America’s Cup – venue
announced, Alinghi on her
Tornado out of 
way there, BMW in and out the Olympics
of the water for modification,
legal tussles continue
“We are pleased to announce
that Ras al-Khaimah, in the
United Arab Emirates, will be
the Host Country for the 33rd
America's Cup,” said Fred
Meyer, Vice-Commodore of the
Société Nautique de Genève
(SNG). “This is a venue that offers perfect weather and great
sailing conditions for a Match in February; the authorities have
shown tremendous interest in, and support for hosting the
America's Cup; and the country has experience in organizing
first-class sporting events such as ATP tennis, PGA golf and
Formula One. They will make a purpose-built island available at
the Al Hamra Village in Ras al-Khaimah to provide the America's
Cup teams, sponsors and fans with an outstanding venue.”
Having won the 32nd America's Cup in 2007 in Valencia with
its yacht racing team, Alinghi, the SNG is granted the right
to choose the venue for the next America's Cup which is
scheduled to start on 8 February 2010.
“Our absolute priorities in making this decision are the prevailing
weather conditions and the resulting safety that they bring to
both teams,” explains Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth. “We
Despite much lobbying by sailors, the media, yacht
looked everywhere for a venue that suited having good racing
clubs and class associations the International Olympic
for the Match dates in February. We had trained in the UAE
Committee (IOC) has confirmed that there will be just 10
in the winter with Alinghi before and in the end we settled on
sailing events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Ras al-Khaimah in particular because of the infrastructure
in Al Hamra Village and because it has a great building sea The IOC has not saved the ISAF Council from the
breeze during the day, similar to Mediterranean conditions in consequences of its unpopular and clearly political
the summer, making it good for these boats and safe for all
decision to cut multihulls from the Olympic program ahead
concerned.”
of one of the dinghy classes.
Naturally BMW Oracle and the Golden Gate Yacht Club are not
With broad grass roots recognition that ISAF had made a
impressed with this and have issued a statement to say that
mistake in its decision process, taking out the fastest and
they are considering their legal options…. and whether this is
most spectacular sailing class from the Olympic program,
permissible within the Deed of Gift. I hear the sound of legal
ISAF was hoping that a request to the IOC to keep the
briefs being drafted yet again!
number of sailing events at 11, maintaining the Open
Meanwhile the court have approved the use of ‘engines’ to
Multihull event would save them from further condemnation
power parts of the boat – a major shift in the rule book.
by sailors world-wide, however that has not happened.
BMW Oracle finished her latest round of sea trials on 20
The 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition will feature 380
September and is back in the boat shed for modifications
athletes competing across the following 10 events,
prior to launch in early October and
selected by the Council of the International Sailing
continuing trials. The team has been
Federation (ISAF) in November 2007:
stepping up testing and pushing the
boat harder than ever. Men's One Person Dinghy - Laser
Men's One Person Dinghy Heavy - Finn
Lots of questions still remain over Men's Two Person Dinghy - 470
the Cup. At the moment it is still two
Men's Two Person Dinghy High Performance - 49er
very wealthy guys spending loads of
Men's Windsurfer - RS:X
money on boats, sailors and lawyers
Men's Keelboat - Star
fighting tooth and nail for supremacy
Women's One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial
which might eventually be resolved
Women's Two Person Dinghy - 470
on the water. In the meantime just
Women's Keelboat Match Racing - Elliott 6m
admire their toys!
Women's Windsurfer - RS:X
46  MULTIHULL REVIEW : OCTOBER 2009
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