-New
additions to Victory Challenge (04/07/02) (Source
:
Victory Challenge)
"We need two full teams so that we can raise the
level and quality of our training sessions, that's
why we have taken on some very competent sailors for
sparring", says project head and skipper Mats Johansson.
In Sète, the Swedish had only been training
with the former New Zealand Black Magic boat Cristina
but since December, the newly built Örn is in Auckland.
This means the team can train with two boats against
each other.
That's the reason why Victory is building a sparring
Team with additional members available too late to
be registered in Sweden (before Mars 1 last year)
in order to be allowed to compete :
-
the New Zealander
Mathew Hughes, 21, who was part of Team New Zealand
when they won the America's Cup 2000, was recruited
as grinder ;
-
the New Zealander
Paul Murray, 33, who has three America's Cups
behind him as sail maker and reserve crewmember
(New Zealand challenge 1992, OneAustralia 1995
and Team NZ 2000), was recruited as trimmer ;
-
the Australian Billy
Merrington, 31, who has taken part in seven Sydney-Hobart
races and sailed with Nicorette, was recruited
as trimmer/grinder ;
-
the Danish Chresten
Plinius, 29, who has sailed match racing with
the world elite for the last five years (most
recently with Jesper Radich as skipper), was recruited
as mastman ;
-
the New Zealander
Conan Hunt, 21, who sailed with Nicorette and
took part in the Gotland Runt race and Sydney-Hobart,
was recruited as midbow.
Two of them, Paul Murray and Billy Merrington, arrived
straight from the Volvo Ocean Race, from which they
left ahead of time, and two of them have America's Cup
backgrounds, Paul Murray again and Matthew Hughes.
If they are not allowed to compete during the competition,
ther are part of the Team and more than one of them
could consider a more long-term solution with Victory
Challenge - as permanent members of the crew - if the
syndicate does well in its America's Cup challenge and
continues its stake in the America's Cup 2006.
-After
the Eagle, the Snake ... (04/01/02) (Source
:
Victory Challenge)
Victory Challenge's first America's
Cup boat was called Örn (Eagle). She was christened
in Gothenburg on October 27 last year and has been
sailing in Auckland since mid-December. Now, the second
is to be called Orm (Snake).
Orm's designer is the same as it was for Örn, German
Frers Jr., who was previously one of Prada's head
designers of the boat they built for the final of
the America's Cup in 2000. The construction is being
headed by Chris Mellow, who helped to build the Black
Magic boat NZL 38 (which Victory Challenge bought
and is now using as a training boat).
Orm (SWE 73) will be ready at the turn of June-July
for transporting from Gothenburg to Auckland.
But what is Orm going to look like? You can take part
in its design by drawing Orm. First prize for the
best idea is a trip for two to Auckland, New Zealand,
to see Orm compete in the world's most legendary sailing
race.
Victory Challenge want your drawing of Orm at the
latest by June 14, 2002. You can e-mail a picture
of Orm to bert.willborg@victorychallenge.com
or send it to Victory Challenge, Box 2095, SE 10313
Stockholm, Sweden.
-Whole
new concept for SWE 73 (02/10/02) (Source
:
Victory Challenge)
Örn has the sail number SWE 63. It is now confirmed
that the construction of Victory Challenge's second
America's Cup-boat has started.
"When we built Örn we followed a more traditional
design from America's Cup 2000. For the boat that
we now have started to build there is a whole new
concept" says Mats Johansson, Project Manager of the
Swedish America's Cup-challenge.
Both the boat designer German Frers Jr. and the boat
builder Chris Mellow left the base in Auckland last
month. They had been present and followed the first
sailing with Örn. The purpose was to gather as much
experience possible for the second construction start.
It has the sail number SWE 73. "When we got the number
63 we wanted that the next boat should get 73, to
make it practical and easy" says Mats Johansson.
-German
Frers Jr. as skipper for SWE 63 (12/13/01) (source
: Victory
Challenge)
It’s Wednesday 12 December in Auckland. Unlike
the launch and premier outing last Monday this second
sailing takes place in daylight. But during this second
days’ sailing with Örn, it’s neither Mats Johansson
nor Magnus Holmberg who is steersman.
“I want Mani Frers [German “Mani” Frers Jr.] to steer,
to feel the boat when he now is in the final phase
of the design of our second boat”, Mats Johansson
explains. “By steering he may feel for himself if
Örn’s characteristics and performance is as he imagined
and that may give him even superior ideas for the
design of the next boat.
“We only increase the strain of the boat as we make
structural tests” Mats says. At the same time it’s
important to use the experience for the construction
of the second boat in Gothenburg. Tests of the tank
are already going on. The construction is planned
to start during the first quarter of next year.
-First
Outing for Örn, SWE 63 (12/10/01) (source
: Victory
Challenge)
Today Monday 10 December 2001 at twilight local
time, the Swedish Victory Challenge syndicate left
its base in Viaduct Basin, Auckland, for the first
time onboard the newly constructed America’s Cup boat
Örn.
“It was a fantastic feeling”, said the project leader
Mats Johansson at the return after nightfall. Mats
Johansson was the skipper and Jesper Bank, twice Olympic
Games gold medallist for Denmark, was navigator at
this premier.
Onboard during this premier of Örn (SWE 63) included
the boat designer German Frers jr. and the boat constructor
Chris Mellow. German Frers Jr. was one of Prada’s
head designers for America’s Cup 2000 when the Italian
syndicate reached the final against Team New Zealand.
Chris Mellow took part of the construction of the
victorious New Zealander Black Magic-boats which took
the country to victory 1995 and 2000 in the world’s
oldest and established sailing competition.
“They were both really pleased with what they saw
of Swedish Örn tonight”, says Mats Johansson. Just
like the launch the night to Thursday 6 December,
the first training was at twilight, in order to conceal
all secrets on the boat for as long as possible. According
to the plan the premier outing was limited to one
hour of sailing.
“The 17 persons onboard were the persons that have
worked the most with the new boat” Mats Johansson
tells us, he continues: “We focused entirely on structural
tests. Therefore we couldn’t sheet home the sails
completely. The tests so far show, however, that Örn
has become the boat that everybody in the project
has wished for. Now follows 24 hours of minor adjustments
before it’s time for the second training, this time
with another key person onboard".
The Swedish America’s Cup-boat Örn was built in Gothenburg
and christened on the 27th of October. According to
the America’s Cup rules the hull, rudder and keel
must be constructed in the same country that the challenging
boat comes from. Mast and sail can be produced in
another country. All challengers of America’s Cup
make their sails in the same factory in the USA. The
mast of Victory Challenge has been created in New
Zealand.
Now comes one week’s training and tests with Örn,
before the Victory Challenge-syndicate breaks up for
the Christmas holiday. Strenuous training with the
Swedish America’s Cup Boat begins directly after New
Year.
Wednesday, Victory Challenge’s 2003 generation
IACC boat, SWE-63 was on the water in the Viaduct
Basin, its deck problems apparently resolved. It is
painted in identical livery to SWE-38 – black with
sponsors’ signage.
Its bow features a knuckle; its stern appears to rise
at a more acute angle out of the water than does that
on NZL-60. The rig is a three spreader millennium
style rig, and appears very similar to version that
was on NZL-60 during AC 2000.
Yesterday on RadioNZ Pete Montgomery
reported that SWE-63’s deck had lifted from the hull.
Apparently caused by its transport to Auckland in
an unpressurised cargo hold on the Antonov aircraft.
Nevertheless, the Swedish crew are not demobilized
because SWE-38 (former NZL-38) is just arrived (by
cargo) in Auckland, with Alinghi SUI-59 (old BeHappy),
and is now sitting in its travel lift on the base
forecourt, still painted black but with Victory Challenge’s
sponsor logos.
-Victory
christened and launched SWE-63 (01/24/01) (source :
NZ
Herald)
Victory Challenge,Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap's
challenger for America's Cup 2003, christened and
launched its first International America's Cup Class
(IACC) boat, SWE 63, today in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Victory Challenge's newest boat is the first of
two IACC to be built by New Zealand’s Chris Mellow
who is working with the 20-strong international
boat building team. It was designed by German
Frers Jr, former member of Prada Design Team.
The Gothenburg Team is responsible for crafting
the hull, deck and rudder. The mast and keel are
made in New Zealand, and the sail in the USA (like
All America’s Cup challengers).
Now, the newest boat will be be chartered by Antonov
in Auckland.
