Bonanza!

Trapani is a big hit, as is the fresh pace of BMW Oracle. But Alinghi still won. TIM JEFFERY

Terrific Trapani! This was the widespread verdict on not just the last of the Acts of the 2005 season but the last away fixture until the 2007 America's Cup. All future Acts will be in Valencia, which is tough for BMW Oracle who would have loved a regatta in the USA.

What was particularly fascinating about Trapani was what it revealed about the true pace of the yachts. Yes, there will be a rush to build this winter, but when you elect to bring your new yacht into competition depends on need versus expediency.

Take Emirates Team New Zealand. To maximise their advantage of the southern hemisphere summer, they hope to get three months' testing in Auckland before shipping NZL 84 to Valencia. 'The first new boat will be ready in January,' confirmed Dean Barker. 'But we're learning as much as we can with the equipment we've got.' Italy's small-fry +39 are building too, though that's more because they feel the ex-Alinghi ITA 59 is holding them back.

France's K-Challenge, by contrast, won't build until the winter of 2006, evidently happy with their ex-TNZ 2000-generation boats FRA 57 and 60. That's a backhanded compliment to just how good the TNZ boats were five years ago.

And now Alinghi seem to have just that sort of daylight between their SUI 75 and the rest of the field as the TNZ boats did in 2000...

To read the remainder of this and many other topical technical articles, please purchase your copy of the December 2005 edition of Seahorse International Sailing, available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

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