A 7, 3 isn't bad ...
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Audi MedCup, Portugal - Day 1

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:01:00 +0200

16/09/08. Race 1

Two surprises on the podium. Quantum Racing stock is still rising.

[source: Event Media]
The American boat Quantum Racing moved 11 points closer to winning the Audi MedCup Circuit today as Audi Q8 and Synergy had their best set of races of the season so far, Audi Q8 lie second on the same points as regatta leaders Quantum Racing.

After the first three races of the Portugal Trophy off Portimao, the final regatta of the Audi MedCup Circuit, there may be a pair of new names making a late season challenge, lying in second and third, but leading the regatta it is the American boat Quantum Racing whose stock is still rising as they extend their overall hold on the overall title to more than 50 points with just four days left of the 2008 season’s competition.

As the Russian crew on Synergy became the 12th different team to take a winning gun on the Circuit this season, triumphing in Race 2 in fine style, so too Riccardo Simoneschi’s Audi Sailing Team powered by Q8 (ITA) came good with their best day yet, scoring a ninth then two second places to lie second sharing the same overall points as Quantum Racing. And if Synergy had not let slip their third place which they held until the final 400 metres of the last race of the day, they too would have been on 13 points. Read on…

Portugal Trophy Standings after three races:

Place, Boat name, Nationality, R1 R2 R3, Points

1. Quantum USA (4,8,1) 13

2. Audi Q8 ITA(2,9,2) 13

3. Synergy RUS (9,1,4) 14

4. El Desafio ESP (10,2,3) 15

5. CXG Corporación Caixa Galicia ESP (7,3,9) 19

6. Mutua Madrileña ESP (12,4,5) 21

7. Tau Andalucía ESP(3,14,6) 238. Matador ARG (8,5,10) 23

9. Bribón ESP (1,11,12) 24

10. Artemis SUE (5,7,13) 25

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