James Spithill, helmsman, Luna Rossa, on what the team has learned from the Louis Vuitton Acts:
I think we have something good to build on. Being a totally new group, we've been learning a lot about each other. We've tried a lot of different combinations with no training time in those combinations. We've built that foundation now.
Juan Vila, navigator, Alinghi, reflecting on winning the final Louis Vuitton Act in 2004:
It's good to win the last Act. We still have to improve our weaknesses and strengthen the team. We need to train more and that's what we will do next year. From now on we will start building the team. Now it's holiday for some people but not for everyone. First there are sponsor commitments and some adjustments to the boats, so we'll be here to the beginning of November, and then we'll work on making the boats into Version 5.
Thierry Peponnet, skipper, K-Challenge, on a great day for K-Challenge:
We had a very good first race in a shifty wind. We did what we decided at the start and I want to congratulate my tactician Tanguy Cariou and my strategist at the top of the mast, Nicholas Charbonnier. They did a really good job, they were very switched on.
Joe Heywood, grinder, Team Shosholoza, on the next few weeks ahead:
The team is really motivated, and we know what standards we have to achieve. We get the new boat in April, but first it's 17 days off. As soon as Shosholoza gets home, it's straight back to work. But first I'm heading off into the mountains, going for some long walks, getting far away from the sea.
Philippe Presti, skipper, LE DEFI, on a bad mark rounding in the final race:
The moment we wanted to gybe, a spinnaker sheet went under the boat, so we couldn't gybe. We lost a lot of ground.
Grant Dalton, head of Emirates Team New Zealand, on his team's success this year, and what it means:
Thirteen wins out of seventeen races, a campaign that started in June this year, I can only be really happy with that. I think we've done a lot better than I expected…(but) I think it's very important not to fall into the trap of following the Yellow Brick Road and get intoxicated with success. We might get hammered next year.
Ian Burns, design co-ordinator, BMW ORACLE Racing, on the close racing between the teams:
At the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup last time there were big differences in performance, but by the end the differences had been closed down. This time around we're starting that process three years earlier.
Luca Devoti and Iain Percy, +39, not quite agreeing on the goal for Louis Vuitton Act 4 next June:
Devoti: I think with the same boat we are going to be top four in June. Percy: Top five. Devoti: Top four.
Stephane Kandler, head of K-Challenge, on finishing within two points of the top four:
This team is very young, and we didn't exist a month ago. We showed we can play with the big teams.
Thierry Peponnet, skipper, K-Challenge, on a great day for K-Challenge:
We had a very good first race in a shifty wind. We did what we decided at the start and I want to congratulate my tactician Tanguy Cariou and my strategist at the top of the mast, Nicholas Charbonnier. They did a really good job, they were very switched on.
John Kostecki, tactician, BMW Oracle, on finishing on a high note:
I think it's really important because we're going to have several months off now, so it's great to come out on a winning note. I know the crew and the team are real psyched up now. It will be good to relax and reflect on these Acts.
James Spithill, on what happens next for Luna Rossa:
We're going to take a break over the winter, do a couple of the things to the boats to turn them into Version 5, and come back ready for the next events.
Iain Percy, skipper, +39, being tough on his own mistakes, Luca Devoti, head of +39, telling Percy to be less tough on himself:
I'm not going to be less hard on myself today. In reflection, results have been expected if not better than expected, but you're always hard on your personal performance, that's the kind of people we are. Devoti: But I think that's wrong. You are maybe too competitive, and you want to climb the mountain too fast. We need continuity of training and keep trusting in each other. Percy: What we have got is great trust between each other. Last time in the America's Cup you saw people falling out like old fishwives, but we hold ourselves together well. We'll go away really positive from this event.
Dean Barker, helmsman, Emirates Team New Zealand, talking about the fluky winds:
The conditions here have been really hard, and it puts a lot of pressure on the afterguard to be right all the time. And you can't get all of them right.
Philippe Presti, pondering the future of LE DEFI
All the team is contracted just until today. We hope LE DEFI will find money to be there in 2007. The deadline is 28th April. We would prefer to have secured money by December. We've got a lot of good input with the sponsorship, but if you don't actually sign the money, it's like being in a race but not quite reaching the finish line. If you don't cross the finishing line you're still racing.
