Unstable weather foils Race 1 of 33rd America’s Cup
Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010. |
| Article by Daphne Morgan Barnicoat,
Alinghi. |
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| Today’s scheduled Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup Match was postponed due to light and unstable winds on the Mediterranean Sea. |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Alinghi 5 pre-dawn preparations for Day 1, Race 1 of
the 33rd America's Cup.
Photo © Luca Buttò / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| The Alinghi team was looking forward to racing the 90ft catamaran Alinghi 5 after seven months of testing and trialling, but now they’ll have to wait until Wednesday for the next opportunity. |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Day one Alinghi 5 and BMW Oracle waiting for some wind
during the 33rd America’s Cup.
Photo © Carlo Borlenghi / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| "It was very light," said navigator Juan Vila. "We had some puffs up to 6 knots but they didn’t last long. The direction also was random, mostly from the west but not enough for a fair race. The forecast didn’t look promising once the wind
got variable, so I think it was a good decision not to race today." |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Day one Alinghi 5 and BMW Oracle waiting for some wind
during the 33rd America’s Cup.
Photo © Guido Trombetta / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| Alinghi’s weather team predicted winds around 10 knots today, but showers from a passing cold front disrupted the forecast. |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Day one Alinghi 5 and BMW Oracle waiting for some wind
during the 33rd America’s Cup.
Photo © Carlo Borlenghi / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| "Ahead of the cold front was a weak southerly gradient with lots of clouds and some showers," said Jack Katzfey, team meteorologist. "The mountains in Valencia disrupted the winds and killed any chance of a flow developing. It was supposed to get lighter, but it got a lot lighter." |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Day one Alinghi 5 and BMW Oracle waiting for some wind
during the 33rd America’s Cup.
Photo © Guido Trombetta / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| The day was officially called at 13:50, after the Alinghi sailors had been on the water for more than seven hours. They departed the team base in the Port America’s Cup this morning at 06:30 engulfed in darkness, with temporary running lights affixed on the hulls and aft cross beam for the tow to the start line. |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Entertaining Alinghi fans at the Foredeck building.
Photo © Luca Buttò / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| Today would’ve marked the 13th race in an America’s Cup Match for Alinghi dating back to 2003. Instead, it was the eighth postponement experienced by the Defender from the Société Nautique de Genève. |
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Valencia, Spain, February 8, 2010.
Alinghi fans at the Foredeck building.
Photo © Luca Buttò / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| "We knew the conditions would be like this here. We can’t count on every day being perfect to have a race," Vila said. "Today, unfortunately, wasn’t, but I’m pretty sure we’ll find another day to have a fair race. It’s important that when the starting gun goes off it’s a fair race for everyone." |
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Valencia, Spain, February 6, 2010.
Alinghi 5 returns to the dock after a day out the water
waiting for wind.
Photo © Luca Buttò / Alinghi. www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup is scheduled for Wednesday, weather permitting. |
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| Please visit www.carloborlenghi.com for
more information about the photography of Carlo Borlenghi,
Stefano Gattini, Bruno Cocozza, Guido Trombetta and Luca Buttò. |
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| Visit http://www.alinghi.com for
more information about Alinghi, defender of the 33rd America's
Cup. |
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