Les deuxièmes America’s Cup World Series de San Francisco débutent mercredi avec les régates de qualifications pour le championnat de match racing. Le lendemain, le départ des deux premières manches du championnat de course en flotte – qui en compte sept – sera donné. La grande finale, le ‘Super Sunday’, se disputera dimanche 7 octobre, devant des millions de téléspectateurs de NBC qui retransmettra l’événement en direct dans tous les Etats-Unis, comme Canal + Sport en France.
Cette semaine de régates à San Francisco coïncide avec la période la plus populaire de l’année. Des millions de visiteurs sont attendus pour assister à d’autres événements majeurs tels que la convention d’ORACLE OpenWorld, aux concerts du festival Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, au festival du film de Mill Valley, aux match à domicile des très populaires équipes de baseball les ‘San Francisco Giants’ et de football américain les ‘San Francisco 49ers’, ainsi que la ‘Fleet Week’ qui célèbrera toute la flotte militaire américaine.
“Cet événement s’annonce intense,” se félicite le Directeur de course, Iain Murray (AUS). “Nous partageons le plan d’eau avec la ‘Fleet Week’, c’est pourquoi les régates seront lancées en fin d’après-midi, de 16:00 à 18:00, heure locale. Lors de la journée de clôture, celle du ‘Super Sunday’, le défilé aérien commencera puis reprendra après que la dernière manche aura eu lieu (programmée dès 13:55).
“Nous attendons une foule immense, comme rarement vu auparavant lors d’un événement de voile,” commente Iain Murray.
De retour à la barre de l’AC45 tricolore d’Energy Team, Loïck Peyron (FRA) explique : ‘Cela fait une semaine que j’ai repris la barre de l’AC45 et que nous nous entraînons tous les jours. La baie offre des conditions un peu moins musclées que le mois dernier même si nous avons eu quelques journées intenses. Nous avons enchaînés les match race aux côtés d’Artemis Racing et d’Emirates Team New Zealand ainsi que de nombreuses phases de départ. Côté nouveauté, nous disposons désormais d’un second code zéro, tout neuf et vraiment adapté aux conditions locales, amené par Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant. Il sera à bord aujourd’hui pour la journée d’entraînement officiel car nous souhaitons préserver notre régleur d’aile, Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), qui souffre du dos depuis peu.
Pour cette deuxième étape, nous espérons bien évidemment faire mieux mais ne prendrons pas non plus de risques inconsidérés !’
Tandis que les bateaux restent les mêmes, deux nouveaux venus effectuent leurs débuts à la barre des AC45. Le jeune néo-zélandais Peter Burling (21 ans), médaillé d’argent olympique en 49er, skippera Team Korea et l’Espagnol Iker Martinez sera à bord de Luna Rossa Swordfish. Ce dernier, double médaillé olympique en 49er et skipper accompli de la Volvo Ocean Race, régatera pour la première fois en multicoque, une grande première dans sa carrière.
Quant à Nathan Outteridge (AUS), qui a rejoint Artemis Racing – Red, transfuge de Team Korea, il prendra ses marques à bord de l’AC45 du Challenger of Record suédois aux côtés du vétéran et PDG de l’équipe, Paul Cayard (USA) qui officiera à bord en tant que tacticien et fin connaisseur de la baie.
Les onze équipes qui avaient participé aux premières America’s Cup World Series de San Francisco en août dernier, sont de retour (dans l’ordre du classement actuel de la saison 2) : ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL (Jimmy Spithill), Luna Rossa Piranha (Chris Draper), Team Korea (Peter Burling), Energy Team (Loïck Peyron), Luna Rossa Swordfish (Iker Martinez), Artemis Racing – White (Terry Hutchinson), Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker), ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS (Russell Coutts), Artemis Racing – Red (Nathan Outteridge), J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie) et China Team (Phil Robertson).
© ACEA 2012/Photo Gilles Martin-Raget
The second America’s Cup World Series San Francisco begins tomorrow with qualifying racing for the match racing championship. A day later, the first two of seven scheduled fleet races kick off the event championship, which concludes Sunday, Oct. 7, with a live nationwide broadcast on NBC.
The America’s Cup World Series San Francisco is part of what is being billed as the busiest week of events in the city’s history. As many as one million people are expected for events such Oracle OpenWorld (the largest technology conference in the world), the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival, the Mill Valley Film Festival, home games for the San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers, and San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week.
Due to the AC World Series regatta coinciding with Fleet Week, racing this week will start later than at previous events.
“We have a challenging program this week,” said regatta director Iain Murray. “We’re working with Fleet Week, so most of our racing will be later in the day. On Super Sunday we’ll be participating in the air show with Fleet Week. The air show will start and then stop, we’ll sail our Super Sunday fleet race (scheduled to start at 1:55 pm PDT), and then the air show will resume.
“We have huge expectations for massive crowds that have never really been seen before in sailing to be here on Marina Green watching our event,” Murray said.
All 11 teams that raced the first AC World Series San Francisco in August return, including (in order of standing): ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL (Jimmy Spithill), Luna Rossa Piranha (Chris Draper), Team Korea (Peter Burling), Energy Team (Loick Peyron), Luna Rossa Swordfish (Iker Martinez), Artemis Racing – White (Terry Hutchinson), Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker), ORACLE TEAM USA COUTTS (Russell Coutts), Artemis Racing – Red (Nathan Outteridge), J.P. Morgan BAR (Ben Ainslie) and China Team (Phil Robertson).
“We have been able to get some training in last week and Ben and Russell have been pushing really hard, and I think Ben is right up to speed now,” said Spithill, who won the August ACWS San Francisco. “He’s ready to go and win. I think we have three crews who can win this regatta, and that’s exciting for us. Personally, I’d love to see all three of us on that podium. But, having said that, everyone’s prepared well and has a chance of winning.”
While the boats are the same, some new hands are lined up for the tillers. Notably, 21-year-old Burling of New Zealand takes over Team Korea, Martinez of Spain joins Luna Rossa Swordfish and Outteridge of Australia joins Artemis Racing – Red.
Outteridge guided Team Korea to third in August, but has since joined Artemis Racing as the Challenger of Record looks to add some strength for the build up to next summer’s Louis Vuitton Cup. He’ll be racing this week with a veteran crew that includes team CEO Paul Cayard as his tactician.
“It’s been great sailing with Paul,” said Outteridge. “It’s been interesting teaching him how to sail the boat. He’s a bit of a legend in the sport and I’m one of the youngest guys in the team, but he’s been taking orders from me all week long. His knowledge of the Bay is a huge asset to our team. Once he’s worked out his roles on the boat mechanically he’s getting more time to get his head out of the boat and help me tactically around the racecourse.”
Like Outteridge and Burling, Martinez is the latest 49er champion to join the AC World Series fleet. Martinez and long-time crewman Xabi Fernandez (who also joined Luna Rossa) are double medalists in the 49er and three-time world champions.
Martinez says he’s never sailed a multihull before, much less raced one, but is excited for the opportunity.
“I’m feeling great and am very excited to join Luna Rossa,” said Martinez. “I think many things are transferable from 49er to the AC45. It’s a fast boat and especially the format of the races is similar…with a lot of boats rounding the marks together. The format of the racing is very similar, maybe not so much the boat, but the format of the racing.”
As at the past two ACWS regattas, NBC will broadcast nationwide the “Super Sunday” fleet racing championship. Racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be broadcast by the America’s Cup regional media partner NBC Bay Area on its digital channel California NonStop (channel 186 on Comcast and 11.2 on over-the-air digital). California NonStop is on the air in select California markets, including San Francisco.
