This report comes to you from Auckland, New Zealand, where I am competing with the Luna Rosa team from Italy in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. This event has been organized by Emirates Team New Zealand and Louis Vuitton to put some America’s Cup racing back on the water while the Cup is tied up in an ugly court battle in New York. The unique thing about the event is that we are all racing the same boats – two of ETNZ boats from the last Cup, and two BMW Oracle boats. Ten teams have been invited and we sail a series of round robins and then move to quarter and semi finals before the winner of the visitors faces ETNZ in the LVPS Final.

The racing is all happening in the inner harbor in Auckland so that spectators can follow the action. It’s also being covered by radio and TV so the NZ public can follow it live. You can also follow it on the web and see the Virtual Spectator coverage at the official site - http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com/

With the racing in the harbor, the courses are quite short and therefore quite difficult for all the crews. Compounding things are tricky winds from the nearby shores and strong currents. We have also seen the full spectrum of wind, from soft 6-8 knot races, to full on 20-25 knot stuff. So it’s been some very challenging racing for all the teams.

But overall it is a fantastic event that the hosts deserve huge credit for. It’s great for the sport of sailing, great for New Zealand to showcase their country to the world, and great for us sailors to get back out on the water in Cup boats.

To get the latest results and follow the action live, visit their website at http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com/