Category: Spain

Valencia: Louis Vuitton Cup: America’s Cup post # 4

Luna Rossa Challenge
Luna Rossa Challenge
Photo by Leggo Online

 

The LV Ranking link is the quickest way to be kept updated about the current rankings in the semifinals of The Louis Vuitton Cup.

Today at 15.00 hr the second flight will start in the best of nine match races of the LV Cup Semifinals.

Yesterday, in the first flight, USA team BMW Oracle Racing who have their own BMW Oracle racing Blog surprisingly lost its first race from the Italian team Luna Rossa Challenge 2007, probably because its 18nd crew member was the boss himself, Patrizio Bertelli.

The Kiwis Emirates Team New Zealand had obtained the right to choose their adversary from the other 3 contenders. They choose the Spanish team and won their first race.

The America’s cup is an excellent means of city marketing. The Cup itself brings a lot of publicity to Valencia and it triggers even more:

Port America’s Cup could become the second Formula One city circuit in Europe. The area of the Port will be part of the route that will host the first race of the 2008 season.

Bernie Ecclestone, president of Formula One visited Port America’s Cup Thursday (may 10), accompanied by Flavio Briatore, Sports Director of the Racing Team that is this year defending the world title won by Fernando Alonso in 2006. Both enjoyed lunch in the Foredeck restaurant within the Veles e Vents building, located in the center of the future circuit , due to be the setting for next year’s elite motor competition.

At the moment of publishing this post, 15.45 hr, and thanks to the (paid) live tracker America’s Cup Anywhere I know Emirates New Zealand leads and Luna Rossa leads in their respective downwind legs.

Added 23.00 hr: Kiwis an Yankees won!

Valencia: Louis Vuitton Cup: America's Cup post # 3

Desafío
Desafío Español 2007.
©ACM 2007/Photo:Stefano Gattin

After today’s races, with one race to go in Round Robin 2, it is clear that my feeling expressed in this post, two days ago, was correct: The Spanish team Desafío Español 2007 will, for the first time for a Spanish Team, compete in the semi finals. The Swedish Team that, two days ago, theoretically could have matched the points of Desafío Español 2007, lost its race today.

Tomorrow will see a very close race between USA team BWW Oracle Racing and New Zealand team Emirates team New Zealand, because the winner of this race will end as first of the two Round Robin series an will have earned the right of chosing its first opponent in the semi finals.

Valencia: Louis Vuitton Cup: America’s Cup post # 2

The Louis Vuiton Cup is a series of sailing races that decides which of the 11 challengers may challenge the defender, the winner of the former (31st) America’s Cup (also known as “The Auld Mug”) series, Swiss Team Alinghi.

After a couple of fleet races over a couple of years (13 “acts”) where the defender also raced, now in Valencia the seconds series of round robin match races is nearing its end. To me, with still 3 races to go, it is quite clear that the four teams that will go on with the semi finals are:

  1. USA team BWW Oracle Racing
  2. New Zealand team Emirates team New Zealand
  3. Italian Team Luna Rossa Challenge
  4. For the first time in the Cup’s history ending so high: a Spanish team

It is a great event for Valencia. I wish I could be there.

Last edited by GJE on December 5, 2011 at 4:13 pm [deleted obsolete links]

China and the "Auld Mug": America's Cup post # 1

America's Cup China
An earlier photo of Team China:
Valencia, 20 04 2007
Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 1
Luna Rossa Challenge vs China Team.
ACM 2007/Photo:Carlo Borlenghi

This really amazed me: China Team defeated BMW Oracle team today:

Few would have expected BMW Oracle Racing, leader out of Round Robin One to fall to the bottom ranked boat, China Team. But after showing better speed in the pre-start up the first beat the headsail pulled out of the headfoil on the American boat, a repeat of the problem they experienced in Act 13. BMW Oracle trailed around the course, but it was China Team which picked up a mostly unexpected two points.

The report about the match

Wow! A Gehry Hotel

I have now translated posts from the Dutch language Weekendhotel Weblog that I co author June, 2004 up to June, 2006 and will continue translating, but so much is happening that I have to continue posting in real time and slow down the translating.

No better restart than with this Spanish Luxury Collection Hotel Marques De Riscal in Elciego, 110 km south east of Bilbao.

WOW2

It is located in the middle of a vineyard. Frank O. Gehry is said taking the commission only after having tasted a superb 1929 (his year of birth) Marques De Riscal in the cave of the oldest and probably most prestigious winery of the Rioja appellation about eight years ago. The opening done by The King of Spain, it features 43 suites at an US $88 mio investment. It includes a wine therapy spa, an exhibition area, wine tasting rooms and a restaurant.

Thanks to:USA Today

Last edited by GJE on December 3, 2011 at 11:22 pm