MONTHLY UPDATE: Hello neighbor, wanna go sailing?

The stadium of San Francisco Bay gets crowded this month as all four America’s Cup teams have now moved into town. This time of year also ushers in more consistent thermal winds, which will reach a crescendo in time for racing to begin in July. Here’s an excerpt of what the four teams have planned for May (click here for complete report):

Oracle Team USA (USA), Defender –
A new AC72 will be the focus for Oracle Team USA in the month of May. Launched on April 23, the team’s second yacht will be testing and training on the San Francisco Bay, with a goal of being on the water a few days each week. At the same time, a maintenance and enhancement program will be underway on Boat 1.

On days when the team is not on the AC72, they’ll balance out boat maintenance with sailing the AC45s that have been modified to foil. The team recently lined up with Artemis on the foiling AC45s.

Artemis Racing (SWE), Challenger of Record –
Artemis made good progress in April as we completed a second round of modifications to boat 1 and wing 2. The boat has been simplified and no longer has a central cockpit. We sailed a few days with Oracle Team USA on the America’s Cup race course, and continue to sail and upgrade our foiling AC45.

As we await our foiling AC72 in June, the time spent on the 45 is very valuable. We have also raced Oracle in their foiling 45 following a clinic in our 45’s with our match racing coach Dave Perry. The Luna Rossa Challenge arrived and is set up next door to us in Alameda and we look forward to seeing them on the water soon.

May will be important for Artemis as we will receive and prepare our second AC72.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Challenger –
The Emirates Team New Zealand base at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour is almost deserted. A few shore crew are still working in the boat shed, a few admin people on the third floor. The big steel building is eerily silent.

On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the build crew is well advanced. More container loads of gear will arrive over the next few days and the Pier 30/32 base will take shape with the wing and platform buildings erected.

The sailing crew is on holiday for couple of weeks. They will reassemble in San Francisco in 10 days to help ready the AC72 for its first sail on the Bay, scheduled for May 23. The final build-up for the big day on July 4 starts in earnest.

Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 (ITA), Challenger –
After the Naples ACWS event and a few days of holiday, the team Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 is moving to San Francisco, where the AC 72 Luna Rossa – which arrived April 19 – is currently geared up. During this time with limited sailing, the Luna Rossa team members have been focused on their workouts.

The team has set up a temporary base in Alameda, but will move to Pier 30/32 in 4-6 weeks time. The team will resume sailing the 10th of May in the Bay of San Francisco. To be noted that from the 1st of May the number of sailing days with the AC 72 is no longer limited.

Note: All information provided by each team. Scuttlebutt will be providing a monthly summary for each of the four America’s Cup teams through to the Louis Vuitton Cup (July 7-Aug 31) and the 34th Match (Sept 7-23).