The South African's America's Cup yacht, Shosholoza RSA 48, was re-launched in the Mediterranean Sea in Marseille on Tuesday afternoon as the world's first African challenger for the historic 32nd America's Cup.

It was a moment to be savoured for the South African crew of Team Shosholoza, who will make their debut this Sunday (5 September) at the first of the pre-regattas or 'acts' leading up to the America's Cup proper in 2007.

Crew members of Team Shosholoza are world champion yachtsman Geoff Meek (skipper), South African Olympic yachtsman Ian Ainslie, Marc Lagesse, Alex Runciman, Marcello Burricks, Golden Mgedeza, Solomon Dipeere, Guido Verhovert, Ashton Sampson, Sieraj Jacobs, Charles Nankin, Joe Heywood, Davey Smith, Mark Sadler and David Rae.

Although not a compulsory event in terms of seeding or accumulating points, the Marseille event will nevertheless prove a steep learning curve for the South Africans as they pitch themselves against an intimidating line up of America's Cup all-time greats.

"Shosholoza is a 2000 generation yacht built for the Italian Prada Challenge, and will therefore be one of the oldest racing in Marseille, but our aim is learn from the international racing experience and to do our best," said Captain Salvatore Sarno, the chairman of principle sponsors Mediterranean Shipping Company South Africa (MSC), and the driving force behind the campaign.

Yacht Shosholoza was shipped to Europe aboard an MSC container ship a month ago. Team Shosholoza flew into Marseille a week ago, and have worked around the clock to refit her keel and step the mast for her re-launch.

The yacht was moored in Marseille's old harbour on Monday night, but was out on the water again on Tuesday for extensive measuring to ensure it meets with the regatta's stringent race rules and regulations. She is scheduled to sail for the first time on Wednesday when new sails will be tested and the boat tuned-up for racing.

Key members of the Swiss Alinghi team have offered to help South Africa's America's Cup sailing team in their maiden bid for the Cup. The generous offer was made to SA America's Cup skipper Geoff Meek while competing in the high profile Antigua Race Week in the Caribbean last week.

Meek was racing on a new 78 foot hi-tech carbon fibre Cape Town-built yacht, All Smoke, helmed by Jochen Schuemann, a helmsman and strategist on Alinghi. Against them in the same class was Alinghi tactician, Brad Butterworth, on the 86 foot Swan, Asperation.

"We had a very fruitful meeting with them and discussed a range of issues relating to the America's Cup", said Meek on his return to Cape Town yesterday. "Their offer of assistance is a big thing and way more valuable coming from them than any other America's Cup syndicate. It is certainly something that will be good to nurture."

"I have never sailed with Schuemann before but have raced against him many times", said Meek who was on the mainsheet for the event. "It was good to see how he sets up before starts, how he co-ordinates the team and manages the crew."

"Perhaps one of the main differences between the Alinghi team and ours is that every single crew member is so good in his own right that they are able to keep the management relatively simple as everyone is so self motivated. It was particularly useful to hear their views and philosophy on self motivation and team management and I'm sure we will be able to put a lot of it into practice here."

It's interesting to note that some of the South Africa's team members were competed at the Antigua Race Week.

Marc Lagesse, who was responsible for all the electronic installations on All Smoke, will have the same job on the SA America's Cup yachts.

South African-based Hasso Plattner's new Morning Glory , a Z 86 Class, won its class with two South African professional sailors on board - Mike Joubert and Davey "Zulu" Smith.

Joubert who has Volvo Round the Wolrd race commitments is already one of the designated international South African yachtsman who will join the Shosholoza crew for certain periods.

However Davey Smith was so intrigued by the Shosholoza Challenge that he put all his other plans on hold and flew back to South Africa with Meek and Lagesse. He is currently on trial for a place in the Shosholoza sailing team.

The South African America's Cup Challenge training yacht was officially re-named Shosholoza at a ceremony in Cape Town's Table Bay harbour today.

Accompanied by the South African navy brass band, a floating crane delivered the Shosholoza to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The hull of the yacht was unveiled to reveal a design based on traditional Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele patterns in the colours of the South African flag. A bottle of champagne was smashed against the side of the hull to christen the yacht.

It was a proud moment for the president of South Africa's America's Cup Syndicate, Mafika Mkwanazi, who said the race was an interesting challenge.

"We've had 10 years of democracy and we've such a good project which basically puts South Africa on the world map," he said. "And not only South Africa, but Africa as well, because when we in South Africa do well in terms of any world events, whether it's in sports, business or cultural activities, we represent the rest of the continent.

The managing director of South Africa's challenge Salvatore Sarno said the team had the backing of everyone, including the country's minister of sport Ngconde Balfour, to whom he had outlined the project two months earlier.

"When I introduced to him our vision and our project, he was saying, 'Ah, Captain Sarno, it would be very nice if you go to Valencia'," Mr Sarno said. "I told him, sorry, we are not just going to Valencia. We are not just going to Valencia to show some of our black faces and to say sorry to have disturbed you and come back".

"We are going there because our people will look into the eyes of the best Americans, the best Australians, the best Italians, the best French and we will win! We will beat at least a lot of them."

Two new yachts will be built in the same style as the Shosholoza and whichever proves the fastest will compete in the final race. In the meantime, the South African team will be sailing, training and preparing for the toughest and certainly the most famous sailing race in the world.