+39 Challenge comes to light (05/25/04)
 (source : Il Corriere della serra)

At the Circolo Velico Gargnano, the Italian representatives met yesterday the journalists during a press conference where they outlined the programmes of their team.

Two months after the official acceptance by ACM, the former "Clan Des Team sailing team" is now christened "+39", Italy's international dialing code.

The new +39 Challenge introduced his crew, which will include :
- Olympic Finn Silver Medallist Luca Devoti of Italy (team manager and skipper),
- British olympic gold medallist Iain Percy (GBR, helmsman),
- Italians Michele Ivaldi and Lorenzo Mazza (members of the Team Prada last time),
- Current French Star class world champions Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau,
- last year's finn class world championship runner up Rafael Trujillo of spain,
- GBR sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson, who finished behind Trujillo at the finn world championships.

The other coup for the new team is the signing of designer Giovanni Ceccarelli, who conducted the design team for Mascalzone in the last Cup. Two new boats are planned.

The following stage will be to purchase two of the 2003 IACC who will enable the team to undertake a two boat training programme in Spanish waters in July (the crew will be completed only after the Olympics). .

 Ian Percy switches allegiance to Italians (05/22/04)
 (source : The Independent)

Britain is set to lose one of its most talented sailors to an Italian team challenging for the next America's Cup in Valencia in 2007.

Iain Percy, Olympic gold medallist in 2000 and a top prospect for a medal in Athens in the Star, is expected to be named by the Clan Des Team syndicate - which should be re-name Plus 39, Italy's international dialing code - as one of its recruits, on Monday at their Lake Garda base.

The Cowes-based GBR Challenge claimed that Percy had signed a confidentiality agreement with them in August last year, but that on Thursday Percy had informed the design director, Derek Clark, "of what appears to be his final decision."

Percy's move could not have come at a more sensitive time. He was central to GBR Challenge's attraction to potential sponsors and an agreement for major financial support had been expected within two weeks.

But Ian Walker, skipper of GBR Challenge in Auckland in 2002, insisted Percy's departure would be "no disaster for the team".

Another of Britain's top sailors, Ben Ainslie, had, like Percy, been linked with Team New Zealand since he sailed with Dean Barker last October but may now similarly opt for an Italian job.

Italy's America's Cup challenge, Clan Des Team, have made a big credibility gain with the thursday announcement.

More, a new coup for the Clan Des Team is now the signing of designer Giovanni Ceccarelli, who was leader of the design team for Mascalzone Latino in the last Cup.

Nevertheless, by waiting for the press conference scheduled for friday April 25th, very few is known about the syndicate.

On the budget side of things, it seems that they have not yet secured enough money to become a viable challenge for the next America's Cup.

"Since many months, we are in contact with businessmen and organizations ready to support the challenge", Lorenzo Rizzardi said. "Among them we have a deal with the Lombardia region".

If many personnel from the crew which have won the Centomiglia Cup are expected to join the syndicate, the new Italian team is always in the hunt for sailors.

"We are very close to recruiting a skipper who will be the soul of the project", Rizzardi said. "Concerning the helmsman and the crew, We have very clear ideas".

The timeline is very compact as the team has scheduled an ambitious training session on Lake Garda.

 The first new challenger for the 32nd AC (03/26/04)
 (source : AC Management)

A new challenge for the America’s Cup from the Circolo Vela Gargnano (CVG) has been accepted by the Defender, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG).

The CVG, represented by the Clan Des Team sailing team, is the first challenger to join the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s Oracle BMW Racing team in challenging for the 32nd America’s Cup.

Lorenzo Rizzardi is President of the challenging yacht club and Head of Syndicate for the Clan Des Team. One of Italy’s leading yacht clubs, situated in the picturesque town of Gargnano on the western side of Lake Garda, the CVG is well known in sailing circles as being the organiser of the famous Centomiglia Race, a marathon 100-miler up and down the lake in September each year.

A specialty of European lake sailing is the Libera Class open 40-foot monohull class, with huge rigs and numerous crew on trapezes.

In 2003 the Centomiglia was won by Clan Des Team in its Libera Class and it is this sailing team that has challenged through the CVG.

Reflecting on how it felt to become a challenger for the America’s Cup, Clan Des Team’s Technical Director, Cesare Pasotti said: "It’s an incredible feeling because it is everybody’s dream to race for the America’s Cup. This is like a very beautiful dream. That’s the best way I can describe it."

The challenge from the CVG was accepted by President Pierre-Yves Firmenich, on behalf of the Defender, the Société Nautique de Genève.

"This is the first new challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup, joining Oracle BMW Racing, the Challenger of Record, and of course our team, Alinghi," Firmenich said. "I welcome the Clan Des Team to the America’s Cup and I wish them the very best of luck."

The challenge process for the CVG was completed on the 25th March after the club fulfilled a number of formalities as well as posting a performance bond, as is required from each challenger.

At that point, a registered letter from the SNG was dispatched to Mr. Rizzardi in Italy, reading in part: "The Société Nautique de Genève hereby confirms its acceptance of Circolo Vela Gargnano’s challenge to compete in the 32nd America’s Cup."

Rizzardi and Pasotti didn’t wish to reveal many details about their challenge, keeping their counsel when asked about potential skippers or boat designers.

The team is planning a public launch on the 23rd April in Milan. But Pasotti said the Clan Des Team intended to race in the first Act of the 32nd America’s Cup in Marseille in September 2004, and in the two Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts in October as well.

"It’s important to have many opportunities to create value for our partners so the idea of all the different events for the next four years of this America’s Cup programme, is very important for us," Pasotti acknowledged. "We intend to participate in the events this year."

The team expects to have two ACC boats training on Lake Garda this summer and to use a third boat to compete in the 2004 Acts, in Marseille and Valencia.

Pasotti went on to reveal that the Clan Des Team plan calls for two new ACC boats to be built in advance of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series in 2007.

Whilst it is extremely rare for a challenger to win the America’s Cup on its first attempt Pasotti says the Clan Des Team has its sights set on capturing sailing’s biggest prize.

"We are challenging to win," Pasotti said moments after the challenge was accepted. "We don’t participate just to be there, we want to win."

It should be remembered that the current Defender, the SNG was the last club based on a lake to challenge for the America’s Cup. The Swiss club won the America’s Cup from New Zealand in March 2003.

The Circolo Vela Gargnano is a 53-year old club on the shores of Lake Garda. Apart from its flagship event, the Centomiglia, it hosts an active racing programme, and has organised many world-class regattas.

Italy has had a strong presence in recent America’s Cup competition, fielding challengers in the last five of the last seven America’s Cups, winning the Louis Vuitton Cup twice (Il Moro de Venezia in 1992 and Luna Rossa in 2000).

 The new Italian syndicate is emerging (02/28/04)
 (source : TG Canale 5-Mediaset)

Lorenzo Rizzardi, president of the Circolo Vela Gargnano, accepted to reveal to the Italian Website tgcom.it (the Internet version of the Italian television company Mediaset) a few details about his project with Cesare Pasotti.

"Why not to take on this slightly insane adventure", Lorenzo Rizzardi now said, who refused any comment two days ago.

According to the Italian website, the networking aspect are in process and several contacts were already made with local economic leaders and political authorities in the very rich region Lombardy to ensure effective support of the project activities.

Regional links are helped by the success of the sailing events organized on Lake Garda and, in particular, the Match Racing World Championship won by the american Ed Baird during the last summer.

"It is not a question of a consortium with a a powerful ship-owner who gives the basic financing, but of a group of fanatics able to federate all lombardian economic realities around this project", Lorenzo Rizzardi concluded.

 A new Italian syndicate ? (02/26/04)
 (source : Giornale di Brescia)