On Friday afternoon in San Diego, BMW ORACLE Racing loaded its trimaran, the BOR 90, on board a cargo ship for transport to Valencia, the venue for the 33rd America’s Cup Match.
BMW ORACLE Racing has been based in San Diego for nearly 16 months, where the team has been training and testing in preparation for the Match. Here, the BOR 90 has undergone several refinements and modifications as a result of the testing programme, including the unveiling of a giant wing sail.
The packing and loading schedule has been intense – time is at a premium with the first race of the America’s Cup scheduled for February 8, 2010, less than two months from today.
Thus, the packing of the base and the loading of the cargo ship has been planned meticulously.
« Everything has been staged on two barges to be shuttled from the base to the cargo ship, » explains Scott Sandford (NZL), who has been directing the operation. « The boat platform itself was picked up with a floating crane and travelled suspended in the air to the ship. »
It was a smooth process on Friday. In fact, the loading of the platform onto the ship took place ahead of schedule. The packing and loading will continue on Saturday.