Louis Vuitton Nice races start today, November 7, in Nice

November 7, 8:34 AMSF Boating ExaminerLaird Durham

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America's Cup Class yachts in a match race
BWM Oracle racing team

Eight teams from seven countries began a series of match races today, November 7, 2009, at Nice on the French Riviera. They will compete in equalized America’s Cup Class boats.


Notably absent from the race competitors is Societe Nautique de Geneve’s Alinghi team, which lost to Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Pacific races at Auckland, NZ, in February 2009. BMW Oracle Racing’s America’s Cup team will race for the Vuitton Nice trophy skippered by team CEO Russell Coutts.  Its first match today will be against the Italian team, Azzurra.


When multiple challenges for the America’s Cup were instituted in 1970, the Louis Vuitton Cup became the elimination series to select the single yacht to then race against the Cup defender.


 In 2007, when AC defender SNG issued the protocols for the 33rd America’s Cup, Louis Vuitton announced that it was terminating all of its America’s Cup activities, including the elimination series, stating that the organization of the America’s Cup had been taken over by Alinghi’s Ernesto Bertarelli’s business interests. One of the big objections to the new protocols was the provision that Alinghi would race in the elimination series, even though Aliinghi would be the designated defender in the final matches, even if it lost in the elimination series.  But the challenging yachts could be eliminated by Alinghi victories.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club, sponsor of the BMW Oracle team, now has active motions before the New York State Supreme Court to force SNG to modify the 2007 AC protocols, and to remove SNG as trustee/manager of the America’s Cup.


Here are the teams that will race for the Louis Vuitton Nice trophy:


Azzurra (ITA)
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA)
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
K-Challenge (FRA)
Swedish Challenge Artemis (SWE)
Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS)
Team French Spirit (FRA)
Team Origin (GBR)


The eight teams will race two Rounds Robin, before the best performers advance to the final stages of the event. The finals will be a ‘first to two points’ match between the top two teams.

The Louis Vuitton series is organized by Louis Vuitton and the new World Sailing Teams Association. The association plans to hold several regattas each year in different venues. Cities that have expressed interest include Hong Kong, Auckland, and New York.