Well known Sydney multi-billionaire, Gunna Kelly,
has announced a challenge for the America's Cup to be
held next summer in the waters of Auckland.
In a bold move, far behind schedule compared to other
competing syndicates, who've had boats built and trialling
mostly for more than a year, Kelly said he thought they
had a genuine chance due to the widespread common knowledge
of where existing syndicates were at development wise
and the vast expertise available locally.
In fact, Kelly claimed, while refusing to divulge any
further details of the syndicates make-up, they had
the advantage of their development being the only remaining
secret entity. He did however state that while the announcement
of the challenge is very late, the syndicates progress
is not, with two boats expected to be launched in the
fall.
His optimism is not universally shared. High profile
local sailing identity, Barry Mako, expressed scepticism:
"Gunna has absolutely no experience in yachting. There
has been no word of this challenge and I have not spoken
to anybody today who knows any details whatsoever. He
doesn't even have a yacht club associated with the syndicate
as far as I can tell. It's really a complete mystery
and I can't fathom how he could keep the progress he
claims, under wraps so completely."
Kelly promised more details would be released through
the next week. But, what about the deadline for entries
was March 1, 2002 ?
End
of the dream for the third Italian Team (02/24/02) (source
: IACC-City
Challenge)
The IACC-City
Challenge hopes to be a challenger for the 2006 America's
Cup. In a traditional way, Enrico De Marchi, President
of the third Italian projet, throws in sponge at a few
days of the limiting date of deposit of the inscriptions
(fixed at 1 March 2001).
Prior to the events of September 11th in New York and
Washington, sponsorship hunting was already difficult
as fears of recession grew, but the terrorist attacks
have made it much harder. Nevertheless, Enrico De Marchi
said his main problem is not raising funds but to have
a boat.
On October 8th, the Team took the first step toward
a new America's Cup challenge as Laurent Esquier, the
Operation Manager of Prada Challenge, said the Team
agrees to leased a vessel from their successful 2000
Louis Vuitton Cup campaign, ITA-48, the second cup-winning
silver boat.
Virtuous circle. The investors return and, step by step,
the project of third Italian Syndicate is concretized.
The first names circulate and, in particular, the young
Italian match-racer Nicola Celon.
At the end of December, Prada breaks the dream. ITA-48
is not available any more. The IACC-City board have
decided not to go further without the boat and have
today announced that they will cease operations.
Ond@nomala at the
Nautex - Vela Show 2002 (02/22/02) (source
: IACC-City
Challenge)
IACC-City
Challenge, the third Italian potential challenger, will
be at the Nautex - Vela Show which will be officially
inaugurated in Rimini (Italy) tomorrow, Saturday 23
February 2002.
Nicola Celon and the Ond@nomala team will make a point
of the situation during a press conference on February
24th (15pm).
On the first day of March 2002 the last deadline for
syndicates wishing to challenge the Royal New Zealand
Yacht Squadron for the America's Cup expires.
To be a challenger a yacht club has to send a bank draft
or letter of credit to the New Zealanders for US$ 300.000
along with a certain number of other administrative
details.
While Craig McCaw's OneWorld
Challenge is training in Auckland, the other Seattle
effort to compete in the America's Cup appear to be
in the dark.
Boat builder Russell Belden's team, called the Seattle
Challenge, did not post the $150,000 due March 1 to
participate in preliminary races. Late last year, Belden
sold the Syndicate's training boat to Bill Koch.
Now, both USA23 and ITA25 are owned by the billionaire.
They were refurbished and are sitting on cradles at
the Little Harbor complex in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Both are in A-1 shape. Both boats go by their original
names. USA-23 has her stubby wings, ITA25 has no wings.
Bad
dock talk for Seattle Challenge
(12/05/01) (source
: Scuttlebutt)
Recurring dock talk suggests
that Seattle's Corinthian Yacht Club will not be the
sponsoring Yacht Club for Russell Belden's Seattle Challenge
America's Cup campaign.
A paragraph published today
by the Gazzetta dello Sport allows to believe that the
third Italian challenge is emerging.
Indeed, the negotiations with Prada seems well-engaged
and it would be possible that Valleverde, an Italian
fashion shoes company located in Coriano (Rimini), become
their sponsor.
Its last official outing
was in mid-december 99, just under 2 years ago Luna
Rossa II (ITA48), was wrapping up the third round robin
of the LVC, with an impressive record : 7 wins, 2 losses
(AmericaOne and Idaten). After that, ITA-48
has served as a training boat, but has not raced again.
Prada Challenge had preferred ITA 45 for the remainder
of the cup.
Prada Challenge also has the two former Young Americas,
ITA-48 is no longer needed, not even as a sparring partner
for the training sessions on the Hauraki Gulf, and she
was now looking forward to a happy retirement. But the
boat could have a second chance as she returned to the
public eye at the centre of high profile negotiations.
Ond@nomala (IACC-City Challenge), which is aspiring
to be the third Italian Team for the next America's
Cup has asked Prada to sell that Luna Rossa to sail
in the next Competition and it even seems (mostly speculation
as official sources are keeping quiet) that a preliminary
agreement is already in place for the details of the
transaction which could be concluded in the next few
days.
Being able to count on a boat like Luna Rossa II, it
is clear that the dream of five insomniacs who were
chatting on a web site while watching Luna Rossa race,
is very close to becoming reality. Nicola Celon, who
seems to have been selected as helmsman, would find
himself suddenly in a syndicate which does not sail
in money, but rather in the legend which was Luna Rossa,
keeping Italy on the edge of its seat for almost 6 months.
It is clear that from these negotiations to it s debut
as 11th challenger is a long leap. Meanwhile, the sale
needs to be formalised, then regulations need to be
complied with, Ond@nomala need to find all its funding
and every detail needs to be agreed with the yacht club
which will challenge the Royal Yacht Squadron in Auckland.
Alongside the syndicate, which is probably linked to
the Circolo Velico di Rimini, it is easy to imagine
dozens (or hundreds) of shipowners following an old
dream : The AC challenge for 100 dollars. They will
never find enough enthusiasts to reach the requisite
18-20 billion Lire (9 €M), but for the ones that
have paid the fee of 200000 lires (100 $), or who will
do so in the near future the mouthwatering prospect
of placing their signature on the hull and owning a
piece of Luna Rossa is coming closer to reality.
Nippon
boats may join challengers
(10/04/01) (Source
: stuff.co.nz)
Team NZ spokesman Murray
Taylor says there is speculation that a new Japanese
syndicate could be about to join the 10 registered syndicates
in the cup regatta.
Mr Taylor says he has heard that a Japanese syndicate
is trying to raise money to charter the two boats owned
by the former Nippon syndicate (Asura & Idaten,
JPN-44 & JPN-52, were bought by the challenging
British syndicate, which may be trying to lease them
to the proposed Japanese syndicate).
Speculation was rife about the unnamed Japanese syndicate
at the Cowes anniversary regatta in August, Murray Taylor
says.
