New world yachting series heads to NZ
09 Sep 2009
Auckland will host another major Louis Vuitton yachting event this summer as part of a new world series that will put the big names of international sailing back on the world circuit.
Event partners Louis Vuitton and the World Sailing Team Association (WSTA) have just announced the Louis Vuitton World Series to be held in Nice, France, in November, and in Auckland, in March 2010.
The world series - seen as a chance for the world’s top sailors to get back on the water while the America’s Cup is locked in a court battle - follows the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, held in Auckland earlier this year and won by Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ).
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
Reaction to the new series has been very positive, particularly from those involved in the Pacific series.
Grant Dalton, chief executive of ETNZ and a WSTA founding team, said the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series had been "a great success".
"It seemed logical to try and build on this, and that is what we have done. It is a win-win situation for Louis Vuitton, the teams and the host cities," Dalton said.
"Auckland was the model. Auckland, through the efforts of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the volunteers, the suppliers and sponsors, the press, was a watershed success and everybody started talking about a world series.
"Getting the teams into an association, getting Louis Vuitton's commitment, getting the cities has taken time, and now it has happened," he said.
10-team challenge
The new Louis Vuitton World Series is positive news for top-tier professional sailors as it guarantees international competition aboard high-tech racing boats.
The series will feature 10 teams racing in former America’s Cup yachts, one-on-one in a round robin format before the top two go head-to-head in a final.
Already eight teams have registered and been confirmed for Nice, including four syndicates from the last America’s Cup in Valencia 2007: Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW Oracle, France’s K-Challenge and Italy’s Mascalzone Latino.
Allinghi, runner-up in the Pacific Series, is not among them. Two other entrants - Swedish Challenge Artemis, and Synergy Russian sailing team - are taking part in the MedCup TP52 circuit which Team NZ is currently leading.
A further Italian team, Italia by Joe Fly and another French entry, Team French Spirit, have also confirmed for the first event in Nice, which is scheduled for 7- 22 November, 2009.
Cost-effective format
All the LVWS events will be sanctioned by ISAF, the international sailing governing body, and will take place over the next two years. They will run alongside, but not in competition with, the America’s Cup which remains the pinnacle of sailing.
Dalton described the new circuit as "an event for our times" because costs could be contained.
"You just turn up, you don't have to build or buy boats. It's different from the America's Cup in that respect," Dalton said.
Existing European-based cup yachts would be used in Nice, while Team NZ and Oracle would again supply the boats for Auckland.
Highly-competitive
Oracle chief executive Russell Coutts said the world series would address the issues of exposure for sponsors and competition for sailors.
"Sailing teams at the top of the sport require sponsorship and sponsors require an annual global calendar of compelling events," Coutts said.
"The sailors seek a highly-competitive series where they can face their toughest opponents on a fair playing field."
International circuit
K-Challenge will act as hosts for the Nice event.
After the second Louis Vuitton World Series event in Auckland in March 2010, the next stop will be La Maddalena, Italy in May 2010.
Organisers say they are also evaluating interest from other international cities to complete the racing calendar for 2010 and 2011.
Bruno Troublé, creator of the Louis Vuitton Cup, said they had received serious interest from Athens, Valencia, Newport (Rhode Island), Cape Town, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi to host future events.
He said the WSTA and Louis Vuitton would announce more events for 2010/2011 during the Nice regatta this year.
More information:
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series victors
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