The Challengers - Part 1

One year before the start of the America's cup the New Zealand team passed its first test and won all match races of the cup at the coast of Auckland with the new skipper Dean Barker in February. On second position was the One World Challenge Syndicat in front of the Swedish newcomers and the British GBR Challenge team. The top teams such as the Alinghi, Oracle or Prada did not participate in these official races. After the successful race Dean Barker said : "That was a good start, but we know it is a long way to defend the cup".

Italy

Prada Challenge Luna Rossa

In the final of 2000 the Italian team did very well in the heats but the New Zealand team defeated them 5 : 0. Pertrizio Bertelli and his team will try again with better and new material to succeed in the next cup in 2003. 260 workers are involved to build four training ships which are designed by Doug Peterson, winner of the 1993 and 1995 America's cup with the design of Bill Koch's America 3 and the New Zealand team. The team's skipper is Francesco de Angelis with the support of 176 of Italy's top sailors. During the winter period the crew trains in Auckland and goes on to Sardinia for the summer training.

Italy

Mascalzone Latino

The "Mascalzone Latino XI", Yacht of the same name of the Italian America's cup syndicat with its leader Vincenzo Onorato, will start in Auckland with the sail number 72 in the XXXI America¹s Cup. The official sail number was given by the office of technical affairs of the cup. The syndicate crew is temporarily in Portoferraio, Elba. Giovanni Ceccarelli has constructed the new modelled ship in the dock of the Tencara Shipyard. Everything is going according to plan only the design of the keel and rudder will be done right before the beginning of the race. Melges 24 world champion Flavio Favini aslo belongs to the team which trains on Mumm 36 boats and on the 'Stars and Stripes' USA 55.

Switzerland

Alinghi-Team

Swissman and multi-millionaire Ernesto Bertarelli hired the "who is who" of the international sailor world. Russel Coutts and Brad Butterworth won the cup twice already and together with German top sailor Jochen Schümann they will try to get the trophy a third time. Since November the first new boat SUI 64, designed by Rolf Vrolijk, is in the gulf of Hauraki close to Auckland. The team trains daily versus the SUI 59 from the last Swiss campagne "Be-Happy" skippered by Jochen Schümann.

On 3 August the British syndicat of the America's cup began its trip to New Zealand. The christening was held during the Cowes week on the Isle of Wight (England). Peter Harrison and his crew will first participate in the the Louis Vitton cup and stay in the homebase yard in Auckland. The GBR 78 'Wight magic' was christened and buildt in England and will be shipped to New Zealand where the training for next February continues, to increase the chances to defeat the defenders.