Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts

from the Daily sail

Introducing the World Sailing League
After years of planning Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts announce new circuit for 70ft catamarans
Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard have teamed up with renowned Portuguese sports promoter, João Lagos, to create a new annual global sailing series. The World Sailing League (WSL) will be held at premier sailing locations around the world with an annual prize fund of US$5 million.

12 teams, representing nations, will compete in identical, state-of-the-art 70ft racing catamarans. It is anticipated that there will be venues in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America.

João Lagos is a Portuguese former Davis Cup player and captain, who was awarded the Order of Merit in Portugal, founded Lagos Sports (LS) in 1977. Since then, he has become renowned internationally as a sports promoter associated major sports events, especially tennis, and has built up an impressive portfolio. Since 1990, Lagos Sports has organised and promoted an ATP Tour, International Series tennis event 'Estoril Open' and the Lisbon Tennis Masters Cup in 2000. Lagos Sports is also prominent in the world of golf, counting the PGA’s European Tour Portugal Open, Madeira Island Open, Brazil's Rio & S. Paulo Opens in its portfolio. The company has worked in many other fields including Beach Volleyball World Cup events, WCT Surfing Events and Equestrian CSIO Lisbon and 'Haute École' events as well as the Cycling Tour of Portugal. In 2007, Lagos Sport will be promoting two new sailing events: the Portuguese event of the Breitling Medcup for the TP 52s, as well as another event for Russell Coutts' RC 44 Class in Lisbon.

Lagos commented: "I immediately recognised the potential of the World Sailing League and am excited about the opportunity to raise the profile of sailing here in Portugal through this international sporting event. There is also the possibility of a Portuguese venue and team, but this is yet to be confirmed. From the results of our detailed due diligence and conversations with potential venues, skippers and sponsors, I can confirm that the level of support for this new and innovative concept has been remarkable and we are delighted to be involved."

Russell Coutts outlined why João Lagos is the ideal partner for WSL: "We have been planning this for a long time and were looking for an organisation that would share our vision for the World Sailing League. In João Lagos we have an entrepreneurial figure with the foresight to see the potential of these events, coupled with the expertise and credibility to bring the concept to life. Our partnership with Lagos Sports, a leading event promoter, allows us to make this announcement today."

Paul Cayard added: "Russell, myself and João Lagos are pooling our experiences from the America’s Cup, the Olympic Games and a multitude of other sporting competitions. We have taken the best ideas from sports events all over the world - and added innovative concepts – to generate an exciting new series that will maximise the appeal to sailors, sponsors and spectators. For a venture like this, it was also important that ISAF support the concept and they have confirmed they are fully behind us."

The World Sailing League will use a fleet racing format although a number of other innovative concepts such as time trials and slalom racing will be tested using the prototype yacht. It will also have a customised support ship to transport the boats and equipment to each venue. The ship will be akin to a transportable pit lane, with all the technology required to maintain the 70ft catamarans.

The design of the boats will be finalised by early summer of this year with the first prototype being launched in the latter half of 2007 to allow sufficient testing and refinement. The 14 one-design yachts will start being built in 2008, ready for the launch of the series during 2009.

The new boats have been designed by a team including leading ORMA 60 naval architects, Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost and are at the forefront of technology. The 70ft catamarans will combine speed, manoeuvrability and can be raced close to shore for optimum spectator viewing.

Towards the end of this year further information and details of venues, teams, sponsors and the boats will be revealed.

The press conference held on the outskirts of Lisbon was presented by Joao Lagos, Coutts, Cayard, along with designer Vincent Lauriot Prevost, Commandante Vincenze Mouza, head of the Portugese Olympic committee, Antonio Camara and Pedro Beckert.

Some preliminary drawings have been presented at the press conference. The catamaran has a centreline structural beam running fore and aft to take rig loads (like the Decision 35 catamarans Coutts sails on Lake Geneva). Coutts says the boat will be demountable if they ever have to take them inshore for example to the Swiss or Italian lakes, but generally the platforms will remain in one piece, as will the rigs while they are shipped around the world on their own ship.

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How many damn classes do we need? What is so wrong with the Volvo Extreme 40's or ORMA 60's that we need yet ANOTHER high dollar class to dilute everything?

Bigger the boats, the bigger the crashes.

Its just stupid money. Rich folks need ways to spend there money.

ARE YOU FOR REAL!!!! Lets see you managed to list off two classes of multihulls, you forgot the G class. Now lets look at the monohull fleet, IRC mixed bag fleet, Open 40, Farr 40, GP42, TP52, TP62, Open 50, Open 60, Volvo 60, Volvo 70, mini-Maxi, IACC, Wally Fleet maxi's, Maxi, Maxz86, Super Maxi, plus a bunch more.

Your point being...? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

That's gotta mean serious bucks if it ever gets off the ground. Of course, it could all end up like George Clooney's Las Vegas casino.

You do nothing but emphasize my point - there are too many classes. Here's a thought; instead of having 20 classes that each have about 12 boats, let's have 4 classes that each have 60 boats.

Picture from XS-Racing

Is it just me or is the leeward daggerboard canted outwards, while the windward is canted inward?

If this fly, it will be great to watch, and probably good for catsailing as well. No more fringe sport <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Jake, diversity is good in my opinion. Coutts and Cayard on VX40s, or F-18s <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> would not ensnare the big media companies. This might, if it flies.. I suppose the egos of Coutts and Cayard is too big to fit on any existing class. These guys wanted something new, and that is what they are working for. But, it remains to see what will come out of it. It would not be the first cool thing to fizzle.

Why a 70footer.. It's big so there is more room for sponsors and is more visible. I guess there is room for the sponsors onboard while racing as well.

Website for World Sailing League. http://www.wsl2009.com/index_ig.asp

I also realize that I'm being a bit hypocritical. We choose to ridiculously dilute our classes at our level too.

My point is that classes come and go, we have three-ish over 40ft multihull classes, we need more to cover the different areas of racing, 70ft is great for advertising, the Volvo 40 were just too small when you see the size of the Volvo 70's. let the fun begin <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

did he just say the Volvo 40s were "too small" to see?

I think he did.

From 2 miles away they might be.

I thought they were perfect! I saw them. I think he was saying to small to get enough advertising on them. You Tybee guys seem to do that okay with only a 20 foot platform.

That is EXACTLY what I was going to say! Thanks.

I guess if they want to make a multi equivalent to the AC series then I guess it makes sense. It is just too bad that the volvo 40s didn't use the same boats as the swiss 35s..then there could have been more momentum for a class instead of splitting it into 2 classes.

yes exactly.. Tom Cruise looks the same size on the screen as Arnold..and look at how short he is. amazing what a zoom lense will do.

Be realistic guys and girls, the sponsorship these guys have means that the project has to be the biggest and brightest the world has seen otherwise the sponsors are not interested. I guess when you have xxx zillions as pocket money then a project such as this is beer money. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Wow, talking about reading what you want to read, look at the rest of the sentence "the Volvo 40's were just too small when you see the size of the Volvo 70's" [color:"red"] [/color]

You are all still thinking too small, think bigger <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I think the aft-sweep makes it hard to judge if they are canted this way or the other.

/Martin

After the divorce Nicole Kidman was on Letterman. he asked her what had changed in her life and she replied, "I can wear heels again."

I'll tell you what...these boats would be AWESOME to watch in the SF Bay!!! There would be thousands of "spectators."

Hey Coast Guard! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

One advantage that the VX40s had was that they raced in some really tight places in order for folks to view them from shore. I don't see that happening with a 70 footer.

SF is great venue for any boat, great view of the bay from many places.

Ed

At first I thought, Why 70 feet? Why not stick with the Volvo Extreme 40 platforms? Then I read their Bio's and it started to make some sense. We all know they are both America's Cup veterans. But neither one is currently attached to an AC team, and Russel was basicaly fired or quit, don't know about Cayard but they are two of the top tallents and they are not even in the AC event. So I think they both have a bit of an "Axe to grind" whith the AC program. They might have made sugestions on how to improve it but were dismessed, etc. I don't know but they are not in the race right now and there must be a reason.

So they get together and say, "What would make for a more exciting event?" More speed. Well, you have that with the Vovo 40's. But they want to be able to say, "See, this boat is just as big as a Volvo Open 70 and the current America's Cup boats, but it's 3 times as fast!! And look at all the room for sponsors to ride along, and look at all that sail area for logos!"

So in a way, I think they are tying to "Pre-empt" the America's Cup event, by bringing boats that are just as big, 3 times faster and they can also structure the races any way THEY want to, THEY make the rules, since it's their event.

I applaude their efforts! Ever since Dennis Connor stomped Mr. Fey with his 60' cat, I (and many of you) have been asking WHY doesn't the America's Cup switch to Cats??!!

Well, here it is. If this event gets off the ground, it could make the America's Cup a Non-event. It's already a snore fest.

Ding ding ding! Win-na!

There are a gizzillionmore mono sailors and less cat sailors to go around. So the dilution affect is important.
What we need is investment in making these boats visable. I suppose BIGGER boats are easier to see from shore but if we cannot get them to be TV friendly it will just be rich people spending money.
I wonder why these people who invest in the new class don't also invest in a film crew on ribs and the boats themselves to create DVDs that at least we could buy and watch. With well placed cams and music I would buy. I am tired of short streaming video and print.

60 X 70 foot cats!.... now you are just being a bloody worry.

They are helping "develop" an "new" hyped up competition. They are in it for thier fees. These two do nothing for nothing for the fun of it.
Russell Coutts was funded and mentored as much as possible by NZ up to his Olympic medal. He repayed that by not helping the Kiwi up and comings and was payed by the US Olympic team to train young sailors against where his debt actuall lay. His AC defection is legendary. DOSH baby.. that is all it is. He missed just how onto it the Alingi management where and is now out in the widerness looking for a new gravy train.

Mr Fey??? He went to a tired event with the beginning of the big boat revolution, a stunning 90 foot sloop which sailed an AC course faster than any sloop before it. He dared the conservatives to think out into a giant new vision! The New York yacht club were too gutless to face up to his challenge honestly, with respect, daring, good will and a sporting ethic. What flowed was the sailing equivelent of an underarm bowl. But that 'big"boat challenge showed that the platform must be changed and got the AC out of those old 12 metre tubs.
Monos are great and will always be a more poetic ride. It is just that cats are so much faster.
You have touched on something very important though. Why not match race big cats??? Fleet racing will never be as dramatic. The two proven best man to man, that is where it is at. Include a reaching leg just so we can get the vision of intense speed and let's race the countries against each other.
Let's also see a strict "state of origin" ethic.
Who would win?
The Aussies, the Swiss and the French would have the early running.

YES!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

YES YES! (it seems that the people that run and race in these are the only ones that disagree).

I knew when they changed the AC rules away from the state of origin, it would eventualy turn into just another big boat regatta, which it has.

Download the video from the Daily sail, Coutts explains their reason for fleet racing. Question for us all: how often do you match race?

Just out of curiosity, is there a site where I can get a "non-engineer's" description of the 12 meter formula, and how you can create all the different permutations?

Every time during a fleet race that the situation calls for it. If we are ahead of our closest competitor then its loose cover to finish. If we are behind, then we look to split when an advantage presents itself.

Capt'n Keith, the very same that posts out here on Catsailor, likes to "dog" us in the pre-pre-start of our Tuesday night races. It is really a fun way to get both teams some boat handling practice. I usually end up on the losing end of these exchanges, but they are worth it. It has only come out as a draw if I can scrape him off on someone else or a moored boat. He doesn’t fall for “oh look an eagle” anymore. Hmmm, I bet he will cease his pursuit for a beer floating in the water if it happens to make its way overboard.

We need to do more of this pre-pre-start match racing.

I match race with a mate here all of the time. Don't under rate it.
Try it. Best out of three with the guy who thinks he's better than you who you think you are better than. No place to hide Baby... loser is the LOSER. And if you think there is a better pace to watch the form of someone who you want to learn to beat....

As i recall, the actual old meter formula was relatively simple. Figuring out a couple of the variables to plug into the formula is where it got pretty complex. It was not as simple as the newer style box rules or anything using a VPP. I think one of the variables in the formula measured the hull depth at various locations. Try googling 12 meter class and see what you find. There are still some of them racing on the East coast so they must have some set of rules. Also try looking up the 6 meter class and 8 meter class. These are both still actively raced.

The boats were pig slow, but they had a certain elegence in their hull forms that I alwasy liked. Cheers.

TB

Sure, go to a Plumbing store and get a bath catalogue, go to the heaviest slowest tub section and it will be at the top of the page.

If you dump him with the "old false tack" you will laugh for years.....try it.

I'm probably going to be starting a bit of a [censored] fight with this, but I feel I must come to the defense of the NYYC and their "gutless" response to Sir Fey. Not to take anything away from Fey, he was quite smart in making the challenge with the superboat. The part you are leaving out is that he had the boat in hand, ready to race. When Conner won the cup back in '87, they failed to follow the provisions in the deed of gift for setting up the next cup (responding to the challenger of record). This allowed Sir Fey to set the conditions for the challenge naming their 90' boat as the challenger. They were also able to set the date of the challenge to be in 1 year. Without enough time to build a comparable boat (which Fey knew) the NYYC responded with the catamaran. pretty interesting debacle, but I think both parties share some culpability for setting the stage of the '88 race.

The upside is that it changed the boats that were used for the cup, the downside is that they are still pigs. why draw a rule where the boats drag around 45K lbs. of lead???

In the abscence of Mr. Roberts, and put in my own words, because they aint got beam, boooy!

It was Dennis Connor and the San Diego Yacht Club. The NYYC was out of the picture after the cup was lost to the Ozies.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Cup and scroll down to The end of the 12-metre era.

They had enough time to design and build the cat...