From the very first mention of an ‘Arabian prince’ in November (with Paul Cayard and the Monaco Yacht Club), the rumours mills are spinning overtime churning out speculation after speculations.

Now, the Spanish newspaper Las Provincias said the new Spanish Challenge has obtained €40 million from an Abu Dhabi's Emir, who doesn't intend to be display neither his name nor any of his international companies as sponsor on the boat.

According to the same newspaper, an announcement is expected on February 20 from the Real club nautico de Barcelona.

Presenting his new leisure boat company Duboats at a press conference held for the inauguration of the Beneteau Open Days, H.E. Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Bin Saqr Al Nahayan, Chairman of the Bin Zayed Group opened an interesting possibility for the Cayard rumors.

At the press conference, it was announced the formation of Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed's racing team that will run its debut race on the Sheikh's racing boat in an international competition in March, 2004.

"UAE has a long marine tradition", the Emir said. "And the development of the 'sailing for sport' segment is a natural extension of this tradition".

A Last Detail. The Duboats team is led by America’s Cup French yachtsman Christophe Vanek, who has raced aboard France 3 in 1995 as bowman. he was the youngest crewmember to compete in the elimination rounds of America's Cup in 1983 and also competed in the 1987 America's Cup aboard Courageous IV.

Since the end of his sidelined campaign with Larry Ellison and the Oracle BMW challenge, not a week goes by without one seeing Paul Cayard in a new syndicate (in France with Le Défi, in Italy with Gucci's Diego della Valle...).

Paul hadn't missed an America's Cup since until Oracle boss Larry Ellison sent him into highly paid limbo late in 2001 (for reasons still unexplained) and the time had come for him to back in the game.

Neither Cayard nor none of his people (Bob Billingham, Kimo Worthington...) were in Geneva for the announcement but, according to the Daily Telegraph, "there are strong suggestions that he has secured backing".

It's now said he has $85 million from an Arab mega Yacht owner and will challenge from the Yacht Club De Monaco where the Arab and Paul are both members.

An idea which does not seem to be unimaginable when one remembers that Tracy Edwards has recently announced a £38 million four-year sailing sponsorship deal with the Gulf State of Qatar.