Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Stories:

click images to enlarge and read race reports/press releases
Photo:©2009 Bob Grieser/OutsideImages.co.nz

Comparing the Best Boats

 
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg are the only helmsmen in the world who have raced the current yachts from three of the top America’s Cup teams.  Holmberg and Baird have now had their hands on all three pairs of boats.  What did they learn?  What can they reveal? Read More
 

Kevin Hall gets foiling.
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Kevin Hall: From the Cup to Dinghies and Back

I almost quit at my very first event in Holland -- it was really windy and it turned out I picked my stiffest mast, had my centerboard all the way forward and I had a light sail -- I didn’t have a clue that that was about as hard as it gets.
Read More
 

Photo:©2009 Ian Roman/Team Origin

Isler Navigates for the British

Team Origin carries a familiar name as their navigator at the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, but not under his usual flag.  Peter Isler shares some observations from his America's Cup career, and on how Origin is doing so far.  “There’s a difference in being a good match race starter and being able to do it in an AC boat because they’re so big." 
Peter Isler on Team Origin
 

From Mothballs to Match Racing

Shosholoza and Team Origin on Day 4.
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Preparing 4 boats for use (and possible abuse) by 10 unfamiliar crews has kept the shore crews busy:

"We also didn’t put on all the sensors.  We just kept the important ones, like one on the runner gauge.  We put a buzzer on it, so if someone gets to a certain amount of rod tension then the buzzer goes off to tell them they’ve gone too far." ETNZ's Andy Nottage

Providing two race-ready Cup yachts on short notice on the far side of the world wasn’t smooth sailing, so to speak.  "It was a bit of an epic." Grant Davidson of BMW Oracle
 

More stories from CupInfo:
Jan 29: Anticipating Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Action as Yacht Racing Returns to Auckland
Fall 2008: Evolution of a New Regatta
 

Ian Williams with China Team on Day 1:

"Our goal is to be much better at the end of the regatta than we are right now."

Q: You had some days of practice but now suddenly you’re out there. How different did today feel?  Obviously ramped up?

Ian Williams: Yeah, for sure it’s ramped up.  It’s a little bit windier than any of the practice sessions.  We had an injury on our boat yesterday, so we also had a slightly new team today, and you’re in there racing, so everything is ramped up. 

Add to that we had a problem with the branding on the boats and so there was a delay to us receiving the main.  We only got the main 20 minutes before the start so we didn’t really have a lot of time to settle either.  So everything’s putting the pressure on, but I think the guys did a great job of handling that.

We sailed well in the start, obviously won the start, and that was fantastic.  Made some mistakes around the course which I think unfortunately we’re probably going to see a few more this week  from us (laughs), but we’re going to try and minimize them as much as possible, learn every race, try not to make the same mistake twice.
 

Connecting with the crowds, the LVPS is pleasing fans with  typical Kiwi openness.
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron

If you close your eyes a bit, the Viaduct Basin doesn't look much different -- sailors in team garb hurrying to team bases, sails being loaded onto America’s Cup boats, loads of curious public milling about.

But it is different.  The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series is being called the "friendly series," due to its open access for spectators, base-sharing and even boat sharing among all the teams.
 

Results and Race Reports:


click images to enlarge and read race reports/press releases
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Final
Results:
 Race 2: ETNZ leading at the downwind gate.  ETNZ by 33 seconds at the third mark, 175m. Emirates TNZ takes Race 2.

Race 3: Penalty on Alinghi at the start, 30 seconds ETNZ at the top mark. ETNZ leading but Alinghi gaining.  Not close enough, ETNZ wins by 34 seconds.

Race 4: ETNZ leads at the gate mark by 15 sec, 75m, but Alinghi closed up on leg 2. ETNZ wins Race 4, and wins the LVPS 3-1.

Race Reports:
LVPS Final Day 1: Race 1
Day 2: Races 2-3-4
Challenger Final: Race 1  Race 2 
Semi-Final  Quarter-Finals  Sail-Off
Round Robin 2: Day 1  Day 2  Day 3  Day 4 Day 5
Round Robin 1: Day 2  Day 3  Day 5

Results and Rankings:
Challenger brackets, standings, and Head-to-Head:
Overall Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Results

Daily Outlook and Results:
Round Robin 1: Day 1  Day 2  Day 3  Day 4  Day 5
 

Click image for RR1 Day 5 Race Report
Photo:©2009 Ian Roman/Team Origin

Round Robin 2 Gallery: click image for more
Photo:©2009 Giuliano Luzzatto/Luna Rossa Challenge

Links of Interest:
Team Profiles and video highlights available now:
TVNZ

NZ Met Service:
Auckland Conditions and Forecast and
Auckland Marine Forecast

Photographers:
Bob Grieser/Paul Todd : Outside Images
Chris Cameron: Chris Cameron Marine Photography
Juerg Kaufmann: Go4Image
Ian Roman: Ian Roman Photography
Gilles Martin-Raget: Martin-Raget.com
BMW Oracle Photo Bank (offline)

Virtual Eye (offline) race viewer looks at Round Robin 1 Day 4's Shosholoza-Luna Rossa duel:

click image for more

Visit the Official Web Site (offline)

Team:			Skipper:
	Shosholoza		Paolo Cian
	China Team		Ian Williams
	Luna Rossa		Peter Holmberg
	BMW Oracle		Russell Coutts
	Team Origin		Ben Ainslie
	K-Challenge		Sebastian Col
	Damiani Italia Challenge		Vasco Vascotto
	Greek Challenge		Sotiris Buseas
	Alinghi		Brad Butterworth
	Emirates TNZ		Dean Barker

Jan 19: TNZ and BMWO tuning up the boats for the LVPS:
Chris Cameron Photos