The
America's Cup 2007 is on track (23/09/03) (source
: Libération)
"The cup left Europe in 1851
and it has never come back. If it does, I am sure
the cup will become a bigger event", Bruno Troublé
said just before Team Alinghi's America's Cup victory
in Auckland in March 2003. "We will reach another
level in terms of owners, media coverage and interest."
A diagnosis which is fully supported by Ernesto Bertarelli
who assigned her a school chum Michel Bonnefous to
study a complete overhaul of the America's Cup long
before anybody knew Team Alinghi would emerge as the
winner.
Now, the former executive director of the Swiss challenge
is in charge of AC Management, a new structure put
in place in order to manage the event side of the
America's Cup, including choosing the host city.
"The general idea was to separate the sports
Team (Alinghi) - which defends the Trophy - from the
commercial organisation (AC Management)", Michel
Bonnefous said. "After we won the trophy, I want
to create a modern and profitable event".
To do it, it's very simple : AC Management uses the
Alinghi's method and hires the best professionals
irrespective of nationality.
"Our mission is to recruit the best available
talent", Bonnefous explained. "We have recruit
several marketing specialist from UEFA (the Union
of European Football Associations) and from IOC (International
Olympic Committee), media and sponsoring Experts,
lawyers".
The ACM Team includes approximately twenty people
(80/100 during the event). Among them, former Louis
Vuitton Cup members Marcus Hutchinson and Dyer Jones
will be respectively "head of the media team"
and "regatta director".
It must be noticed that Michel Bonnefous have a lot
of work ahead of him. All competition aspects had
to be reviewed to allow AC Management to fulfil its
commitments for a new Cup.
Louis Vuitton was one of the first to realize it.
The French company has discovered the pleasure of
having competitors to organize the Challenger selection
Series.
"Louis Vuitton is an historical and logical partner
since twenty years but the cost is significantly higher
now", explained Michel Bonnefous. "We have
to take into account the new offers from some companies,
as Swiss watch maker, which are ready to pay to become
the new sponsor".
Nevertheless, one of ACM's main responsibilities is
to select the host site for the America's Cup. As
Palma has been dropped from the list, Naples, Marseille,
Valencia and Cascaïs remain ahead of the final
choice of venue in mid-December this year.
"The four remaining cities are worthy candidates",
Bonnefous said. "But since the end of August,
the creation time is over. The promises must be turned
into reality and the tone is more mercantile".
"It will be contract reality which choose the
venue", he added. "We can't decide until we have
confirmed commitments of investment offered by the
region, cities and government. So its taking time".
In spite of Chris Dickson has said that $100 million
is a "realistic" budget for 2007, a good field of
teams seems possible according to AC Management.
"We work narrowly with Oracle, the Larry Ellison's
syndicate and I disseminate information to serious
candidates", Michel Bonnefous said. "Ross
Blackman (Team New Zealand) was in my office last
week and yesterday I answered Paul Cayard".
