http://www.teamaqua.org en-en http://www.teamaqua.org/http://www.teamaqua.org/multimedia/images/img_traitees/2007/11/team-aqua.gif The second event of the 2008 iShares Cup for the Extreme 40 class will be in Hyères, France this week, where the 11 entrants will compete June 13-15.
A brand new entry, the French home team 'Twins' , will be joining the fleet, as will be the American team Tommy Hilfiger with Olympian Randy Smyth at the helm. Britain's double Olympic Gold medalist Shirley Robertson returns after winning the first event, as does the America's Cup defender Alinghi team, who will be looking to get back in the game after their dramatic capsize at the first iShares Cup event in Lugano, Switzerland.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=296 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:03:00 GMT Glorious sunshine, torrential rain, hair-raising gusts and mirror-like calm - the first event of the iShares Cup at Lake Lugano in Switzerland had it all, but it was the sole female sailor of the fleet, Shirley Robertson, who came out on top to win by 10 points."For a three day event I feel like we've been racing for a fortnight, I'm quite exhausted," said Shirley after the last race. "Today was quite hard work, it felt like we didn't really get any breaks or sail all that well. Then waiting to see if there was going to be a last race or whether they were going to call it off, the nerves have been going today. "But I'm absolutely thrilled, my team's done a fantastic job. It's a pleasure to sail with them and fantastic to sail with new tactician Chris Main, he hardly put a foot wrong. Really enjoyed it and can't wait till the next one!"After winning five races over the first two days, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley and her crew of Chris Main, Nick Hutton and Fraser Brown on JPMorgan Asset Management went into the final day of racing with a 15-point lead over British America's Cup challengers TEAMORIGIN, but things got off to a surprising start in the first race of day three when JPMorgan Asset Manageent followed the fleet home in last place and were disqualified after failing to complete the course within the time limit in the zephyr-light breezes. TEAMORIGIN, helmed by 2007 iShares Cup champion Rob Greenhalgh, came home in fourth to pile the pressure on for the overall title, while BT took the race win.After a postponement which saw several crews cooling off from the scorching sunshine with a swim in Lake Lugano, it was America's Cup defenders Alinghi who rediscovered their fighting form in Race 9, pulling off a tactical stunt that saw them come within inches of the shoreline to steal a winning angle to the second mark and then lead convincingly all the way home. But all eyes were on the battle between JPMorgan Asset Management and TEAMORIGIN - Shirley Roberston's crew had to take a penalty turn at the second mark, slowing the boat right down, while TEAMORIGIN were back in seventh place. JPMorgan Asset Management recovered to finish in fifth place as TEAMORIGIN followed them home in sixth. After an anxious wait to see if the wind would refill for a 10th race, the race committee signalled three hoots to end all racing - followed by cheers from the crew on JPMorgan Asset Management who had won the first event of the 2008 iShares Cup Sailing Series.TEAMORIGIN were 10 points behind in second place overall, while Nick Moloney and the crew on BT climbed the leaderboard on the final day to finish third. Oman Sail took fourth overall, whilst Alinghi ended a run of consistent results in the top half with a win to finish fifth overall - the pre-event favourites showing they are still in contention for the overall iShares Cup prize.Next stop Hyères, 13th-15th June.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=293 Sun, 1 Jun 2008 17:15:00 GMT Well this morning we were poised for a top 3 finish overall and the day ended with a highly dissapointing overall result of 8th!
We had 2 races in some of the lightest wind conditions we've ever experienced and spent much of the day wallowing with unfilled sails.
The less said about this event and our result the better. It isn't where we expect to be and we now head to Hyeres in France for Round 2 fully determined to make up for Lugano!
Best regards from the Extreme 40 team.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=294 Sat, 31 May 2008 22:56:00 GMT After 2 days of racing here at Lake Lugano, the TEAM AQUA Extreme 40 crew are lying in 5th position overall.
We've now sailed 7 of the planned 18 races and there is only one more day to go. We've managed to get quite a long way behind schedule because of generally very light and tricky winds.
There was however a dramatic squall during race one which led to the capsize of Americas Cup holders TEAM ALINGHI. In the event they broke their mast but were back out racing today after a night of repairs.
We're sailing well and enjoying the racing but are a little frustrated not to have had some better results. There have been a few times when things just haven't worked out for us over the last 2 days.
But onwards and upwards! Tomorrow is the final day with a double points scoring last race where we have a shot at 3rd overall.
Cheers from Lugano - Alister, Dan, Jim, John, Alec & Tim.
 ]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=291 Sat, 31 May 2008 20:56:00 GMT The first race of the first event of the 2008 iShares Cup season certainly lived up to expectations, delivering plenty of drama out on the race course and the first capsize of the season for America's Cup defenders Alinghi.After a short wait for the light winds to settle in direction on Lake Lugano (Switzerland), the nine-boat fleet started the first iShares Cup race with BT and Holmatro over the line early. The fleet set off on a reaching leg to the top mark, most opting to use their gennakers and flying one hull to lay the first mark on port tack. The nine catamarans were overlapped around a packed windward mark, with most boats opting to furl their gennakers away and tack around, but some boats struggled to control the huge sail as they re-launched on the other gybe - Holmatro dragging the massive sail in the water. iShares was leading as they came past the race village for the first time, until on the second lap a sudden and big squall swept through the fleet. Alinghi skipper, Ed Baird: "We were sailing in light winds, we had a good race going, we were in third and looking at passing into second... A squall came through just after we rounded the windward mark the second time and most of the fleet was still going upwind when we got hit with this very violent front edge of the squall. The two boats in the worst of the velocity were us and Holmatro because we were both so close together neither of us had an escape route. We both went up and we both put the noses in. They were somehow able to avoid capsizing and we did not unfortunately. It's all part of the learning of this game and unfortunately if we had been going upwind it wouldn't have happened and if we'd been further downwind it would have been different again. It was a case of wrong place wrong time. We went from racing to survival in an instant..."
Amidst driving rain, thunder and lightening, the rest of the fleet kept racing, with places changing rapidly in each gust. iShares found themselves struggling to bear away in the building winds, and had to veer off course, sacrificing their lead. At the end of two fast and furious laps it was Shirley Robertson on JPMorgan Asset Management who came out on top, with defending iShares Cup 2007 champion Rob Greenhalgh on TEAMORIGIN in second. Nick Moloney and the crew on BT recovered from a poor start to finish third, whilst the crew on Oman Sail took fourth.
As the fleet recovered from the exhausting first race the storm continued, with lightening darting across the mountain valley. With the Extreme 40s carrying a 62ft (18.9 metre) mast - each made of highly conductive carbon - the race organisers opted to send the fleet ashore for safety. Alinghi had broken their mast whilst trying to upright the boat but with the boat and mast towed ashore, the Alinghi team will now be working through the night to be back out on the race course tomorrow using the event's spare.Racing resumed as the thunderstorms receded. The first event the iShares Cup is set over three days, finishing on Sunday, 1st June.iShares Cup, Lugano (Switzerland)Day 1 / Race 1:1st JPMorgan Asset Management (Shirley Robertson)2nd Team Origin (Rob Greenhalgh)3rd BT (Nick Moloney)4th Oman Sail (Pete Cumming)5th Volvo Ocean Race (Herbert Dercksen)6th Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton)7th iShares (Hugh Styles)OCS HolmatroDNF Alinghi
 ]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=289 Sat, 31 May 2008 08:12:00 GMT After 2 days of training on Lake Lugano, we're ready to race in the first iShares Cup event of 2008.
Our shore Team of Tim Corney & Alec Richardson have done a great job of getting us prepared for racing
Racing starts on Friday with 5 or possibly 6 races planned. With a race time of between 15 & 20 mins each, it's going to be a fast and furious day!
The winds have been quite light, shifty and gusty and in the practice races we've done it has been very much a case of staying cool and waiting for our oppertunities to gain places around the course.
We have a new boat and a new team so have been gelling together and learning about sailing with each other. We're lucky to have a really talanted team, all with many international titles to their name.
There will be daily updates on the blog.
Best wishes,
Alister, Dan, Jim, Jonathan, Tim & Alec.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=274 Thu, 29 May 2008 16:42:00 GMT Team Aqua's Extreme 40 catamaran is now in Lugano, ready to compete in the first event of the iShares Cup 2008.
"We're busy going through measurement and putting the boat together, ready for our first practice session tomorrow (Wednesday)", says Jim Turner.
 
The racing will take place on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. ten teams are expected.
Team Aqua is composed with the following people for the Lugano regatta: Alister Richardson, Dan Johnson, Jim Turner and Jonathon Taylor
Tim Corney and Alec Richardson are part of the support team.
Go team Aqua!]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=270 Tue, 27 May 2008 16:05:00 GMT The latest Quantum add features Team Aqua's RC 44. Published in Seahorse and other sailing magazines, the beautiful photo is signed Meghan Sepe.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=268 Wed, 21 May 2008 08:35:00 GMT Team Aqua will participate in the Austria RC 44 Cup and the Lugano iShares Cup at the end of May. Cameron Appleton focuses on RC 44's and will sail with Chris Bake in Gmunden. He will join the Extreme 40 for the first time in Hyères, together with Andrew Estcourt.
Jim Turner will be Team Aqua's Extreme 40 skipper in Lugano, whilst Alister Richardson will be at the helm.]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=263 Wed, 14 May 2008 14:18:00 GMT Team Aqua will compete in the iShares Cup and hopes to get invitations to some events of the the World Match racing Tour.
 
 ]]> http://www.teamaqua.org/en/blog/?idContent=242 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:28:00 GMT