On the edge

Superb racing

Posted on 01 August 2011

"The racing is going to be superb," says Terry Hutchinson, the skipper of Artemis Racing.

Following his team's first training session at the venue on Monday, Artemis Racing skipper Terry Hutchinson said Cascais will deliver great conditions and he expects the racing will be "full-on and action-packed".

Watch the interview with Terry Hutchinson

Two teams made their debut on the waters off Cascais on Monday as Emirates Team New Zealand and Artemis Racing sailed for the first time.

It was cool, cloudy and rainy for much of the day, with extremely gusty and variable conditions on the bay off the Race Village. Emirates Team New Zealand crew members spoke about massive wind shifts, while Hutchinson said some of the gusts peaked at the top of the range for the AC45s.

"It was windy, at the top end probably about 30 knots, so it's going to be exciting…" Hutchinson said. "These boats are very boat-handling intensive. Once you get that part of your game ironed out, you can really focus on the speed and tactics…"

More teams are expected to sail as the week progresses, with the fleet focused on packing in as much preparation as possible ahead of Saturday's first fleet races.

See more pictures from the day here.

Read more about ORACLE Racing's preparation here.

Read about the new Energy Team helmsman here.