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Match 7: Five Lead Changes, and Then What a Party!

Posted 1 year, 1 month ago

Match 7: Five Lead Changes, and Then What a Party!
13:30 - On the way to the race course aboard Alcor. 14:30 - Alcor's Capitano Alberto Ruiz (PER/ESP) maneuvers our spectator boat into position for the start. 15:45 - Your Ed doing the commentary aboard Alcor for our VIP guests, with one of our co-commentators, Andrea Tagliamacco (ITA), who has done a marvelous job of translating our commentary into Spanish. All five of our VIP boats have been wired together with a common commentary. 16:40 - After the astonishing one second win by Alinghi, with a record five lead changes, Alcor is among the first of the motor yachts back through the AC Canal. The stage is being prepared for the victory ceremony. 16:45 - Your Ed. (left) sharing an adult beverage with my co-commentators Ivor Wilkins (NZL) and Andrea Tagliamacco (ITA), and our VIP hospitality guru Mirko "Herr Direktor" Groeschner (GER, BMWOR marketing chief) after the thrilling win by Alinghi. You can probably tell by the looks on our faces that we were all still in denial -- that Alinghi had won, and that AC 32 was, indeed, finally all over except the shouting. 17:00 - Back at the team base warming up for the AC prizegiving, media maven Jane Eagleson (USA), the executive producer of our Morning Show and VIP commentary, Karen Webb (USA, Oracle Corp) and our good friend and Oracle Corp Sr. VP Judy Sim (USA). 17:15 - As we take the Henri Lloyd chase boat over to the Foredeck Club to witness the prizegiving, we come alongside any number of Alinghi support boats filled to the gills with fans who, needless to say, are delirious with joy. It's a great scene, but a bit depressing at the same time -- for what could have been. 17:20 - Near the prizegiving barge we run into Ian "Fresh" Burns (AUS, design coordinator) who is on one of the ACTV boats, where he has been doing commentary for today's world feed. 17:30 - ETNZ's NZL 92 was towed by the stage to the applause of the tens of thousands assembled in the PAC, but unfortunately ACM chose to abandon the longtime tradition of having the vanquished team and winner meet at the prizegiving platform. 17:35 - ETNZ fans were still all wrapped up in the moment. 17:40 - After ETNZ passed, the official delegation representing the defender's yacht club, SNG, and the new challenger of record, Club Nautico España representing the Spanish AC team, went by RIB from Ernesto Bertarelli's yacht Vava over to the prizegiving stage at the foot of the Foredeck Club. 17:45 - Then came Alinghi in a cloud of red confetti. 17:50 - It was hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the historic moment -- the first successful defense of the Cup in Europe. 17:55 - Alinghi docked at the prizegiving barge, and the sailing team was introduced to take the stage one-by-one. 18:00 - The Auld Mug was presented for the 33rd time, to Ernesto and Brad. 18:05 - It looked as if the stage was going to collapse under the weight of the proceedings. Luckily it did not. 18:10 - The Cup was put aboard Alinghi's SUI 100 by Mike Drummond (NZL, left) and Murray Jones (NZL, right) for the short trip from the Foredeck Club back to the Alinghi Base. 18:15 - Back at our team base the party was also in full swing with friends and family gathered for one last AC 32 hurrah, in honor this time of the very fine Kiwi and Swiss teams which had just completed the AC Match with the closet and best racing in the Cup's history. More tomorrow after we recover from the party later this evening down at the Alinghi base. Photos courtesy of Oracle Corp's Judy Sim (USA). Full Story »

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