Here is a promo video clip on the Olympic Class 49er. I like the buzz and the music on this one. Produced by foilr- Scott of Sydney, Australia- a regular YouTube contributor.

Video Podcast of Day One at the ISAF World Championships in Cascais, Portugal. From Millsy747 and YouTube.

Video Podcast of Day Two at the ISAF World Championships in Cascais, Portugal. From Millsy747 and YouTube.

Video Podcast of Day Three at the ISAF World Championships in Cascais, Portugal. From Millsy747 and YouTube.

“Luna Rossa” and its fashionable main sponsor Prada have closed the curtain on the America’s Cup and will not compete in the 33rd challenge.
The luxury goods group noted “Participation in the next America’s Cup was carefully analysed and, while significant human and financial resources are already available, it was decided that after three campaigns a cycle has come to an end,”
Originally set up in 1997 to take on Team New Zealand in AC2000 by Prada’s Chief Executive Patrizio Bertelli, the stylish Italian team is the only one from this year’s challenge to announce their intention to pull out of the 2009 America’s Cup.
Meanwhile, Team New Zealand is growing increasingly impatient about the hold ups caused by the BMW Oracle court action.
Jim Farmer QC, the Team New Zealand legal spokesman, whilst referring to Oracle and Alinghi quoted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet “A plague on both their houses”. They and the other challengers are caught twiddling their fingers whilst the corporate billionaires play cat and mouse in the legal system.
The problems for the challenging teams is all about time and money – it takes time to build a boat and train a crew, and it can’t be done without sponsorship.
“Teams can’t get sponsors on board because of the uncertainty and all that is happening now is that we are not getting the number of entries that the America’s Cup deserves.”
The Court Battle
The issues at stake here are that Larry Ellison as syndicate boss for BMW Oracle, are arranging an injunction to force Alinghi into a court battle regarding the protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup which is scheduled to take place in Valencia in 2009 with a new class of 90ft yachts.
BMW Oracle believe that the Spanish yacht club CNEV, the current challenger of record, is an invalid entry. If they win this battle in court, the 2009 cup would default to a head-to-head contest between Oracle and Alinghi, and it would be the BMW Oracle’s conditions that would take precedence. If this is the case then the race is likely to be held in 90ft catamarans, and exclude all other challengers.
It is possible however, that Oracle may be backing down. To lose in court will mean they would be barred from the next cup – a risk they may not be prepared to take. At this point Oracle are canvassing other challengers to force an agreement with Alinghi to change the unpopular 33rd America’s Cup protocol.
The Unpopular Protocol
There are many voices which agree that elements within the current protocol. The problems stem from two main areas – the new boat design and the unilateral power of SNG (Alinghi’s yacht club) through its managing company ACM.
With the venue fixed as Valencia in 2009, many people consider that this does not give enough time to institute a new boat design. The specifications are not yet available, and challenging teams need time to bring together a design team, sponsorship, and actually build a boat whilst still leaving time for training. The protocol also allows for Alinghi, as defenders, to sail in the Challenger Selection Series (formerly sponsored as the Louis Vuitton Cup) for the first time in 150 years, ostensibly giving them to edge to size up the competition.
As to the authority conflict, in the existing protocol, ACM (and thereby SNG itself) has the power to unilaterally establish the rules for all events including the appointment of members of the race committee, measuring committee, umpires and event officials. It also has the power to reject a challenging team. In fact the Arbitration Panel has already been announced without any ISAF qualified sailing judiciary on it.
This starts to reek of totalitarianism, and does not appear to be in the spirit of the original deed of gift which states that the cup was donated ‘upon the conditions that it shall be preserved as a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries.’
Who is with whom?
Italy’s Mascalzone Latino have thrown their cap in with Oracle, and their head, Vicenzo Onorato yesterday called for other challengers to step forward and resolve the deadlock.
Unfortunately for BMW Oracle, the other supporters canvassed have left them stranded.
When asked to file a supporting court brief, Team New Zealand responded by filing their challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup with Alinghi. Now Luna Rossa have, in effect, shown that their loyalties do not lie with the Golden Gate Yacht Club either.
Deadline
The New York Supreme Court requires a response from Alinghi by August 19th. It is now only a few weeks since the Swiss team sailed to victory in one of the most exciting challenges on record, and already it has become a bun fight.
There is no doubt that the Alinghi team deserved to win the 32nd America’s Cup, but there is certainly doubt now as to where it will lead.