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Main Facts
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Internet
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Site officiel |
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Yacht
Club
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???
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Country
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AUS
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Budget
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???
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Challenge
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Non
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ACC
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Non
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Syndicate
Head
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???
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Design
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???
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Skipper/
Helmsman
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Michael
Dunstan
(AUS)
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Afterguard
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???
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Sponsors
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???
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OzBoyz
Challenge in sight of the finishing line (10/13/04)
(source :
OzBoyz
Challenge)
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Although the OzBoyz Challenge sailing team is not
competing in the 2004 Pre Regattas in Marseille and
Valencia, the syndicate spokesperson Sebastien Destremau
has been active in discussions and meetings in Europe
over the past four months.
"It has been very interesting to see how things are
coming together in Europe for the 2007 America's Cup.
I am originally from the South of France and found it
impressive how Marseille came alive when the syndicates
descended for Act 1. I hope that OzBoyz Challenge will
be part of this amazing event" said Sebastien.
The OzBoyz Challenge has been seeking and negotiating
with numerous potential sponsors. The marketing team
has assured significant financial commitment from "Epoxy"
and "Kevlar" tier sponsors.
The main focus is however on securing the necessary
major sponsor (Titanium / Carbon) to ensure the ultimate
success of the project.
"With a deadline date of the 15th December 'all hands
are on deck' to confirm with interested corporates their
level of commitment so that the remainder of the OzBoyz
Challenge budget is secured. The finishing line in this
race to confirm sponsorship is in sight and we are working
hard to cross it victoriously" concluded Sebastien Destremau.
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Ozboyz
withdraw from 2004 pre-regattas (06/17/04)
(source :
OzBoyz
Challenge)
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OzBoyz Challenge has today decided to withdraw
its participation for the pre-regatta's in September/October
of this year.
"Our primary focus must be the America's Cup in
2007", said Sebastien Destremau, OzBoyz Challenge
spokesperson. "Sponsors, partners and our sports
objective was to test the venue and facilities in Valencia
this year. Yet, unfortunately Valencia is not ready
and won't be ready for us to do this,"
A representative of OzBoyz marketing squad said that
Valencia is undergoing major construction work and appears
more like a "building site" than a polished
venue fit to host America's Cup yachting guests and
sponsors.
"We decided to include (the pre-regattas) in our
program with the expectation that our promotional agents
and marketing people could create interest and assure
a high profile attendance", Sebastien Destremau
added. "We saw it as an opportunity of "showcasing"
a taste of what will come in 2007".
"Regretfully this is not the possible so we have
had to make the corporate decision not to go" he
concluded. |
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Dunstan
named OzBoyz Challenge skipper (04/08/04)
(source :
OzBoyz
Challenge)
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"The OzBoyz Challenge
is very proud to announce Michael Dunstan as our Skipper
to compete in Europe", said OzBoyz Challenge spokesperson
Phil Edmiston. "He is one of Australia's top young
yachtsman and he suits the OzBoyz Challenge project
well".
Michael Dunstan, at just 22 years of age is Australia's
leading match racer with an ISAF World Ranking of 28.
A graduate of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron youth
training program, Michael is a two times Australian
Match Racing Champion, as well as winner of the Australian
Youth Match Racing Championships in the 2001 and 2002
World Series Yachting Super Nines. He was also runner
up at the 2000 World Youth Match Racing Championships
in New Zealand.
Away from his match racing, Michael is the helmsman
of well-known Sydney racing yacht Ragamuffin, and has
completed the last two Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races
as well as various other ocean racing regattas.
"I am very excited to be associated with the OzBoyz
Challenge", said Michael Dunstan. "It is a
great opportunity for my team and myself to mix it up
against the worlds best".
"We know it will be tough but we are prepared and
we look forward to the challenge", he added. "It
will also be fantastic to have an Australian syndicate
challenging for the America's Cup in 2007 and we look
forward to being a part of it".
The core team members competing with Michael include
Adam Garnaut, Nick Partridge, Seve Jarvin and Paul McKenzie
(former Le Défi Areva).
Their first event will be the Trentino Garda Cup in
Italy at the end of April. It will immediately be followed
by the Elba Cup which is part of the Swedish Match Tour.
Then the team will compete in Croatia, England, Germany,
Italy, Sweden, Portugal, France and other venues yet
to be confirmed.
"Michael, through hard work and dedication to success,
is establishing himself as one of the rising star's
on the sailing circuit", said Phil Edmiston. "Fitting
perfectly with the OzBoyz Challenge project model, we
are very pleased to be associated with his future endeavours
in sailing".
"If OzBoyz Challenge and Australia is to be successful
in bringing the Cup back home, we need to encourage
and support talented youth like Michael and his team",
concluded OzBoyz Challenge spokesperson. "We wish
them every success in Europe". |
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OzBoyz
to announce AC crew Wednesday (04/06/04)
(source :
OzBoyz
Challenge)
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The OzBoyz Challenge,
the Perth-based Australian Syndicate for the 2007 America's
Cup, will announce a sailing team and a skipper on Wednesday
7th April.
Syndicate head, Sebastien Destremau, says the OzBoyz
Challenge skipper is in the category of 'Talented Young
Helmsman.'
Challenge spokesman, Phil Edmiston, goes on to say,
‘it fits perfectly with the OzBoyz project model, he
is one of the faces in Australia's yachting future.’
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News
from the OzBoyz Challenge (03/07/04)
(source :
OzBoyz
Challenge)
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OzBoyz Challenge has confirmed
the participation of a team in the 2004 Match Racing
European Circuit. The OzBoyz Challenge Match Racing
Team will commence their program with the Elba Cup.
This Grade 1 event will be held from May 02nd to 09th
on the picturesque Island of Elba in Italy. The details
of the OzBoyz Challenge Match Racing Team will be released
in March 04.
This announcement follows the confirmation of the OzBoyz
Challenge participation in the three America’s Cup Pre-Regatta’s
commencing in September 2004 in Valencia.
Yacht Club OzBoyz Challenge is yet to name it’s representative
Yacht Club. Discussions have commenced with Yacht Clubs
in New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia
and Victoria however interested Yacht Clubs from all
states are still being canvassed and encouraged before
a final decision is reached this year.
The OzBoyz Challenge recruitment program is underway
with Roles within the Administration Squad to be released
at the end of the month. Information sessions on the
OzBoyz Challenge will be held in NSW and Victoria over
the coming weeks with dates to be advised soon. |
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OzBoyz
Challenge to compete in September (01/04/04)
(source
: OzBoyz
Challenge)
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OzBoyz Challenge is currently
in the process of securing an America's Cup boat and
has confirmed with AC Management the participation of
a team in the Pre Regatta's commencing in September
2004.
Following the debut of the Sailing Squad recruitment
process in November further positions have now been
released. Application can be registered on www.ozboyzchallenge.com.
Over the coming months all 83 positions will be advertised.
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Three
Australian teams are trying to be there (12/17/03)
(source
: Cheryl
on 2003ac Forums)
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Over the weekend Martin
Tasker (TVNZ) reported that of the three potential
Australian challengers, two had made enquiries about
leasing NZL-60 and NZL-57 from Team NZ. If the challenges
go ahead the syndicates are interested in training
and working their campaigns up from the Viaduct Harbour
in Auckland.
One of them should be the project representing the
Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron which is henceforth
named "C7 Syndicate" (like the Australian
sports channels Seven Network's C7 ?). Kristine Condell,
C7 syndicate CEO,
said the team will not make a final decision either
way on the bid until March 1, 2004.
"We needed to treat this as if we were going
to do a fund raiser for a merger or an acquisition
and that’s exactly how we started out", she said.
"We put budgets together, feasibility studies
– created what I believe is a credible business plan.
And from there we’ve started talking to sailors and
designers."
On the other hand, it was not disclosed if the second
one is the Destremau's Ozboyz Challenge, the only
official candidate so far. Or a third project which
could be the new team evoked by Syd Fisher (who has
organised teams for the past five challenger series).
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More
on the Ozboyz Challenge (11/04/03)
(source : The
West Australian)
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Sebastien Destremau, line-honours
skipper in the storm-struck 1998 Sydney-Hobart race,
and businessman Phil Edmiston are the driving forces
behind the Perth-based Ozboyz Challenge, which needs
to raise AUS$58 million (US$41) to provide an Australian
presence at the next cup regatta.
"A generation of Australians has lived and breathed
the America's Cup and to see all the Australian talent
spread among other nations' syndicates in Auckland last
time was frankly embarrassing", Edmiston said.
"Putting together an America's Cup challenge is a huge
undertaking but someone has to take the first steps
of a long journey - and right now that's us."
Although initiated in Perth, the challenge may be made
on behalf of Yachting Australia rather than a local
yacht club. The crew will be selected from applicants
attending five training centres around Australia.
Destremau and Edmiston do not want the venture to be
regarded as a Western Australian project because the
corporate sponsors able to fund the majority of the
budget are to be found in Sydney and Melbourne.
"The rules for 2007 have not been drawn up yet but we
hear it is possible the challenge might have to come
from a national federation rather than a club," said
Destremau, who settled in Perth, the home city of his
wife, Kim, after last summer's America's Cup in Auckland
where he served as tactician on French boat Le Defi
Areva.
The syndicate has appointed an international company
which specialises in raising funds of the magnitude
needed to participate in the America's Cup.
The Ozboyz Challenge intends to construct two boats
but, if the full budget is not achieved, would settle
for one. The craft would be designed and built in Australia.
"We have the know-how and the technology right here,"
Edmiston said. "It has been 20 years since Australia
II won the cup and there are a lot of people around
who still know what it takes."
Destremau said he would be prepared to involve Alan
Bond, who headed the triumphant 1983 bid. |
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Ozboyz
on-line recruitment program starts (11/03/03)
(source
: OzBoyz
Challenge)
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| The on-line recruitment
program signalling the second phase of the OzBoyz Challenge
- Australian Syndicate for the 2007 America's Cup commences
Wednesday November 5 at http://www.ozboyzchallenge.com.
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The
Ozboyz Challenge is "a long term project"
(10/14/03)
(source : Scuttlebutt
citing the Daily Sail website)
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"Today in Australia if
someone says 'we're going to do a Aus$150 million (€90
mil, US$100 mil) challenge to win the Cup' - well they
don't know what they are talking about", new Ozboyz
Australian Challenge spokeman Sébastien Destrémau
said. "Because unless you are Alinghi and you can
have the money right now and buy Russell Coutts - which
you can't do - you can't win the Cup".
"So what we are saying is that we are not going
to win the Cup this time", he added. "If we
get the budget in place in time, we will have a good
solid campaign and we will have lots of experience after
that and we will be ready to have a winning project
for the following time. So it is a long term project,
an on-going thing." |
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Ozboyz
announce young Australian bid (10/07/03)
(source
: OzBoyz
Challenge)
|
Today, OzBoyz Challenge
has been announced to contend for the 2007 America’s
Cup with a new generation of Australian yachting talent,
technology and business partners.
The Challenge has been created with the founding rule
of the campaign: that 60% of the team must have been
born in or after 1983 (the significant date in the America’s
Cup archives when Australia II defeated Liberty 4-3).
"Male and female team members will be selected for their
practical and academic talent in yachting, finance,
marketing, administration and business," a statement
said on Tuesday.
Founding partners Saatchi & Saatchi, Seek Communications
and Sumo have established the OzBoys Challenge, which
has a modest budget of A$58 million ($US40 million ).
"We are currently in discussions with numerous companies
interested in the philosophy and benefits of this project,"
said former Le Defi Areva tactician Sebastien Destremau,
who is part of a new Australian challenge.
The syndicate is currently assessing Australian Yacht
Club's "who are in synergy with the philosophy
and objective of the Challenge. Every Cup challenge
must be represented by a yacht club.
Online recruitment for the OzBoyz challenge will start
in early December. Crew selection will begin throughout
Australia in January and February and the boat launch
is scheduled for April or May 2005. |
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Launch
of the OzBoyz Challenge (10/06/03)
(source
: OzBoyz
Challenge)
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Twenty years after the
Australia II victory, the OzBoyz Challenge will launch
an Australian America's Cup assault on its website (ozboyzchallenge.com),
on Tuesday 7th October 2003 at 2am (GMT)
According to the Press Release, "the project model
combines America's Cup expertise, key corporate partners
and the Youth of Australia". |
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