t minus seven
The UFC-style 33rd America’s Cup is about to happen, and this shot of Alinghi testing today in 20+ knots of breeze – well above the limits in the event rules – is good evidence that no wind limits are going to get in the way of the fastest course racing boats ever built. The rhetoric has thankfully seemed to slow way down – both in the press and in our wildly active AC Anarchy forum – and these teams are getting down to business like they have never before. And with PRO Harold Bennett already inviting both teams to practice on the course his Race Committee sets during its own practice this week, who knows what surprises we’ll see.
For our part, we are assembling the On-The-Water Anarchy team for battle. The details are top-secret at the moment, but we’re fairly certain that our crack team of top cameramen, photographers, electronics gurus, writers, and very special guest commentators will be documenting the 33rd Cup more thoroughly than it has ever been done before, for more online spectators than have ever watched a sailboat race. Add the official event footage and the teams’ dedicated media teams, and hundreds if not thousands of SA readers on the ground in VLC clogging the town’s broadband up, and we’ve got a party started already.
Some very exciting announcements will be forthcoming very soon, and you’d better make sure you are in front of a computer in 7 days’ time. Until then, watch this space.
And to finish pumping you up, have a look at this training video from the other day, in ‘fresh to frightening’ conditions for the alien ship from Anacortes. And see some onboard video here thanks to Valencia Sailing.
