The stock in industry leader LVMH (LVMH.PA) rose as much as 5.7 percent – their biggest one-day gain in more than three years. LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault, France’s richest man, said in January that Louis Vuitton’s slowdown was voluntary and the brand had put the brakes on opening new shops to preserve its exclusivity. At that time, Arnault publicly admitted for the first time that Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s biggest contributor to profits, was at risk of being too ubiquitous. To counter that perception, Arnault said the brand would move upscale and expand its leather bag offering while pruning its portfolio of LV-embossed canvas bags which make up two third of its business and generate gross margins of around 90 percent. LVMH Finance Director Jean-Jacques Guiony on Friday said Louis Vuitton’s margins rose in the first half, both at the operating and gross level, reversing a decline which analysts estimate started two or three years ago. “People feared that less canvas and more leather could impact Louis Vuitton’s margins,” said Exane BNP Paribas analyst Luca Solca.
How the Louis Vuitton Cup changed the sport
Oracle and its stablemate Ben Ainslie Racing have already retrospectively retired from the final four ACWS regattas staged in Newport RI and San Francisco. The jury has also announced that it will then hold a hearing into whether these actions have damaged the reputation of the Americas Cup, which is prohibited under the protocol which governs this years 34th defence. Penalties could be against individuals or teams and run from bans from all competitions to forfeiting wins in the best of 17 cup match which begins on 7 September. From the most hi-tech of Americas Cup yachts and a budget in nine figures, the recently knighted Ben Ainslie will turn his attention in October to a 33-foot boat designed in 1936 and sold new, with all equipment including a cradle, for $2,670 when he takes part in the Bermuda Gold Cup as part of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. The five-time Olympic medallist, four golds and a silver, will be at the helm of an International One Design in which he has won the event twice in the past, in 2009 and 2010. His current boss, Sir Russell Coutts is a four-time winner in Hamilton, but the main rivalry will be between Ainslie and another Briton, the defending world champion Ian Williams and his Team GAC Pindar. Ainslie has modified his entry to the name of Ben Ainslie Racing Team or BART, in memory of his fellow Olympian, Andrew Bart Simpson, who died in an Americas Cup training accident with Swedens Artemis Racing on San Francisco Bay in May.
Louis Vuitton Cup 2013 Finals: Race 6 live stream preview (Video)
Scroll down for video Model moment: Michelle Williams smoulders in Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2014 campaign, but it took an army of hair-stylists, make-up artists and photography assistants to capture the perfect picture Perfect shot: With wine-colored lips and dark eyebrows, the actress models two of the French fashion house’s latest handbags, the W and the Capucines, while taking direction from famed photographer Peter Lindbergh ‘It’s like falling in love, I fall in love with characters like falling in love in life,’ said Ms Williams during the shoot. ‘I don’t try and mastermind it, I hope to try and stay very present and open to what is moving me in the moment. And generally that tends to be something that’s challenging. If it’s not challenging, then why do it?’ she added. The campaign marks Ms Williams’ first major fashion endorsement, aside from a brief spell as an ambassador for Band of Outsiders for spring/summer 2012. Posing pouts: In a behind the scenes video released by Louis Vuitton, the 32-year-old is seen getting into character for her model moment: pouting, smiling, posing seriously and bursting into giggles Lights, camera: The campaign marks Ms Williams’ first major fashion endorsement, aside from a brief spell as an ambassador for Band of Outsiders for spring/summer 2012 Primp and prime: The Louis Vuitton campaign, certainly a far cry from her days as Jen Lindley on Dawson’s Creek, had some high-fashion help from hairstylist Sam McKnight and make-up artist by Stephane Marais Louis Vuitton’s latest: The actress models the French fashion house’s new fall collection in the campaign The Louis Vuitton campaign, certainly a far cry from her days as Jen Lindley on Dawson’s Creek, had some high-fashion help from hairstylist Sam McKnight and make-up artist by Stephane Marais. Best known for her roles in Brokeback Mountain and My Week With Marilyn, Ms Williams is currently filming Suite Francaise, based on the novel by Irene Nemirovsky, which follows a blossoming romance between a French villager and a German soldier during the early years of the German occupation in France. The actress discussed her role as Marilyn Monroe, revealing just how seriously she takes each character in the lead up to a film. image002.png Looking on: Louis Vuitton’s large creative team behind the shoot Fashion role: Best known for her roles in Brokeback Mountain and My Week With Marilyn, Ms Williams is adept at getting into character ‘I started working on Marilyn a year before we started filming,’ she said. ‘Some things, they require our muscle memory.
Louis Vuitton Cup – New Zealand a un passo dalla finale
17 to 30. “The first Vuitton Cup was a big deal,” Trouble said. “We got a lot of coverage for that.” Despite the low number of challengers vying this year for the chance to go up against defender Oracle Team USA in September, Trouble is pleased with what is expected to be unprecedented coverage of the regatta by national networks led by NBC. He also said this year’s competition continues another long tradition of the Louis Vuitton Cup. “We have great memories of the big personalities involved in the Cup,” Trouble said. “All of these big personalities are a key element in the legend of the America’s Cup.” The big personalities this year include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison , whose team won the Cup in 2010 in Valencia, Spain; Swedish tycoon Torbjorn Tornqvist of Artemis Racing; sailing legend Grant Dalton of Emirates Team New Zealand; and Patrizio Bertelli , the Italian entrepreneur and head of the fashion house Prada, whose team is Luna Rossa. Bertrand, another big personality – and the Australian who ended the longest winning streak in sports for America in the waters off Newport, R.I., in 1983 – recalled that the first Louis Vuitton series was an “intense battle (that) allowed us to raise our performance level. But above all, we needed this new trophy in order to win the honor of racing against the defender and carrying on the adventure.” Bertrand and his team aboard Australia II won 48 of 54 qualifying races, and beat the British syndicate Victory 83 by 4 races to 1 in the finals to go up against defender Liberty, skippered by legendary American sailor Dennis Conner . Bertrand recounted the battle against Conner: “The first team to win four heats would walk away with the oldest trophy in the world.
Louis Vuitton Cup: More disappointment for Luna Rossa as race ended by equipment failure
Race 6 of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2013 Finals gets underway at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) live in high definition (with closed captioning). Sailing aficionados in the United States can catch all the action on ESPN3 ‘s live stream ( DVR replay available) and international coverage is available on America’s Cup YouTube channel . While territorial restrictions apply, a replay of Race 6 will be available on YouTube immediately following its conclusion (must subscribe). On Wednesday, Emirates Team New Zealand took a commanding 4-1 lead over Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge in their best-of-thirteen series. Led by (OBE) Grant Dalton, Team New Zealand extended its streak to three straight victories, on the strength of Italy’s DNF in Race 3, followed by a 2’18” and 1’27” delta in Races 4 and 5. Thus, Luna Rossa will have its work cut out from here on out, as skipper Dean Barker and his crew are just three wins away from securing a spot in next month’s America’s Cup Finals (Sept. 7-21). Suggested by the author
Louis Vuitton Cup: Faster still, and faster – Finals – Race 7
I neozelandesi hanno completato il percorso sul campo di regata nella baia di San Francisco in 23’37”, raggiungendo una velocita di 47,18 nodi (87,3 km/h) e migliorando di quasi tre nodi il precedente primato che gli apparteneva. Luna Rossa e giunta sulla linea d’arrivo con un distacco di 1’58”. I kiwi sono ora sul 6-1 nella finale della Louis Vuitton Cup e vincendo anche la seconda, staccherebbe il biglietto per l’America’s Cup, raggiungendo per primi i sette punti. Per conquistarsi un posto nella sfida a Bmw Oracle, ‘defender’ della 34/a America’s cup di vela bisognera attendere poco. Diversamente da quanto previsto e stata posticipata a domenica l’ottava regata, forse decisiva per la vittoria della Louis Vuitton Cup da parte dei neozelandesi. Per New Zealand potrebbe trattarsi del terzo successo nel trofeo messo in palio fra gli sfidanti, dopo quelli conquistati nel 1995 con Black Magic e nel 2007, a Valencia, sempre contro la Luna Rossa di Patrizio Bertelli.
Louis Vuitton Cup: Predictwind – Moderate winds expected for Sunday
With the racing at its regular start time of 1310hrs the two feeds produced by Predictwind indicate that winds will be averaging 14-15kts, and will be well inside the wind limit of just over 20kts Wind map for 1310hrs on Sunday August 25, 2013 – PredictWind.com Click Here to view large photo The top image shows the wind speed and direction at 1300hrs with one feed showing winds of 14kts while the other is at 15kts – these are only average speeds and gusts will be higher, but not enough to exceed the wind limit. There is a little variation in the forecast indicating a higher degree of certainty as to the outcome. The key feature of the forecast is disagreement between the two feeds as to the rate of build of the breeze, but around race start they are consistent in their projection. Wind graph for 1310hrs on Sunday August 25, 2013 – PredictWind.com Click Here to view large photo The second image (above) shows a graphic representation of the wind build – confirming the numbers for the prognosis. It also shows that even at its peak later in the afternoon, around 1800hrs, the breeze only reaches 19kts according to one feed and 18kts for the other. The third chart (below) shows the wind expectations for Sunday and Monday. Note that sea conditions described in this chart are based on open water and are not descriptive of an enclosed harbour Wind chart Sunday August 25, 2013 and the following day – PredictWind.com Click Here to view large photo Two weather feeds are used by Predictwind, the key to the accuracy of the forecast lies with the graphs, as when the two lines for the two feeds are quite close together and following each other in the trend, then the likelihood of the forecast is high. If there is separation to any marked degree, then there still some issues to be resolved but usually 24 hours from the race they are well aligned. The Predictwind model takes various weather feeds and then polishes these, part of this process is factoring in the effect of local topography on the breeze – well demonstrated by the image with the funneling of the breeze.
From girl-next-door to smouldering Louis Vuitton model: Behind the scenes of Michelle Williams’ first fashion campaign
Chris Draper, helmsman of Luna Rossa, is happy the morning of the 7th race of the Louis Vuitton final before he goes out to sail on August 24, 2013 -A Linda Wright Up wind and down ‘Aotearoa’ had the mastery of Luna Rossa and there was nothing the Italian team could do to compete. Up wind, it was particularly noticeable, with ETNZ gaining almost a minute. But on the second reach the Kiwis simply flew, topping 47.18 knots (a new record for the team in a race), and gained 47 seconds. ‘Thereas a real balance,’ said skipper Dean Barker, ‘between excitement and speed’ The two AC-72s certainly provided the crowd lining the City Front and Marina Green plenty of excitement in the building 18-knot south-westerly breeze. Foiling gybes were regular for both teams, but on one occasion ETNZ was foiling upwind which led rival helmsman, Chris Draper, to observe: ‘The only option [for us] is to inflict a penalty on them, because the difference in upwind speed a 30 knots to 23 a is enormous. Barker was more sanguine, admitting that they had tried foiling on the windward leg: ‘Thereas a real balance to satisfy between angle [to the wind] and boat speed,’ he said. Velocity made good (Vmg) is the crucial factor and no doubt the Kiwis will seek every opportunity, before the Americaas Cup match, to experiment in this area. Draperas opportunity to inflict a penalty was quickly dissipated in the pre-start. Barker gave him no opportunity to be close enough and was ahead and to windward when the gun fired. From there he was able to pour disturbed air on to the wing of Luna Rossa to be clear ahead at the end of the short first reach.
Fussy 