THE SAUSALITO CUP
(International America's Cup class yachts on San
Francisco Bay)
Visit
www.challenge-series.com
to view the course.
Saturday June 21 – Day 2
Results
Yet
another picture perfect day for International
America’s Cup Class fleet racing on San
Francisco Bay, with Larry Ellison’s ORACLE
BMW Racing taking first place in both races by
a decent margin. Notwithstanding, NZL-20 helmed
by Karie and David Thomson held their own in Race
2 against USA-76 from the class of 2002, taking
the first cross from USA-76, and finishing just
8 minutes after Ellison and his team. Not bad
for a boat ten years older than its competition.
 |
USA-76
screams upwind with the Golden Gate Bridge
in the background during day 2 action at
the Sausalito Cup in San Francisco. Photo
by Chuck Lantz, www.2007ac.com
|
Proving
that the older boats still have it in them, ITA-1
and NZL-14 dialed up the fun factor and sailed
a close race, jostling for position at the roundings,
engaging in a tacking dual coming out of Racoon
Straits. On a neck to neck approach to the Blackaller
mark, ITA-1 starboard tacked NZL-14, forcing a
stall on the red Kiwi yacht.
No
mishaps to report other than a kite blow out on
USA-11 on the final run to Elephant Rock. The
breeze maintained a steady 22-25 knots along the
San Francisco city front, becoming lighter on
the north end of the course. With several other
local races on the Bay today and a huge spectator
fleet following The Sausalito Cup, sails of all
sizes speckled the water, playing homage to the
best natural sailing arena in the world –
San Francisco Bay.
Back
on shore, Wells Fargo hosted a fun party for crew
and guests on the sun drenched deck of the Sausalito
Yacht club.
Race
1 – Start 1025 hours
1st USA-76 (01:34:22) Helm – Larry Ellison
2nd ITA-1 (01:49:19) Helm – Peter Stoneberg
3rd NZL-20 (01:51:10) Helm – Karie and David
Thomson
4th NZL-14 (01:51:33) Helm – Mary Coleman
5th USA-11 (01:51:48) Helm – John Sweeney
Cumulative
Point Standings
USA-76 2
NZL-14 6
NZL-20 6
ITA-1 6
USA-11 10
 |
Anyone
for shrimp? The crew aboard NZL-20 have
a bit of trouble gettting the chute down.
Photo by Chuck Lantz, www.2007ac.com
|
Race
2 – Start 1305 hours
1st USA-76 (01:28:45) Helm – Larry Ellison
2nd NZL-20 (01:37:19) Helm – Karie and David
Thomson
3rd ITA-1 (01:39:15) Helm – Peter Stoneberg
4th NZL-14 (01:39:20) Helm – Mary Coleman
5th USA-11 (01:41:46) Helm – John Sweeney
Cumulative
Point Standings
USA-76 3
NZL-20 8
ITA-1 9
NZL-14 10
USA-11 15
Two
races scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday June 22.
Scheduled start-time 1000 hours, weather dependent.
Friday June 20 – Day 1 Results
Race
1 – Start 1307 hours
(hours, minutes, seconds)
1st USA-76 (01:28:45) Helm – Larry Ellison
2nd NZL-20 (01:37:19) Helm – Karie and David
Thomson
3rd ITA-1 (01:39:15) Helm – Peter Stoneberg
4th NZL-14 (01:39:20) Helm – Mary Coleman
5th USA-11 (01:41:46) Helm – John Sweeney
Cumulative
Point Standings
USA-76 1
NZL-14 2
NZL-20 3
ITA-1 4
USA-11 5
100
per cent perfect conditions prevailed for the
first race of The Challenge Series Sausalito Cup
raced today on San Francisco Bay. Bluebird skies
under a hot sun, with a light breeze equals big
fun on the Bay.
Thirty
seconds after the start, USA-76, helmed by Larry
Ellison drifted across the line, the first yacht
to catch a very light breeze that was sufficient
to push them against the flood and into the wind.
The remainder of the fleet wallowed for several
minutes before following suite, but not quick
enough to give the 2002-class yacht a generous
advantage.
At
the point that the rest of the fleet rounded Yellow
Bluff to the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge,
the breeze built to a stiff 20-25 knots and with
a strong flood tide made for challenging conditions
down the San Francisco city front.
 |
Il
Moro plows through the trough. Photo by
Chuck Lantz, www.2007ac.com
|
In
second position but still some distance from USA-76,
ITA-1 was the first to blow a chute approaching
Pier 39, followed 10 minutes later by NZL-14 at
the back of the fleet and appearing to be struggling
in the chop. Not five minutes later, USA-11 also
lost their kite approaching Pier 39.
USA-11
closed on ITA-1 approaching Blossom, the farthest
mark on the city front and the two rounded very
tightly, heading up the beat neck and neck, with
NZL-20 close behind.
USA-76
easily won in one hour and twenty three minutes,
while the rest of the fleet sailed into parking
lot conditions on the final beat toward Elephant
Rock in Racoon Straits. The breeze dropped from
15 to zero at the top of Richardson Bay, leaving
ITA-1, USA-11 and NZL-20 to park up for some time,
worsened by the flood pushing them to the south
of Angel Island.
NZL-14,
a good 3 miles behind the fleet at this stage,
was able to capitalize on the breeze they were
still enjoying to pass the parking lot and take
the lead into Racoon Straits. Some clever maneouvering
with virtually no air in the Straits saw NZL-14
round the final mark in front, followed by NZL-20.
The
two red yachts from down under sailed a close
final leg, with NZL-14 taking second place and
NZL-20 third, some 40 minutes after USA-76. Meanwhile
USA-11 and ITA-1 continued to struggle in the
Straits, finally finishing a good 30 minutes behind
the rest of the fleet.
Two
races scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday June 21.
Scheduled start-time 1000 hours, weather dependent.
