It has been 21-years since the world's greatest sailboat racers have graced the waters off Newport, but on Saturday afternoon, as if the calendar had been turned back two decades, a start gun fired.

It was a spectacular day for racing on Narragansett Bay, with a nice 10-12 knot breeze powering the yachts when racing started at 14:10. Hundreds of spectator craft dotted the waters, and several thousand race fans lined the shore to watch these America's Cup Class yachts engage in battle. Fort Adams was a particularly popular spot to watch the racing, where the America's Cup itself was on display as an added attraction.

Alinghi Beats BMW Oracle Racing - Delta 0:07 (Pro-Driver Series - Race One Of 12)

The action came fast and furious in this match, with Alinghi helmsman Peter Holmberg ducking away from a dial-up, and leading BMW Oracle's Gavin Brady in a series of close circles in the pre-start. The teams turned for the start line early, with Brady pushing Holmberg towards the line.

Alinghi eventually tacked off and the boats split at the start, with Alinghi crossing the start line to the right, and one-second to the good.BMW Oracle immediately tacked to converge with Swiss boat, but couldn't cross, and Alinghi used its starboard tack advantage to force BMW Oracle back towards the shoreline.

As the boats closed with the coast, BMW Oracle called for room to tack. The Umpires judged that Holmberg didn't respond quickly enough, and assessed Alinghi a penalty. Holmberg went on to lead by 24-seconds around the top mark, but was still carrying a penalty.

The BMW Oracle squad then rounded the first mark too closely, hooking the ground tackle around its keel and rudder, and dragging the mark. The Umpires assessed a penalty for touching the mark, negating the earlier Alinghi foul, and BMW Oracle lost several more boat lengths on the leg, slowed by the incident. At this point, it appeared Alinghi would romp away to a massive opening victory.

But the American team would be given a reprieve by the wind gods on the second leeward leg, when a massive windshift turned what should have been a run into a tight reach. The BMW Oracle team spotted the shift and responded well, dropping its spinnaker nearly a minute before Alinghi did and then having a much quicker angle to sail for the mark.

Brady nearly completely closed the gap, but in the end, Holmberg was able to cling to a narrow two-second lead around the bottom mark, and held on for a seven-second win.

Alinghi Wins, BMW Oracle Racing Did Not Finish (Pro-Driver Series - Race Two Of 12)

This was another thriller, with the west wind direction making for short legs and plenty of action through the entire race. The pre-start was remarkable for the extended dial-up sequence as Gavin Brady on BMW Oracle and Peter Holmberg on Alinghi danced with their boats head to wind for nearly four minutes. After drifting backwards for a short time, the boats came too close, and the Umpires assessed Brady, the windward boat, a penalty.

Brady recovered to win the starboard side of the start line, and he was able to protect the right side of the race course up the entire first beat leading around the first mark by 15-seconds. But Alinghi made a nice gain on the first run on the short course and closed to within eight seconds.

On the second beat, both boats sailed to the starboard tack layline early and nearing the top mark, Brady slowed, needing to engage Alinghi to attempt to offload the penalty. But he misjudged his speed, and slowed down too much, allowing Holmberg to simply roll over the BMW Oracle boat to windward and make the pass.

On the short run, Brady, trailing and still carrying a penalty, couldn't close the gap, and Alinghi sailed to its second consecutive win.

Team Alinghi today officially launched the UBS Trophy Rhode Island at a press conference in Newport, Rhode Island.

The UBS Trophy, sponsored by UBS and co-sponsored by BMW, will showcase America's Cup-style match racing at Newport between old rivals Team Alinghi and Oracle BMW Racing, from June 19-26.

The UBS Trophy is a significant event that will honor the colorful and exciting role that yacht racing has played in Newport for more than 100 years. With race starts and finishes off Fort Adams, the regatta has been specifically designed to bring the racing close to shore for exciting spectator viewing.

Two races are scheduled daily, weather permitting, starting at 1:30pm. The regatta will sail professional and owner-driver races on a short course.

Speaking at the press conference today was Grant Simmer, Team Alinghi General Manager. Simmer was navigator aboard Australia II, the team that finally succeeded in lifting the Cup from a long American rule when they defeated Dennis Conner and his crew on Liberty at Newport in 1983.

Other speakers included Governor of Rhode Island, Donald L. Carcieri; Russell Coutts, Alinghi Team Leader; Gavin Brady, Helmsman, Oracle BMW Racing; Dr. Robin Wallace, Chairman of the Rhode Island Sailing Foundation; and John Rousmaniere, writer and America's Cup historian.

Specific details regarding the UBS Trophy are now available at a new website, www.ubstrophy.com .

Team Alinghi, winners of the America's Cup 2003, and UBS, title sponsor of the UBS Trophy Regatta, will hold a pre event press conference on April 26 to officially launch the event and introduce key participants.

The UBS Trophy will showcase America's Cup style match racing at Newport between old rivals Team Alinghi and Oracle BMW Racing from June 19-26.

The press conference will be held on Monday, April 26, 11am, at the New York Yacht Club, Newport, RI.

Grant Simmer, Team Alinghi general manager will open the press conference. Simmer was a crew member aboard Australia II, the international team that finally succeeded in uplifting the Cup from a long American rule when the Australian team overcame Dennis Conner and his crew on Liberty in 1983.

Donald L. Carcieri, Governor of Rhode Island, will represent his state renowned for it's maritime history. Gavin Brady, helmsman for Oracle BMW Racing will represent his San Francisco based team. John Rousmaniere, writer and America's Cup historian will provide a historical perspective on the America's Cup and it's place in Newport archives.

Following the formal presentation, guests will be invited to join Dirk Kramers, Team Alinghi designer and Newport resident, on a tour of the proposed facilities for the UBS Trophy regatta.

Specific details regarding the UBS Trophy regatta will be made available in the near future at a new website, www.ubstrophy.com, that will be launched as a source of information on the event.

For the first time since 1983, Newport, Rhode Island is preparing for an onslaught of America's Cup style match racing with the UBS Trophy regatta, to be held June 19 to June 26.

Organized by Team Alinghi, winner of the America's Cup 2003, and sponsored by UBS, the regatta promises to celebrate the spirit of the 153 year-old trophy in the historic home of the America's Cup during a week of world class yacht racing and festivities.

"Rhode Island eagerly awaits the return of America's Cup racing to Narragansett Bay", said Donald L. Carcieri, Governor. "Our America's Cup heritage remains strong, not just in the marine industry that continues to build and equip world class racing yachts, but also in the many people and organizations that continue to support the Cup as it evolves into a mainstream global sporting event".

The opening press conference on Friday June 18 will initiate the event, and racing will begin the following day, weather permitting. Two races will be sailed daily. The course will be short and will be sailed close to the shore in order to offer the best possible access to the public. Tuesday June 22 is scheduled as a lay day.

There will be a pro driver series, as well as an owner-driver series. To date, Oracle BMW Racing has confirmed its participation in the event.

"The Moet Cup in San Francisco last September was a huge success and the Oracle BMW Racing team looks forward to more of the same close racing in Newport", said Chris Dickson, CEO, Oracle BMW Racing.

"It will be great to compete in Newport, a town steeped in America's Cup history and tradition. The UBS Trophy adds to the momentum for Valencia in 2007, providing exciting competition in the lead-up to the America's Cup."

The Newport Shipyard will serve as the base for the yachts competing. Located close to the racing course, from here the public will be able to easily see the boats and experience the surrounding activity.

Other locations that will provide excellent viewing of the racing include Fort Adams and Goat Island, as well as some sites in Jamestown.

Specific details regarding event festivities and media accreditation will be made available in the near future. A new website, www.ubstrophy.com, will be launched in April as a source of information on the UBS Trophy regatta.

More than 20 years after being swept away by Australians, the America's Cup is coming back to Newport, R.I., in the arms of the Swiss.

Alinghi and UBS, the title sponsor of the event, announced plans Friday to host a regatta in Newport from June 19-26. It'll be the second of several planned regattas leading to the 2007 America's Cup.

So far, only Alinghi and San Francisco-based Oracle BMW Racing are confirmed entrants, but organizers will plan for up to six syndicates. Besides giving teams a chance to compete against each other during the long buildup to the next cup,

The 7-day match racing series will be held close to shore, on the East Passage, in front of Fort Adams, and will last just an hour. Under the management of Team Alinghi, but with an independent Race Committee appointed by the New York Yacht Club, the racing will start and finish (weather permitting).

There will be a "village" at the Newport Shipyard which will undergo some changes to make the boats and their crews more accessible to the public.

"I think with the history that Newport has with the America's Cup, there should be a fair bit of interest there," said Russell Coutts, Alinghi's skipper who didn't sail in the San Francisco regatta but plans to at Newport.

The America's Cup trophy will be on public display during the regatta, a radical departure from the days when the silver jug was bolted to a table at the New York Yacht Club.

Alinghi has confirmed that America's Cup Class racing will take place in Newport, Rhode Island, next June. Rhode Island state officials interviewed by the Providence Journal in late September, 2003, spoke in terms of up to 6 teams and 7-8 days of racing, likely preceded by several weeks of training.

TNZ has hinted at racing one of their 2003 boats in Newport. Results of this event may affect future AC challenger seeding.

A similar race series has been mentioned for Annapolis, Maryland, later in the summer of 2004. The second match for the Moët Cup may be part of these activities. Reports from host candidate cites following the August 20-21 public presentations indicate that ACM was interested in staging a regatta at the chosen Defense venue during the spring or summer of 2004.

After these events, most comments from Alinghi members to date have described the bulk of the prospective challengers being eliminated in a large regatta in 2006, leaving the top 2 or 4 candidates to compete in a streamlined challenger selection series in 2007, followed closely by the America's Cup match itself.

Representatives of Alinghi are looking to bring six America's Cup contenders to Rhode Island for four to six weeks and seven or eight days of racing next summer.

"The plan to establish a new international race for the IACC class here in Rhode Island is a significant move," said Governor Carcieri. "It will elevate the visibility of our state internationally, re-establish a historic racing venue, and provide a new income-generating stream for our economy".

"Designing, building, racing and celebrating speedy sailboats is part of our tradition and it is still good business", he added.

Representatives of Alinghi have been meeting with Economic Development Corporation (EDC) officials and boating industry executives to stage an event that would bring five or six America's Cup contenders to Rhode Island for four to six weeks and seven or eight days of racing within view of shore.

"This is the right kind of thing for the EDC to be working on," said Michael Keyworth of Brewer Cove Haven Marina in Barrington, a prominent member of the sailing community and the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association. "It has immediate economic value to the state and it has long term value."

The event in Newport in June would be the kick-off of the next America's Cup when major syndicates would announce their sponsors, introduce key players and begin to size-up one another. It would be followed by two similar events and a possible return to San Francisco, according to Alinghi officials in published reports.

"It comes at a time when many aspects of the Cup are being re-thought, so Rhode Island will be somewhat of a test bed for innovations that will come to define the future of sailing's most important event," said Mike McMahon, executive director of the EDC.

State officials said they hoped to solidify the Newport Cup deal, potentially worth millions of dollars, in meetings today, according to Keyworth. He said, "It sounds very promising."

"While we are quite far along in our discussions with Alinghi, there are still some key issues to be worked out," said McMahon. "It would be premature to declare victory at this point."