America’s Cup Charters a New Course in Cascais

Published: September, 2011

After months of preparation and planning, America’s Cup event organizers in August hosted their very first America’s Cup World Series event in Cascais, Portugal. A new professional circuit designed to bring America’s Cup level racing to more port cities across the globe, the America’s Cup World Series will not only expose millions more people to the sport of sailing, but will also serve as a calling card for the big event in 2013—the America’s Cup in San Francisco.

The Cascais event signaled many firsts in the America’s Cup, including a new format and race course designed to showcase both the exceptional speed and maneuverability of the AC45 catamarans and the skills of the international athletes. Everything was designed with input from the international field of teams, with a focus on creating ultra-competitive sailing that would excite both current and new fans.

Seeing nine AC45s jockey for position on the starting line is an image that can set any sports fan’s heart pounding, said Iain Murray, CEO and Regatta Director for America’s Cup Race Management. And the one-on-one match races were even more intense, at just 20 minutes per pressure-filled contest. Every decision—and every mistake—proved to be a game changer.

The event saw two highlights on the water—the AC500 Speed Trial on the opening weekend, and the winner-takes-all fleet race on the final Sunday, where the teams battled for not just the Cascais title, but also to put points on the board for the 2011-12 AC World Series.

At the beginning of the week, spectators flocked to the shoreline to see teams vie for the title of fastest boat through timed speed trials over a 500-metre course, where skippers pushed their wing-sailed AC45 catamarans to the limit. After three tries each, the winner was Emirates Team New Zealand, which was able to sail at a ripping 43 mph over the water.

And to close the event, the final race showcased the closest competition of the week. With nine boats on the start line, the competition was close, and with a tricky, patchy race course area, there were passing lanes throughout the day. ORACLE Racing Spithill jumped out to a convincing lead early, but couldn’t protect it. On the second lap of the race course, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker found more wind on his side of the race course to make the pass.

For us it was fantastic, Barker said. It was always going to be a very difficult race, as the breeze never really established. There were big ‘holes’ in the race course, so it was about being at the right place at the right time.

Making its debut along with the AC45 catamaran was the new Guest Racer program, where each team takes a guest aboard its race boat to compete with the team. The list of guest racers this week included VIP guests like Yves Carcelle, the Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton; UK pop singer Little Boots; and Cecilia Meireles, the Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, along with names more familiar to the sailing world like former America’s Cup winner John Bertrand, Artemis Racing CEO Paul Cayard and team principal Torbjorn Tornqvist, as well as ORACLE Racing founder and principal Larry Ellison.

We had a great start but both Artemis and Team New Zealand managed to pass us and that’s what these boats are all about, Ellison said following the race. It makes the sailing much more exciting; it’s not a matter of ‘you win the start, you win the race.’ So it’s just what we hoped for when we decided on multihulls for the next America’s Cup. It’s really competitive and that’s what people want to see. They want to see close races and the best sailors in the fastest boats.

And in between? Fans had the chance to not only see new threats emerge, such as Team Korea through their blistering defeat of four-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, but also to enjoy a fan experience built just for them.

Thousands of fans enjoyed local and international live music, access to sailing stars and interactive displays in a fun-charged festival on shore with activities for all ages. The America’s Cup Experience provided visitors with a taste of what it’s like to sail on a high-speed catamaran, water included! For would-be match racers, fans could take on the video-game style Racing Simulator. And throughout the day, fans were greeted with daily DJs and nightly bands, while being treated to a variety of concessions including limited edition America’s Cup merchandise.

The America’s Cup World Series now moves on to Plymouth, UK, from September 10-18, where the same nine teams will compete. Then, they’ll move on to San Diego from November 12-20.

The inaugural America’s Cup World Series also served as the official unveiling of America’s Cup Television (ACTV), the event organizer’s internal production team that is focused on changing the way people experience the sport of sailing.

Event organizers have made a significant investment in the production of next-generation broadcast images.  Designed to put the viewer at the heart of the action, fans now see and hear the quick decisions being made, the athleticism of the sailors, the raw power of the boats—live, as the teams fly over the water at speeds over 35 mph.

Covering this action is a 100-strong outside broadcast crew using three helicopter cameras, four cameras on the water, and land-based cameras backed up by on-board camera systems. In addition, each boat sports four onboard cameras, designed to be as ergonomic and lightweight as possible to minimize their impact on the racing yachts, while generating the high-quality HD pictures needed for global television and online coverage. These cameras pan, tilt, zoom and self clean so not a moment of onboard action is missed, while 14 onboard microphones capture every sound.

Three separate graphics systems help bring the pictures to life, including the revolutionary LiveLine graphics that will insert tactical lines, distances and speeds on the actual HD pictures, enabling all audiences to understand the action unfolding before them. In addition there is full 3D Virtual graphics system, Virtual Eye, to provide an even more comprehensive view of the racing.

The goal of all of this technology? To allow viewers to choose their own way to watch the America’s Cup. Using YouTube’s powerful media platform and livestreaming capabilities, event organizers now offer online viewers the choice of different video and audio streams—instead of just one view.

The new America’s Cup is all about transforming the way people see the sport of sailing and with YouTube, we can put the viewer in the driver’s seat of their experience, said Stan Honey, director of technology for America’s Cup Event Authority. Our partnership with YouTube will not just break new ground in sailing, but in international sport.

With the player, viewers can choose from live footage onboard with a team, a graphical overview or an eagle’s eye view as part of the daily livestreaming from race events. In addition, viewers can select different audio tracks—either expert sailing or standard sports commentary. This feature is available on both the America’s Cup YouTube channel and the America’s Cup website, and will compliment the live and highlights coverage offered by traditional broadcasters.

A global first, the new weekly magazine program is designed to connect viewers with the people, places and stories that are the backbone of the America’s Cup. Featuring behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, athlete profiles and up-close action on and off the water, America’s Cup Uncovered will take an in-depth look at the 34^th edition over the next two years, offering an exclusive window into one of the most prestigious events in sport. Produced by Sunset + Vine, more than 90 episodes of America’s Cup Uncovered will be available through global broadcasters and on americascup.com.

A new 30-minute episode is available at 8 p.m. each Saturday for viewing at http://www.americascup.com/americascup-uncovered-1. For a complete list of broadcasters, visit www.americascup.com.