Valencia, 2/14/10, Alinghi 5, 33rd America's Cup day 7 race 2 off the dock with Ernesto Bertarelli at the helm. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi.
by Daphne Morgan Barnicoat
Another chilly day is expected on the water today when Alinghi heads to the race course looking to even the best-of-three 33rd America's Cup Match at 1-1. Today's course is the 39nm equilateral triangle as per the Deed of Gift and is due to start at 12:06.
After Friday's Race 1, team president and principal helmsman Ernesto Bertarelli reflected on his team's run over the past decade. “When you are in my position with the 10 years that have gone before and the team I have and an opportunity to race one, or maybe two more races in the America's Cup, you can't call any day a hard day in the America's Cup. They are all good days.”
Quotes from the race boat
Juan Vila (ESP), navigator
What's the forecast?
“Today offers some hope as the forecast is on the light side. We've seen medium to high range conditions so far and now we hope for some lighter conditions for Race 2.”
What has changed since Friday?
“We have talked through what we could do on the boat; we have optimised what we have. It's about making the right choices. We were thinking light on the first day so we are pretty much in the same configuration.”
Murray Jones (NZL), strategist
What's the mood in the team?
“The mood is good, they're ready to go. We'll see what we can do, see if we can do a better job than Friday.”
What's it going to take to even the score?
“Win the race.”
Nils Frei (SUI), trimmer
A look forward at the race?
“We had a tough day two days ago, but anything is possible. It's a light forecast and it's going to be a tactical situation. We hope to do the best we can and have a good race.”
Defender vs. Challenger
Alinghi 5, Société Nautique de Genève (SUI) vs. BMW Oracle Racing, Golden Gate Yacht Club (USA)
Alinghi, the Defender of the America's Cup, will enter the start box on starboard tack, signified by a yellow sticker on the end of the boom.
Forecast
W 5-10 knots in the morning, turning southerly 4-10 knots in the afternoon and building
Sunny – cloudy late afternoon
6 degrees
Waves up to 1m
Crew List
Bow 1: Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED)
Bow 2: Curtis Blewett (CAN)
Bow 3: Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA)
Pitman: Rodney Ardern (NZL)
Trimmer upwind: Simon Daubney (NZL)
Trimmer downwind: Nils Frei (SUI)
Mainsail trimmer: Warwick Fleury (NZL)
Traveller: Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI)
Helmsman: Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI)
Tactician: Brad Butterworth (NZL)
Strategist: Murray Jones (NZL)
Navigator: Juan Vila (ESP)
Floater: Loïck Peyron (FRA)
Pre-start: Peter Evans (NZL)
Did you know?
* Alinghi has been involved in two of the four closest races in America's Cup Match history; a 1-second win in 2007 and a 7-second win in 2003. Both came over Team New Zealand.
* The America's Cup silhouette on Alinghi 5's mainsail measures 3m in height and the “SUI” designation 2m in height.
* There are 10 different nationalities on the sailing team, led by seven New Zealanders, six Frenchmen and four Swiss.
* Afterguard member Loïck Peyron has made 48 crossings of the Atlantic Ocean, 18 of them singlehandedly.
* There are fibre-optic sensors at 150 locations for real-time load monitoring of the structure.
On this day in America's Cup history
2003 – Ernesto Bertarelli was one of three Alinghi representatives on the dais for the pre-America's Cup Match press conference held in Auckland, New Zealand. The match against Team New Zealand started the next day, and Alinghi would go on to win 5-0.
Alinghi
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