JUNE: Round Ball, Flat Puck, Hard Sail

For the professional basketball and hockey leagues in the U.S., June will host their championship finals. For the America’s Cup teams, June provides the final training days before the challengers must face off in the elimination series which begins July 7. Here’s what they have planned for June:

Oracle Team USA (USA), Defender –
In June, Oracle Team USA begins two-boat training. Mid-month the team will re-launch the first AC72 and undergo a few days of testing. The goal is to have both AC72s out on the San Francisco Bay later in the month. As part of the ongoing development program, Oracle Team USA will be focused on optimizing how the boats are sailed and on tuning the boats. Having two boats on the water is a big part of that program.

Artemis Racing (SWE), Challenger of Record –
As is well known, this last month we laid to rest our good friend and teammate Andrew “Bart” Simpson. In the wake of the accident, Artemis Racing has gotten back to work. Our focus now is on preparing the second AC72, sailing the AC45s, and reviewing the new safety recommendations and rules changes for AC34. Our team hopes to move ahead and compete, but we will do so only on a safe playing field. There are now many complexities to AC34 – timing, rules, even renewed politics amongst the teams; however, we wish to ensure the most optimal racing can take place and the spirit of America’s Cup can be upheld for every competitor.

Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Challenger –
A month before the opening ceremony, a couple of days more to the first race in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand is preparing to go racing. The team is settled into its San Francisco base; daily routines have been established and life goes on much as it did in Auckland but with the added urgency brought on by the first race day.

The AC72 is about to reappear on San Francisco Bay after a few days in the shed for modifications and the rest of June will be full-on as the sailing team extends its knowledge of Bay conditions.

The team is preparing on another important front over the coming weeks: hospitality. With six major sponsors, five exclusive suppliers and close to 100 official suppliers, Emirates Team New Zealand’s canoe-shaped hospitality facility will be fully booked. Sponsors use the facility for client hospitality; the team’s partnership with the New Zealand Government provides New Zealand businesses with opportunities to network with US-based customers.

Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 (ITA), Challenger –
After training from a temporary base in Alameda in May, this week the team moved to Pier 30/32 which will be home for the rest of the summer. The team has been training on the Bay since May 10, and other than being outspoken regarding their safety concerns for the competition, the team has maintained a low profile and did not desire to provide an update on their June activity.

Note: All information is provided by each team. The Louis Vuitton Cup is scheduled for July 7-Aug 31 and the 34th Match will be held Sept 7-23. Find previous updates here.