Happy 2012!

On the cover poster of XXIII Trofeo Peñon de Ifach

Jerónimo 2 is the one with the red spinnaker...this was the arrival of last year, with very light winds and covering the approach of a smaller boat from behind...

First family pic

Mick's partner in crime is here: Leo Maximilian!

Leo Maximilian, born April 20th, 2011, at 20:00. 4130gr, 54.5cm. Pretty much same weight and size like Mick. They are going to be a good partners in crime, I fear. :-)

First new generation Volvo Open 70 on the water

and, man, does it look great!

Happy holidays and our best wishes for 2011!

Mick July-Oct 2010

A new adventure begins...

on July 1st, I joined the management team of the Volvo Ocean Race, the regatta around the world with crew and stops that happens every three years (the old Whitbread). Very excited about the move and moreover about the next edition of the race which is shaping up to be very impressive.

The Spanish nautical press has published the news here, here and here.

Mick's first steps - June 18th, 2010

Volvo Ocean Race building up momentum

XXII Trofeo Peñon de Ifach

Three weeks to go to one of the best regattas of the season, the XXII Trophy Peñon de Ifach. A two leg race of 65 nautical miles each, Calpe-Formentera-Calpe.

here the pics from last edition, and the video from two years' ago.

Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 - 18 months to go

With the VOR route recently announced, the attention is now centered on the final list of teams taking part at the ultimate offshore regatta. The economic crisis and the blow of the last winner, Ericsson, dropping out has hit it hard, but its new management team appears to be taken the right decisions in order to create an even larger public sports event while reducing costs for the teams and ensuring a highly competitive race.

Their aim is to have 10 teams at the next race. If the VOR manages a great event next year, the aim should be for 16-20 teams at the start of the 2014-15 race (like in the initial Whitbread races). That would bring the VOR back again into the spotlight worldwide.

Ruta de la Sal 2010

This year impressive crew with our future ship's boy

The past regatta Ruta de la Sal was as always cold but this time pretty sunny all the way. The passing by Formentera in the middle of the night was again a highlight as with clear skies the Eastern full moon made the island look like something extraterrestrial.

Leaving the mainland with the Montgo on the right

Racing wise it was a very tricky regatta. Headwinds all the way from Denia to Formentera made up for difficult tactical decisions. Our forecast stated a shift to the south that made us stay north of the direct line (ok, in all fairness our navigator advised to go south...the tactician and especially the skipper overruled him)...unfortunately, the forecast was proven wrong...we arrived to Formentera behind the leader's pack, but managed to recover lots of ground until Tagomago by playing the spinnaker perfectly during the night and early morning.

Sunny but cold - full gear on

We passed the Tagomago gate at 10:36, just several miles behind the leading pack (and in front of the legendary Maxi Fortuna, which broke the 24 hours speed record with 411 nautical miles at the 1988-89 Whitbread Around the World - current record is from 2008 and hold by Ericsson 4 VO70 with 599nm).

I was already thinking that we would make it to Sant Antoni for lunch....but then we hit a doldrum and stayed put for 5 hours!! well, we actually lost ground and with the current moved backwards...it was pretty frustrating, especially when you see 100 boats approaching slowly but steadily from behind...

Running goosewinged with the a-spi to leave the doldrum behind

We arrived in Sant Antoni at 21:53, 31 hrs 41 min 10 sec after the start, our longest ever Ruta de la Sal.

Lesson learned this time: don't despair in a doldrum...keep looking for the breeze...and listen to your navigator! :-)

SPF 2010 - the video

Season opener - Ruta de la Sal 2010

Last year I had to pass on the first regatta of the season, the Salty Route, the overnight race from Denia to Ibiza (120nm), for good reasons (see previous blog post ;-) . This time the A-crew is back in business. Expectactions are high.

Wish us fair winds!

Micky - fifth to eleventh month

BOR wins the 33rd America's Cup

Congrats to the BOR team, specially the designers (Francis!), for a great job.

Most importantly, thanks to Alinghi and Ernesto Bertarelli for an amazing seven years in Valencia. Choosing Valencia as the venue for the 32nd AC was an awesome present for us Spanish and Valencian fans. Due to it we have a nice sporting port and a F1 race in it. Not to mention the incredible memories of the last Cup.

Good luck to all.

The Cup is about to leave Europe

Vow, unfortunately estimations were correct...BOR's wing is the "weapon"...last Friday in apptly Alinghi's best sailing conditions (light breeze) BOR was 1-2 knots faster upwind, and 3-4 downwind...no chance for the swiss...

also, Spithill showed again that he is the best match race starter...Bertarelli looked like a beginner during the pre-start...what an obvious penalty...urrg

Today, 12:00 CET the second and most probably last race. live on the official site

Alinghi 5 ready to race

Despite being extremely disappointed with the never ending legal entanglement (BOR just filed a complaint in court stating that Alinghi' sails are not made in Switzerland), and the parties incompetency to agree to extend the regattas of the match to make it a larger event or change the start of the race from a Monday to a Friday, I can't refrain from posting this awesome video from Alinghi's catamaran christening day in Valencia. Great.

Happy holidays and all the best for 2010!

Latin America road-trip

Las Bovedas, Cartagena

Past November a business trip took me in just 11 days to six countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and USA (technically, it was seven as I had a short stop-over in Panama City).

The mandatory juicy & greasy burger for lunch, South Beach, Miami

Incredible enough, the careful but extremely tight schedule worked out perfectly, and the meetings and flights happened as planned..the only two hiccups were a missing dinner with Justin, Borja and Diego in Miami as it took me two hours to clear customs there (urrgrg) and the stressful flight to San José without the mandatory yellow-fever shot that is required in Costa Rica when travelling from Colombia. (don't ask me how I got into the country ;-)

Getting ready for the Desfile de Balleneras, Cartagena

The highlight of the trip was the opportunity to meet good friends along the way: Paulo, Carol and Jakob in Sao Paulo, Francois & Karen in Santiago, Diego and Daniel in Miami, and specially to be able to hang out with Anton in Cartagena in the just by pure coincidence THE weekend of the year in Colombia, the crowning of Miss Colombia. The national event there. (we made it incognito into the Colombian yellow press... ;-)

Impressive view from Diego's apartment, Flamingo Blg, Miami Beach

Santiago and the Andes

Getting introduced to the new Walewski

With the mandatory sake maracuja caipirinha at Spot, Jardins, Sao Paulo

33rd AC finally in February and finally in Valencia

Thank God the legal mess of the past three years is finished. Alinghi lost all cases and appeals and the final decision is that Valencia will host the duel between BOR and Alinghi next February.

The deed of gift specifies a best of three match starting Monday, Feb 8th. Both parties could reach an agreement to start Friday Feb 12th, and extend the match to best of five or seven. Hope they decide fast as I need to book my flights!! :-)

XIII Copa del Canal 2009

Our great 2009 crew

Awesome weather in Formentera with empty beaches

working/trimming hard our brand new spy

herewith some pics from the last regatta of the season...as mentioned before Facebook is killing the blog star...anyhow, I'll try to do a wrap up of the last weeks here...lot of things to report!

Our bowman, Martin, had to climb the mast to untangle a halyard. not an easy one

One week to go - XIII Copa del Canal

one week to go to the last regatta of the season. Giving a chance to the B crew and using a brand new asymmetrical spinnaker. hope this time it does not get cancelled due to gales like last season.

Wish us fair winds.

Summer 2009 wrap-up

as previously said, facebook is killing the blog star...urrg....below some pics from this past summer...

Formula 1 in Valencia

Visiting great-greatmom and aunt Carolina & family

Formentera with the F1 gold-flakes champagne

In Brihuega for Pedro&Meredith's wedding

At Eveline's wedding day

Hiking in Tegernsee

Visit of my brother & family

Getting fixed a spliter in the foot at Attersee

Kocherlball

Tollwood

third to fifth month

some snapshots from the last 8 weeks...including a hut fashion show at the end...

Four Teschendorff generations!

In Valencia, Aug 20th, 2009, with grandma and great-grandpa

Ras al-Khaimah venue for the 33rd AC

all rumors confirmed...the emirate Ras al-Khaimah has been chosen for the deed-of-gift regatta between Alinghi and BOR next February 8-12, 2010. (Ras al-Khaimah is just a 45min drive away from Dubai).

Oracle wants to appeal the decision, we'll see if there is not another delay....urrg...

here a short video of the venue...

Mick - snapshots around his third month b-day

Launch of Alinghi's cat

Impressive pics from yesterday's transport of Alinghi's cat from its hangar for its christening in Lake Geneva.  Another 90ft x 90ft monster to race against Oracle's one next February 2010.  

Venue will be finally disclosed August 8th.  Valencia has limited options to be chosen (if any)...winds are pretty unstable in that month there and Oracle knows the field very good.  I bet for Dubai (Turkey has been rumoured, too).     

Anyhow, hope this mess gets over soon and we have a conventional Cup in 2012-13...I doubt it will be ever be again in Valencia...that's the main thing that drives me nuts...with better planning from Alinghi and the Spanish team/politicians...we would have had the Cup again in Valencia...grrrrr

Grandpas' visit

at the Aumeister Biergarten

Odeonsplatz

Kaisergarten

Mick first two months