During the three-day session
in Valencia, AC Management has been in discussions
with 18 America’s Cup Teams, representing nine countries.
The "officials" first :
-
Alinghi
(SUI), defender ;
-
Oracle BMW Racing (USA),
challenger of Record ;
-
Clan des Team (ITA),
the first to join Oracle in challenging.
Several "prospective" challengers :
-
Team New
Zealand (NZL), which are close to their budget,
with a Middle East airline tipped as title sponsor
;
-
three French (le Défi,
K-Challenge et Team France) ;
-
four others Italians
(Luna Rossa Challenge, Mascalzone Latino, Toscana
Challenge and a new Italia Challenge represented
by Paolo Scutellaro and its skipper Paolo Cian)
;
-
GBR Challenge
(GBR) ;
-
El Reto Challenge (ESP)
;
-
Victory Challenge (SWE)
;
-
Ozboyz
Challenge (AUS).
Three teams remain to be disclosed and four were
not there (three groups which stayed away to remain
incognito - from south-east Asia, Germany/Poland and
the United States - and the recently unveiled South
Africans).
