Key members of the Swiss Alinghi team have offered to help South Africa's America's Cup sailing team in their maiden bid for the Cup. The generous offer was made to SA America's Cup skipper Geoff Meek while competing in the high profile Antigua Race Week in the Caribbean last week.

Meek was racing on a new 78 foot hi-tech carbon fibre Cape Town-built yacht, All Smoke, helmed by Jochen Schuemann, a helmsman and strategist on Alinghi. Against them in the same class was Alinghi tactician, Brad Butterworth, on the 86 foot Swan, Asperation.

"We had a very fruitful meeting with them and discussed a range of issues relating to the America's Cup", said Meek on his return to Cape Town yesterday. "Their offer of assistance is a big thing and way more valuable coming from them than any other America's Cup syndicate. It is certainly something that will be good to nurture."

"I have never sailed with Schuemann before but have raced against him many times", said Meek who was on the mainsheet for the event. "It was good to see how he sets up before starts, how he co-ordinates the team and manages the crew."

"Perhaps one of the main differences between the Alinghi team and ours is that every single crew member is so good in his own right that they are able to keep the management relatively simple as everyone is so self motivated. It was particularly useful to hear their views and philosophy on self motivation and team management and I'm sure we will be able to put a lot of it into practice here."

It's interesting to note that some of the South Africa's team members were competed at the Antigua Race Week.

Marc Lagesse, who was responsible for all the electronic installations on All Smoke, will have the same job on the SA America's Cup yachts.

South African-based Hasso Plattner's new Morning Glory , a Z 86 Class, won its class with two South African professional sailors on board - Mike Joubert and Davey "Zulu" Smith.

Joubert who has Volvo Round the Wolrd race commitments is already one of the designated international South African yachtsman who will join the Shosholoza crew for certain periods.

However Davey Smith was so intrigued by the Shosholoza Challenge that he put all his other plans on hold and flew back to South Africa with Meek and Lagesse. He is currently on trial for a place in the Shosholoza sailing team.