Khater Massaad, CEO of RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA), also said the amount invested by the emirate to overhaul its infrastructure ahead of the race fell far short of the reported $120m, and that its partner in the bid, Swiss racing syndicate Alinghi, had refunded $5m of the state’s costs.

“Everyone has put so many figures on this,” said Massaad, who is also an adviser to Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, crown prince and deputy ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.

“We invested in total $15m. Of that, we’ve been refunded $5m by Alinghi. The remaining $10m was [spent] on infrastructure, but things that we needed to do anyway.”

RAK was reported to have invested $120m in infrastructure, including $50m for modifications to Al Hamra Palace Residence and $1m around Al Hamra Marina, to accommodate the race.

“That was deepening the canal and… adding proper infrastructure for the channel to leave the island. Then putting in electricity, water and finishing the roads to the island, which we needed to do,” said Massaad. “The loss [to Ras Al Khaimah] did not exceed $2m.”

Alinghi had selected the emirate to defend its trophy, one of the oldest and most prestigious in international sport. However, the venue was successfully contested by rival team BMW Oracle Racing, which cited Ras Al Khaimah’s proximity to Iran as a concern.

Massaad admitted he was “shocked” by the allegations, but said the publicity afforded Ras Al Khaimah as a result of the cup wrangle had worked in its favour.

“We were shocked and Alinghi were shocked more than us,” he said. “They came here in full faith. They shifted all their equipment, the team – it cost them a lot of money.

“But it brought so much attention to Ras Al Khaimah, people know us now. Whether good or bad, they know. And as long as they speak about you, it’s always good.”

Video: 30 November November 2009
Brad Butterworth Tactician/Team Skipper talks about the recent testing of Alinghi 5 in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Ras Al Khaimah www.rasalkhaimah.eu

Video: 10 November 2009

Loïck Peyron on his typical day at the Alinghi team whilst training in Ras al Khaimah. UAE
At Al Hamra Golf Club, training on the beach, football and sailing

Alinghi, Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, in July 2009 welcomed one of the world’s most renowned multihull sailors to the team for the campaign.

Loïck Peyron. The 50 year old Frenchman has crossed the Atlantic 43 times; 18 single-handed. He has raced around the world twice, holds three Transat titles and two Transat Jacques Vabres: “In every sailor’s mind, the America’s Cup is part of life. I have been following it for many years and now to be working for a team like Alinghi makes me proud,” Peyron said, adding: “There is a tremendous amount of work for sure, but it’s a big challenge. An interesting strength of Alinghi is that it has a lot of knowledge from a lot of areas of the sport: monohulls, offshore sailing, multihulls; especially here in Switzerland. The way the team works is based on team spirit and the method works really well; they have proved it many times.

Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper and four-time America’s Cup winner welcomed Peyron: “We are looking forward to working with Loïck; he brings a lot of multihull experience – from both a design and sailing point of view – to a team that already has quite a bit of depth in this area of our sport. I think he will be an asset to this project and a good addition to the team.”

Loïck Peyron – Sailing career highlights
43 Atlantic crossings; 18 single-handed
2 Round the Worlds
3 Transat ‘Anglaise’ wins, single-handed
2 Transat Jacques Vabre wins
2 Bol d’Or wins

Ras Al Khaimah www.rasalkhaimah.eu

Video: 9 November 2009
A day on the water with Joao Cabeçadas, Shore Crew, Alinghi 5 in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Profile Joao Cabeçadas
Joao Cabeçadas, Portuguese sailors, with 16 crossings of the Atlantic Ocean 3, and 2 of the Pacific.

Joao father owned a sailboat construction company where at an early age he developed his interest in sailing.
Sailingl at the Club Naval Setubalense was a natural transition, and that there would come into contact with the competition, especially in Vaurien, Snipe and 470.

Between 1979 and 1982 Joao attended the Nautical School for nautical training and obtained certification of official pilot for the merchant navy.

His first experience of competitive saling on the high seas was in a race between Lisbon and the Azores and back.

He was crew member of the Esprit de Liberte Whitbread in 1989. Nine months at sea, which represented the transition to professionalism, that the victory of Esprit de Liberte in its class provides as browser. After that will participate in two more editions of the race.

After several years at sea, Joao Cabeçadas became a member of the ground crew of Alinghi in the America’s Cup, winning two editions of the America’s Cup.

Awards – Joao Cabeçadas
2003: Medal of Merit Sports City Cascais
1998: Blue Dolphin
1991: Medal Vasco da Gama
1991: Medal of Merit Sports City of Setúbal

Video: 6 December 2009

Weather permitting, testing and training continues for Alinghi 5 in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Alinghi is currently training and testing its catamaran out of the team base in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Join Dirk Kramers, Design Team, Alinghi for the story behind the Alinghi designers day on the water with Alinghi 5.

Guide to Ras Al Khaimah www.rasalkhaimah.eu

The latest development by the BMW ORACLE Racing team was unveiled (8 November 2009) when an enormous wing was prepared to be wheeled out of the tent at the team base in San Diego.

The wing will be tested as an option to increase performance compared with a traditional soft sail rig as previously sea-trialed on the BOR 90, the 90-foot trimaran the team has built for the 33rd America’s Cup.

The construction of the wing took place at Core Builders, the team’s boat building facility in Anacortes, Washington, with finishing work completed at the team base in San Diego.

“This was a massive undertaking,” said Tim Smyth (NZL), who, along with Mark Turner (NZL), has been overseeing the wing construction team in Anacortes and in San Diego.

“Building a wing of this size was something new for all of us, and we’re proud our guys were able to rise to the challenge.”

A wing of this scale has never been built for a race boat. In terms of size, the wing on BOR 90 dwarfs those on modern aircraft. Towering nearly 190 ft (57 m) above the deck, it is 80 percent bigger than a wing on a 747 airplane (102 ft / 31 m).

The primary advantage of the wing over a soft sail is that it is easier to control and does not distort. This makes it easier for the trimmers on board to maintain an optimum aerofoil shape in a wide range of conditions.

Full-scale, on-the-water testing of the wing will begin later this week as the team resumes sea trials in preparation for the 33rd America’s Cup Match in February 2010.

++++++++++++++++++

Guide to Ras Al Khamiah www.rasalkhaimah.eu

Shortly after returning to shore, helmsman Jimmy Spithill expressed pride in how his team responded on the water when the mast came down.

“The crew are all safe and all of the contingencies that are built into the programme really showed today. I just commend the crew and all our support boats for swinging into action.”

RIBs that follow the BOR 90 during testing sessions recovered the damaged mast and returned to the base later in the evening.

The team will be assessing all the available data to gain a full understanding of what happened.

“We really need to go back and look into the numbers and see what footage we have. Right now, it’s too early to say why and where it failed,” Spithill said.

“The biggest priority was making sure everyone was safe and getting back to the dock and now we’ll evaluate (what happened).”

Orbit Showtime TV website: http://www.showtimearabia.com/

The New York Supreme Court today ruled that the 33rd America’s Cup, scheduled in February 2010, must take place in a venue in the Southern Hemisphere as per the strict reading of the competition’s governing document, the Deed of Gift, or in Valencia, Spain, as the only exception to that rule.

“This is a disappointing result as we were certain that Justice Cahn’s May 2008 decision allowed the Defender to chose Valencia or ‘any other location’,” said Lucien Masmejan, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) legal counsel. “Ras Al Khaimah has put enormous time and effort into this 33rd America’s Cup project. We thank them and feel sorry for this unexpected result out of the New York court”.

“We are satisfied, however, as Justice Kornreich confirmed that the Deed of Gift Match will be conducted under SNG rules as she had already ruled in a previous court order,” added Lucien Masmejan.

Notes:
While the 1887 Deed stipulates that racing for the America’s Cup between 1 November and 1 May must take place in the Southern Hemisphere, Justice Cahn’s 12 May 2008 New York Supreme Court Order ‘that the location of the match be in Valencia or any other location selected by the SNG’ led the America’s Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève, to select Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

12 August 2009 – Video – BNW Oracle Racing Technology Montage

1 August 2009 – Video – BMW Oracle Racing, BOR90 flying two hulls

Video – BMW ORACLE Racing, BOR 90 Out of the Tent,

The Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup set sail today (17 October 2009) for the start of AC training in Emirati waters

Alinghi, the 33rd America’s Cup Defender, cast off from the America’s Cup Island of Al Hamra this morning and set sail for its first training day in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

“The conditions are ideal here for these boats,” said Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper, “exactly the building sea breeze that we hoped for which means we can sail as much as six days a week; it couldn’t be better for what we are trying to achieve.” The giant catamaran Alinghi 5 arrived in the Emirates from Europe on 30 September after a 12 day, 4,400nm voyage and since then the team has relocated, reassembled the boat and prepared it for the four-month training session ahead of the first race of the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010.

“I would like to thank Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates, his Highness Sheikh Saud, his Highness Sheikh Omar and Dr Massaad among many others. This is a fantastic venue for the America’s Cup. It is work in progress, but what has been achieved so far is second to none. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be here and I can’t wait to get sailing,” said Ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi team president, at a press conference in Al Hamra Village on Saturday. “Some of the things I see from BMW Oracle read like the trailer of a Hollywood movie, do they really think we and the rest of the world ignore the fact that 40% of the world oil traffic goes through the Strait of Hormuz and as many goods are coming in to provide for what is the fastest growing region in the world over the last 10 years? If the Strait or this area had any security issues, we would know about it. So I say: Come on BMW Oracle, Larry Ellison, Russell Coutts and Tom Ehman; let’s get real and let’s get sailing. Stop inventing things for the sake of it.”

Preparations for the America’s Cup continue apace, both on Al Hamra Island, home to the team bases, and within Al Hamra Village where the teams and America’s Cup visitors will be accommodated over the next few months. The infrastructure is tailor-made for the event, courtesy of Ras Al Khaimah and Dr Khater Massaad, Advisor to H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, whose support has been invaluable. “We are proud to host such a world-acclaimed sporting event and welcome Alinghi with open arms,” said Dr Massaad, “we just hope to be able to welcome BMW Oracle, the challenger, soon in order to finalise preparations at their base on Al Hamra America’s Cup Island. The government of Ras Al Khaimah and the UAE guarantee the security of both teams in the lead up and during the Cup,” he declared.

Grant Simmer, Alinghi’s design team coordinator, has been on site during the early preparations and is delighted at the speed that work has progressed: “The difference between when we arrived here and now is amazing. The support from everyone involved in Ras Al Khaimah has been incomparable and we look forward to a successful America’s Cup Match in February 2010.”

Alinghi will now settle in to a training schedule towards the America’s Cup Match.

16 October 2009 Important boat components arrive in San Diego.

Two trucks containing boat components have arrived at the BMW ORACLE Racing team testing base in San Diego, after completing a 2,000 kilometer (1300 mile) journey.

The carbon fiber components were built at Core Builders, the team’s Anacortes boat-building facility in Washington State.

These new structures will be used in future modifications to the giant trimaran, known as BOR 90, that the team is preparing to race in the 33rd America’s Cup.

“Everything has arrived in good shape and we’re pleased we can move on to our next stage of boat development,” said Mark Turner (NZL), boat construction manager.

BOR 90 emerged from the boat-building tent in San Diego on Tuesday, following the latest round of modifications and is scheduled to return to the water for more testing before the end of the month.

Helicopter Aerial Filming in the United Arab Emirates visit the Heli Image FZE website:
www.heli-image.com

13 October 2009

Following three weeks of modifications, the BOR 90 emerged today from the boat building tent at the team base in San Diego.

The latest iteration of the giant trimaran the team will use to challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup boasts new features which will be worked up on shore, before the boat hits the water for more testing near the end of the month.

Most significantly, and in response to the new rules issued earlier this year for the 33rd America’s Cup by the Defender, SNG/Alinghi, the team has modified the BOR 90 cockpit to accommodate an engine. For the first time in the history of the America’s Cup, the Defender has altered the racing rules to allow using an engine to replace human power on board the race boats. Since the Cup’s inception in 1851, and in almost all other yacht racing, only manual (human) power may be used to trim sails and do other work.

On BOR 90, the engine will primarily be used to drive hydraulics for trimming the enormous sails – the mainsail alone measures nearly 7,000 square feet – that propel the boat.

Alinghi’s insistence on the use of engines has resulted in the team having not only to add an engine and related gear, but to redesign the boat’s cockpit on the center hull. With the engine, there is no longer a requirement for the grinding pedestals and sailors (“grinders”) who until now provided the human power for the boat, so the cockpit has been reconfigured.

“When we originally designed and built the BOR 90, we assumed we would have to use the crew to provide all the power on board, as that has always been the case in the America’s Cup,” said design team director Mike Drummond.

“With the change to the rules, we’ve had to adapt, adjust and modify. Otherwise, the engine power that Alinghi designed into their boat would have given them a significant advantage. This all part of the process of preparing to race in February. We’ll spend some time with the boat on shore now, doing some finishing work and preliminary tests and then we’ll be sailing again to continue our boat testing and development.”

10 October 2009

BMW ORACLE Racing has completed work on a set of important new components at its Anacortes boat-building facility in Washington State – Core Builders. The new parts will be trucked this week to the team’s testing base in San Diego.

The carbon fiber components rolled out of Anacortes early Saturday morning and will soon be bound for San Diego. These latest structures will be used in future modifications to the BOR 90, the giant trimaran that the team is preparing for the 33rd America’s Cup. This next phase of development will be unveiled in San Diego in a few weeks.

The team’s boat construction managers were pleased to see the latest build project on its way to San Diego.

“Our Anacortes crew have been a vital part of our last two America’s Cup campaigns,” said Tim Smyth (NZL), who, along with Mark Turner (NZL), has been overseeing the boat-building project for the team.

“For this campaign, and with this boat, we’ve been building on a scale that hasn’t been attempted in the modern America’s Cup,” Smyth said. “For all of us, this has been a big test of our skills and ability, and the team here in Anacortes has more than responded to the challenge. I’m very proud of what’s being accomplished here.”

While boat building activity has increased in San Diego with the latest BOR 90 modifications, the Core Builders facility in Anacortes remains the backbone of the team’s American construction operations. The team in Anacortes will continue to work on America’s Cup-related projects.

The BOR 90 has been undergoing modifications in the tent-boatshed at the San Diego base since its most recent round of sea trials concluded September 20th. The boat is scheduled to emerge after the latest modifications this week and will return to the water for further testing before the end of the month.

BMW ORACLE Racing is preparing to face Alinghi in the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010.

Alinghi 5 has arrived at the Swiss Defender’s base on the America’s Cup island of Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah – venue for the 33rd edition of sport’s oldest trophy.

Alinghi’s giant catamaran arrived under tow 5 October 2009 from Saqr Port and was lifted out and put in the team’s boat shed where the shore crew will carry out the work necessary to prepare the boat to sail.

Grant Simmer, design team coordinator, comments: “The boat came down from Saqr Port and we lifted it out of the water, washed it down and put it in the boat shed. It’s the first time that Alinghi has been to the Al Hamra harbour so it’s quite a moment! It’s very exciting for us because we’ve done a lot of work to get things ready here and to have the yacht in the base is great. We have some work to do on the boat which we’ve been planning since we were in Genoa, so the boys will start now and we should be sailing mid-month. The weather has been great. One of the reasons why we came here is because of the weather. It’s beautiful: steady light to moderate winds and good weather, so we are looking forward to sailing here.”