Race One of the 33rd America’s Cup Match was abandoned for the day on Monday afternoon.

With very light and shifting winds over the race area, the Race Committee was unable to find suitable conditions for racing.

“We had a southerly breeze well offshore that was occasionally filtering into the start area,” explained team meteorologist Chris Bedford (USA). “But closer to shore we had a westerly breeze for most of the afternoon. At times it was showing up to 14 knots at the top mark.

“So there was pressure (wind) trying to make it onto the course, but because of these two winds converging, we never had enough breeze over a 20-mile leg to get going… I think the Race Committee did a good job today.”

After waiting for nearly four hours, and moving the race course area in an effort to find more wind, Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett decided to abandon racing for the day, shortly before 14:00 CET.

Under the schedule of the 33rd America’s Cup, the next race day is Wednesday, 10 February, when the start is scheduled for 10:06 CET (04:06 EST, 01:06 PST).

Strong winds are forecast on Tuesday and will linger into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“On Wednesday, I’m looking for quite a bit more seaway; we’ll probably be getting some kind of a swell down from the Northeast, along the coast,” Bedford said. “We’ll likely be in a waning Northwesterly that may turn into some kind of a sea breeze in the afternoon, if we’re lucky. That’s what we’re keeping our fingers crossed for.”

You can follow all of the action on Wednesday on www.bmworacleracing.com with our “Race Day” coverage, which features live original programming, as well as the Host Broadcast feed of the racing.

In addition to the main team website, friends of the team can follow our blog at http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com, our YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/bmworacleracingteam, or on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/bmworacle2010.

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On the eve of the first race of the 33rd America’s Cup Match, BMW ORACLE Racing is ready to go.

“We had a very good sail,” said team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL). “We’re excited to get out on the race course tomorrow.”

The sailing team had a three and a half hour session on the water today to ensure the boat and all of its equipment is ‘race ready’.

“No matter how experienced you are, these final moments before the first race of the America’s Cup Match are always special,” Coutts said.

“Of course there are some nerves, but I feel very positive about our team and our boat. I know that we’ve done everything we can to be ready, and that’s all I can ask. Now, we are ready to race.”

Larry Ellison, the founder of the team and a member of the afterguard, was sailing on the trimaran today. He says he can’t wait to get racing.

“I can’t think about anything but these next three races,” he said. “We’re 100 percent focused. The only thing we’re thinking about now is winning two of the next three races.

The weather forecast is for lighter winds in the morning on Monday, building as the day goes on. Rain showers are forecast. Racing is scheduled to start at 10:06 CET (04:06 EST, 01:06 PST).

The final crew list for USA will be confirmed and released on Monday morning.

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Over 100 sailors have already registered for the 102nd Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, presented by Veuve Clicquot, which starts on July 23-24, 2010 in Chicago. Over 550 invitations were issued to past competitors on February 1, and with such a tremendous response in just days, Chicago Yacht Club anticipates another big fleet. Last year’s race saw nearly 350 entrants begin the 333 mile sailing adventure on Lake Michigan. Invitations to first time racers will go out on March 1.

New for 2010, Chicago Yacht Club is proud to introduce Veuve Clicquot as presenting sponsor. ‘This is a fabulous pairing,’ stated Mac Chairman Greg Freeman, ‘as both Veuve Clicquot and Chicago Yacht Club are known worldwide for their history of excellence and quality - in fine champagnes and in yacht racing.’ Chicago Yacht Club will also offer 100% tracking coverage included, at no extra cost to the competitor. GPS tracking has enabled friends, family and colleagues to watch the race online, and brought more than 250,000 unique visitors to the Race website last year. The 2010 race entrance fee is $13 per foot, the same as it was in 2008.

Sailors who want more information should read the 2010 Notice of Race and Safety Regulations available on the Race website at www.cycracetomackinac.com. Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac is an invitation only race. If you wish to enter the race for the first time, or after an extended absence, you will need to complete the Request for Invitation (RFI) process. Only RFIs that are complete and have been approved by the Mac Race Selections Committee will receive an Invitation.

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Torresen Marine is working with www.haiti-life.org gathering used sails for use in relief efforts.

These sails will be consolidated, shipped to Miami and loaded on a privately chartered cargo ship named SeaFlower.

Your donation to Haiti-life.org, a non-profit, 501c3, organization may be tax deductible.

Shipments will be leaving quickly so please call Mary at the Torresen Marine service department for details ( 231-759-8596 ). Or visit the Haiti Life web site at: http://www.haiti-life.org/Haiti-Life/The_Project.html

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Boat show time has arrived! The Strictly Sail Chicago Boat Show is January 28 - 31 and we look forward to seeing many of you there. Torresen Marine has an expanded booth at position # 444 and if you are looking for a new boat visit us at the Hunter Sailboat booth # 290. Boat shows are a great way to dream of the warmer weather and happy sailing in the months ahead. See you in Chicago.

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The Cruising Club of America has selected Annie Hill and Trevor Robertson to receive its prestigious 2009 Blue Water Medal in recognition of a life of cruising and voyaging that best exemplifies the objects and goals of the CCA. The award will be presented on March 5, 2010 by CCA Commodore Sheila McCurdy (Middletown, R.I.) during the club’s annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club, in New York.

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The Cruising Club of America has selected Lin and Larry Pardey to receive its prestigious 2009 Far Horizons Award in recognition of their lifetime of cruising and voyaging. The award will be presented on March 5, 2010 by CCA Commodore Sheila McCurdy (Middletown, R.I.) during the club’s annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club, in New York.

Lin and Larry Pardey were married on October 31, 1968 in Newport Beach, Calif., and on that same day they launched Seraffyn, a Lyle Hess designed cutter they built themselves. Seraffyn was 24 feet 7 inches LOA (length overall) with an 8-foot 11-inch beam, and the boat had no engine. They began their trip eastward through the Panama Canal and then crossed on to Europe. For 11 years they cruised the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas and then headed south through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and on to Japan. From there, they traveled to Canada and south back to Newport Beach for a total circumnavigation of 47,000 miles.

Fifteen years to the date, October 31, 1983, they launched another Hess design, Taleisin, which was 29-feet 6-inches, with a 10-foot 9-inch beam, and 17,800 lbs. displacement. Similar to their previous boat, this vessel has no engine. They sailed westward from California through the Pacific to New Zealand. With time they continued westward to South Africa, Brazil, Ireland, the British Isles, Norway, and then to the East Coast U.S. They then voyaged south to Argentina and rounded Cape Horn westbound and crossed their outbound track which completed their circumnavigation in 2003.

After spending three seasons exploring the Pacific Northwest, they eventually sailed west across the Pacific to New Zealand to finish their third circumnavigation. All told the trip equaled 80,000 miles.

Larry Pardey was born in 1939 in Victoria, Canada and his first boat at age 9 was an Indian dug out canoe. His first cruising boat was a self-restored, 20-foot Colin Archer cutter. To date he has logged more than 205,000 sea miles.

Lin Pardey was born in 1944 in Detroit, Michigan and later raised in Los Angeles County. As a young child, her early sailing was in a 14-foot Old Town sloop. Lin has logged more than 198,000 sea miles.

Together, the couple has shared their sailing and cruising experiences with sailors around the world by writing 10 books that range from Storm Tactics Handbook to Cost Conscious Cruiser. Lin and Larry have also published a number of popular videos and DVDs, and their co-authored articles have appeared in numerous yachting publications worldwide.

For the record: The Pardeys hold the record for the smallest boat to have circumnavigated contrary to the prevailing winds around all the great southern capes. They are the only couple to have circumnavigated both east-about and west-about on boats they built themselves, using traditional means of navigation and having no engine or sponsorship.

In addition to presenting its Far Horizons Award, the CCA will present the following 2009 Award Citations:

The Blue Water Medal awarded to Annie Hill and Trevor Robertson in recognition of a life of cruising and voyaging that best exemplifies the objects and goals of the CCA. Together they have sailed Iron Bark, a 35-foot steel gaff cutter built in Queensland, Australia. From 2007 to 2009 the couple spent time cruising in New Zealand, Tasmania and Queensland, Australia.

The Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship awarded to Maurice and Sophie Conti for their rescue of the crew of the 10m ketch Timella on October 12, 2008. The New Zealand High Commission recommended Maurice and Sophie Conti for heroism awards and in November 2009, they traveled to London to receive the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

The Richard S. Nye Trophy awarded to John P. Rousmaniere, who has brought distinction to the Cruising Club of America as a sailor, writer, and historian. He is best known as a prolific author, and his books such as Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, Fastnet Force 10, A Berth to Bermuda, and many others have been a source of information and inspiration to sailors around the world. He has also served the sport of sailing as a moderator at Safety at Sea Seminars, as a lecturer, and researcher on man overboard recovery techniques.

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The Cruising Club of America has selected Maurice and Sophie Conti to receive its 2009 Rod Stephens Trophy for their rescue of the crew of the 10m ketch Timella on October 12, 2008. The trophy will be presented to the Contis on March 5, 2010 by CCA Commodore Sheila McCurdy (Middletown, R.I.) during the club’s annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club, in New York.

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BMW ORACLE Racing, with its trimaran and towering wing sail, made its debut on Spanish waters Tuesday afternoon. It’s the first time the American team has sailed its America’s Cup boat at the venue of the 33rd Match.

When the boat took to the waters off the Port of Valencia, it was sporting USA emblazoned on its stern, the name designated for the boat by the Golden Gate Yacht Club when it challenged for the 33rd America’s Cup.

Previously, the trimaran had been called the BOR 90. But now, in Spanish waters, this is the name the boat will carry into battle for the America’s Cup next month.

Conditions were ideal for a first test sail with four to eight knots of wind and just a small chop on the otherwise flat water.

“Everyone was very excited to get out on the water,” team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL) confirmed after a successful day of tests.

“It’s been quite a process to get here, get set up and be ready to sail. But that’s the point we’re at now and it’s a big milestone for the team.”
When the team returned to its boatyard in the Port, the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Francisco Camps, and the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá, were on hand to officially welcome BMW ORACLE Racing to Valencia ahead of the America’s Cup Match and to see the trimaran and wing sail up close for the first time.

Coutts, speaking with the dignitaries, announced that as of its Spanish launch, the boat is now named USA and he confirmed the team is very happy to be in its second ‘home’ of Valencia. BMW ORACLE Racing has had a base in the Spanish city since 2004.

Behind him, USA with its wing sail was sitting on a mooring. The wing carried an American flag and the sail number USA 17, which team founder Larry Ellison (USA) has used on many of his successful sailing campaigns, including five Maxi World championship wins with his Sayonara race yacht.

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Here are a few tips to make your experience at Strictly Sail Chicago the best one possible. Be sure to go to Strictly Sail’s site to check out all the details. We hope to see you all there!

Tickets & Seminars - Tickets can be purchased on-line. You will find children 15 years of age and under are admitted at no charge (Must be accompanied by a paying adult). Strictly Sail Yacht Club Pass and Family Pass are available online only. *Buy your tickets online and included in your paid admission is a one-year subscription to one of the following magazines: Yachting, Spa, Caribbean Travel & Life, Ski, Sailing World or Cruising World ($10.00 value)Hotel Accommodations - To enhance your Strictly Sail experience, the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is offering a special promotional package for all show exhibitors and attendees.

Hotel Accommodations - To enhance your Strictly Sail experience, the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is offering a special promotional package for all show exhibitors and attendees.

Choose Your Day Wisely. While Thursday and Friday have lighter crowds and shorter waits for displays, Saturday usually has “bumper to bumper traffic” from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Arrive at opening time and pick your favorite four or five boats to inspect before the rush and then wait until the middle of the afternoon to check out some of the other popular models.

Parking - It is a big help to go on-line and visit Strictly Sail to get directions to the best parking. Save on Parking! Park at Navy Pier during the show for $10.00. Space is limited so come early before the lots fill.

Plan Your Day - As with most trips, it is best to have a plan in mind as how to cover the features of the show that have the most interest. Serious boat buyers often come on Thursday or Friday when the crowds are not distracting. The same could be true if you intend to research some new deck hardware or repowering your boat (Torresen Marine specialties). Bring the kids along to view the show are to hang out at the Kids’ Club. Kids’ Club is a hands-on activity center designed just for junior sailors where children can draw “sailboats of the future,” and learn knot tying, while you shop on the show floor. Daily prizes will be awarded for the most unique and innovative drawings. Also check out the seminars and special events that will be taking place during the course of the show. To fill out your day, you may want to go on line to Navy Pier and check out the restaurants and other fun things going on right there.

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