With the passing of the final entry deadline for the 32nd America’s Cup the lineup of challengers for the first defence to take place in Europe has been confirmed.

As the deadline of 1600 Friday 29 April approached, two new teams presented their entries to the defending yacht club, the Swiss Société Nautique de Genève (SNG).

The United Internet Team Germany (formerly known as 'Fresh 17'), representing the Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club, was accepted as the tenth Challenger. The sailing team is led by Danish skipper Jesper Bank, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and previous America's Cup skipper in 2002/2003 with Victory Challenge.

The eleventh challenge came from a new team – China Team – and arrived shortly before the deadline. It is now being evaluated by the SNG which says it will confirm the team’s status as a challenger as soon as possible. Founded in March 2005 as a joint venture between a Chinese venture capital firm and the French sports management company Le Defi, China Team by Le Defi is the first syndicate to fly the Chinese flag in the history of the America's Cup. It represents the Qingdao International Yacht Club. The syndicate says it will use the know-how developed by Le Defi during the two previous America's Cup events.

One team that did not make the final deadline was the much-hyped Sausalito Challenge. Co-founder, John Sweeney officially notified America’s Cup Management that it would be unable to make the deadline, saying that none of the companies with which the Challenge had been in discussions could commit in time to support the team’s entry.

"With 11 challengers representing nine countries, this is not just one of the biggest, but it is by far the most diverse America's Cup in history", said Michel Bonnefous, CEO of the event organizer. "We have three countries participating for the first time – South Africa, Germany and China, and five continents are represented, reinforcing the global appeal of the America's Cup".

"This is exactly what we wanted for the first America's Cup in Europe. It is very gratifying to see the hard work that the teams and organisers have put in come to fruition".

While organisers will be pleased with the number of challengers, America’s Cup fans will be disappointed that three of the leading sailors in America’s Cup history will be missing from the next event.

Russell Coutts and Paul Cayard have been sidelined by legal maneuverings while America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner has found it impossible to raise funds in America, where corporate sponsors have declined to get into a spending battle with the Larry Ellison backed BMW Oracle Racing.

All of the challengers, along with the Defender, Team Alinghi, will race in 10 “Louis Vuitton Acts” leading up to the main events in 2007. The Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 4 & 5 will open the 2005 season with racing beginning on 16 June in Valencia, the host city of the 32nd America's Cup.