The story from Naples
After the first day of Championship Racing at the America’s Cup World Series in Naples, it’s clear this is an event at another level. From the spectacular opening ceremony, to the Easter Weekend crowds, to a thrilling first day of racing in strong wind and big waves, everything about the Naples experience is « più intense ».
The racing has never been more competitive. The addition of the two Luna Rossa crews has ratcheted up the intensity level on the race course. Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand and Jimmy Spithill’s ORACLE Racing, separated by just one point on the 2011-12 AC World Series leaderboard, resumed battle on day one in Naples, and not surprisingly, neither team would give an inch. After two races, both have posted one-three on their scorecard to lead the fleet.
But young guns like Team Korea’s fearless Nathan « I hadn’t sailed a boat that big in that kind of wind » Outteridge and Energy Team’s Yann Guichard are nipping at their heels.
Off the water, local organisers estimated the crowd along the extended waterfront on the sunny holiday Monday at an incredible 250,000. This on the heels of a spectacular opening ceremony on Saturday evening, produced by the same group contracted for the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio. It came to a dramatic conclusion – unplanned – as an powerful thunderstorm brought deep growls or thunder and flashes of lightning, to say nothing of a heavy downpour. But even the rain and hail couldn’t dampen expectation that Naples was going to put on something special for the America’s Cup World Series.
And so it has proved. The first half of the event will be hard to top. But everyone here is looking forward to the next four days.
Thrills, spills and close racing to open AC World Series in Naples
The AC World Series – Naples opened in spectacular fashion on Wednesday as strong winds and big waves created thrilling racing conditions. The AC45 catamarans, powered by their powerful wing sails, were leaping out of the water, launched into the air by the heavy sea state.
“It’s cool, the sailing is pretty awesome, you can’t complain when you’re sailing in conditions like that,” said Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, who sits at the top of the leaderboard after two fleet races. “But it’s very challenging for the boats and very taxing for the crew. The goal was to get back to the dock in one piece, which we did – it’s nice to be back in good shape. »
Barker and his team clawed back from deep in the fleet in race one to finish in third place. In the second race, they were able to secure a win, putting them on equal points with ORACLE Racing Spithill who also have a 1-3 on their scorecard. Barker’s team gets the nod on the tiebreak by winning the last race. .
France’s CANAL+ to partner 34th America’s Cup – Coverage starts in Naples
Leading French broadcaster CANAL+ will transmit comprehensive live coverage of all the America’s Cup events over the next 18 months including this week’s World Series regatta in Naples, Italy, the America’s Cup announced today.
This follows recent broadcast announcements with NBC in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, and Italy’s Mediaset.
CANAL+ and the America’s Cup have reached an agreement for live coverage of the 34th America’s Cup and the Louis Vuitton Cup in San Francisco in 2013, and all preceding America’s Cup World Series events.
« On-The-Edge » Racing comes to Italy with the AC World Series-Naples
Racing in the America’s Cup World Series – Naples gets underway on Wednesday afternoon, with Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand crew clinging to a one point lead on the overall series leaderboard over ORACLE Racing Spithill.
« America’s Cup: speed trials » puts competitive sailing in your hands
An exciting new game with exceptional virtual-reality graphics is now available, free, as an app for the iPhone and iPad. Gamers and America’s Cup fans, even those with no sailing experience, can test themselves against the best sailors and the fastest boats in the world.
Spectacular opening in Naples
What started with a light show and music ended with fireworks illuminating a torrential downpour. The thunder and lightning just adding to the drama of the moment and the impressive setting.
Jimmy, Joey and Cheese work the Race Village
ORACLE Racing played Naples today: Easter Monday brought huge crowds to the America’s Cup World Series Naples venue.
Despite this being practice day with most teams staying ashore, Darren Bundock was mobbed on his way to a live interview with Mediaset outside the village this morning.
This afternoon was the same, but more so as Jimmy Spithill, Dirk de Ridder and Joey Newton walked through the official Race Village.
The clamor for photos and signed posters was massive. In the pop-up Puma store, Jimmy autographed his own photograph, before heading off for a round of interviews in the media scrum.
“The people here are so passionate,” said Jimmy. “It’s amazing.”
ORACLE Racing’s skipper – a big favorite with the Italian crowds because of his time with Luna Rossa in the 2007 America’s Cup – finished the two-hour tour making a pizza with Paolo Graziano, President of ACN, the local organizing committee.
Major agreement between Energy Team and ORACLE Racing
Racing in the America’s Cup World Series – Naples gets underway on Wednesday afternoon, with Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand crew clinging to a one point lead on the overall series leaderboard over ORACLE Racing Spithill.
Outteridge ready, willing and able for Team Korea
Australian Nathan Outteridge, the new skipper of Team Korea, speaks with confidence as he looks ahead to his first opportunity to race an AC45 in Naples next month. Although he won’t have a chance to sail on one of the high-performance AC45 catamarans until just a few days before the regatta, he says he expects himself, and his new team, to perform well.
« I have a history of being able to jump into boats without any huge difficulty of picking up what are the key things, so hopefully that continues into the AC45 and we can be ready to race after a few days of practice, » he says. « But I’ll be under-practised a bit compared to the other teams for sure. »