America's Cup: French challenger backs provisional protocol as wait for regatta rules goes on
With the protocol for the 38th edition yet to be confirmed, it is hard to say with any certainty exactly what the edition in Naples will look like.
However, a draft protocol released
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sealed with a kiss: Cincinnati Reds give Terry Francona triumphant return to Cleveland
CLEVELAND – Christian Encarnacion-Strand stopped at the top of the dugout steps to have a quick word – and laugh – with Terry Francona before heading to the on-deck circle for a fifth-inning at-bat. At which point the Cincinnati Reds manager called the slugger back to the dugout rail and kissed the barrel of Encarnacion-Strand's bat before sending him back out. Advertisement 'I told him to give me some good luck,' Encarnacion-Strand said. A few pitches later, the Reds first baseman delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly to left field, and after adding on a few more more, Francona's new team delivered another win against his old team, this time 7-4 in the opener of a three-gamer in Cleveland that clinched the season series between Ohio's playoff-minded, cross-league rivals. Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledges the pregame video-board tribute of his 11 seasons in Cleveland in which he won three manager of the year awards, four division titles, six playoff berths and a franchise-record 921 managerial wins. A series sealed with a kiss? 'Do whatever it takes, man,' Francona said, laughing, when asked about kissing the bat. 'He was looking for a little help. I gave it to him. We're in this together, man. I'll do whatever.' Advertisement If anything, Francona's return to Progressive Field for the first time since a short-lived 'retirement' following the 2023 season was an hours-long Kiss-Cam feature and love fest for the Guardians' beloved former manager. Reds injuries Hunter Greene specialist Why Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene left team for second medical opinion in Los Angeles Reds pitching moves prospect Chase Burns Chase Burns, Reds' top pitching prospect, promoted to Triple-A Louisville That included a pregame video-board tribute to the guy who managed Cleveland to its first World Series (2016) since 1997 and fans wearing, and waving, 'Thank You Tito' T-shirts. Advertisement 'That was meaningful to me,' said Francona, whose only wish was that the video included more of longtime bench coach Brad Mills and other key figures from that time. 'I was kind of uncomfortable, but it was very touching.' Maybe not as up close and touching as he got to CES' bat. But for at least one day in Cleveland, it was all about the Reds manager. Center fielder TJ Friedl celebrates with Gavin Lux after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning June 9. The homer gave the Reds a 4-3 lead and they would not trail again. In 11 seasons in Cleveland, Francona won three manager of the year awards in this place, four division titles, six playoff berths, a franchise-record 921 managerial wins, and, on this night, another 'America's Cup' – or whatever you want to call it. Advertisement Asked before the game his reaction to returning to the ballpark for the first time since his intended retirement nearly two years ago, Francona talked about 'a lot of thoughts' rushing through him. 'I mean, it's an America's Cup game, with the added pressure,' he deadpanned. 'I had 11 really fun years here, and I had some great relationships. That never changes. But we're trying to figure out a way to beat them. That's why we're here. That'll never take away how I feel about people.' Whether you call it the Ohio Cup or America's Cup, the Reds clinched it for the first time since 2014 – Francona's second season managing in Cleveland. "Bigger than the Stanley Cup. America's Cup," Francona said from the visitor's office off the Reds' clubhouse, where the big, silver Ohio Cup trophy stood on a table surrounded by bottles and cans of celebration beverages. Wade Miley allowed three runs in five innings and earned his first victory since Tommy John surgery. Miley worked around five hits and four walks. Whether the kissed bat helped, Encarnacion-Strand's RBI was his seventh in four games since returning from a lengthy lower-back injury. Advertisement Which, of course, means CES will ask for another barrel kiss every game for the foreseeable future. "No, no, no," Encarnacion-Strand said. "You can't use it all the time or it stops working." Got it. So for now it's just Hot in Cleveland for Francona. At least on this night. 'I think we all kind of knew how much he meant to this city,' said Reds leadoff man TJ Friedl, who reached base three times, scored twice and homered Monday. 'But to see the tribute video to him and just to see how loved he was by the city was cool. He's a great manager, a great person, someone I've really enjoyed playing for, for sure.' Advertisement Left fielder Will Benson all but cinched the Frank Robinson Most Outstanding Player Award for the all-Ohio series when he reached base three more times and scored in the Tito Love Fest victory. That made Benson 8-for-15 with four home runs, a walk and eight RBIs in the four wins. Jake Fraley reached three times, including a home run. And in his first start of the season, veteran lefty Wade Miley pitched five innings (three runs on five hits, four walks) to earn the win – pitching in ace Hunter Greene's spot in the rotation on the day it was revealed Greene had flown to Los Angeles to seek a second opinion on his groin injury and back pain. Advertisement Francona deflected most of the warm-and-fuzzy questions about his warm-and-fuzzy return to Cleveland, many of his answers reflecting the bottom-line sentiment he expressed during spring training when he said, 'I'm a f*%#!&* Red.' 'I had a really good time here. People were so nice to me,' he said. 'But I'm here now. And I love being here. I just really wanted us to win.' That doesn't mean he didn't have a bounce in his step, especially as another win played out – the Reds' fourth straight overall. Whether it was the kissed bat. Or the warm greetings from stadium workers and Guardians personnel. Advertisement Or maybe even trying to figure out which old pal might be trying to prank him in his return engagement. 'They already hid every cribbage board in the building,' he said. 'We had to go buy one. Bastards.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds give Terry Francona triumphant return to Cleveland
Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Ferrari's Latest Racing Project Trades the Race Track for the Open Seas
The pinnacle of all car-based motorsport, Formula One, is thought by many to be the most glamorous and cutthroat racing event in the entire world. Every year, billions of dollars are spent among ten unique teams for 20 of the most elite drivers to duke it out for glory on race tracks and street circuits all over the world. However, beyond the trappings of tarmac is another prestigious racing sport steeped in strict rules and tradition, where technology, guts, and grit go into creating a legacy built out of glory: sailing. Yes, sailing, like boats sailing. While Formula One may have its roots in European Grand Prix races dating back to the 1920s and 30s, the most prestigious international sailing competition, the infamous America's Cup, dates back 174 years to 1851, with just one racing team holding onto the title for 132 years in a row. In an announcement on June 25, Ferrari announced the Hypersail project, a new sailing initiative that blends Ferrari's racing heritage and automotive technological capabilities in an effort to revolutionize yacht racing. In collaboration with legendary Italian sailor Giovanni Soldini, Ferrari is building what it says will be the world's first 100-foot monohull ocean racing yacht with a foil-equipped keel. It's a major leap into uncharted waters for the brand, especially as this effort relies on a design meant to harness the power of the wind instead of a fire-spitting high-performance engine. Designed by famed French naval architect Guillaume Verdier, the boat is being built at a secret, undisclosed location in Italy and is slated to be revealed in 2026. The project brings Ferrari's flair for design, engineering, and speed into the world of offshore sailing, where its racing experience could be tested in a new way. "It perfectly aligns with Ferrari's tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans," Ferrari Chairman John Elkann said. "Designing a yacht for offshore racing is perhaps the ultimate expression of endurance. Given Ferrari's appetite for race wins and trophies, it would be hard not to assume that the world's most successful Formula One team would be using this program as a way to announce that it is pursuing a run at the Louis Vuitton Cup; the challenger's tournament that takes place prior to the America's Cup. However, it might not happen yet. Although the next edition of the America's Cup is headed to the southern Italian city of Naples in 2027, with the Emirates airline-backed New Zealand team gunning to defend its title, Ferrari says it is not planning to compete-at least not with this boat. Like Formula One, America's Cup teams have to follow a strict ruleset, and the boat Ferrari made would be in violation of the AC75 ruleset currently agreed to as of the previous America's Cup that took place last year. The current America's Cup boats are restricted to just 75 feet long, and feature no keel underneath the boat. "[The] America's Cup is regulated, and this boat is thought to go beyond rules," Elkann said. "This project gives us the chance to experiment in new areas." Ferrari isn't saying what races this beast will compete in yet, but for now, the project aims to build the best boat possible. "Before setting sport targets, we want to finish developing the boat and bring it to sea," said Soldini. "Then we'll see what we can and can't do." Soldini, who's been racing across oceans for over 30 years, says the goal is to keep the crew size small, between eight and 12 people. Though they've set a launch window of 2026, he's not making promises about when. "It's obvious that we have quite a defined [time] goal, but the project is so complex that making it public today doesn't seem very wise," he said at a news conference at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. "There are a thousand things to put together. We'll definitely put the boat in the water in 2026, but I'm not making any commitments about what quarter." Around 20 people work full-time on the Hypersail project, with another 80–90 supporting it. Ferrari says some of the boat's technology will carry over from the automotive side, especially since many of the personnel previously worked on the F80 supercar that was revealed in 2023. One of my favorite documentaries is called Untold: The Race of the Century. It's available on Netflix and it documents the successful challenge led by the Australia II team when they beat the New York Yacht Club for the first time during the 1983 America's Cup. That being said, it would be very interesting to see Ferrari enter the world of competitive sailing. With their kind of financial backing and engineering expertise, they could be a team as dominant as the New York Yacht Club if they ever consider competing in the America's Cup. The cup in itself takes place every three to four years, and it's as much a grueling challenge as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Daytona, or the Nürburgring. We can only wait and see. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- NZ Herald
America's Cup: French challenger backs provisional protocol as wait for regatta rules goes on
A new era could soon be ushered into the storied history of the America's Cup. With the protocol for the 38th edition yet to be confirmed, it is hard to say with any certainty exactly what the edition in Naples will look like. However, a draft protocol released
