Team Germany has announced that Karol Jablonski will skipper the German boat in the next edition of the Cup.

Jablonski, who steered Desafío Español 2007 into the Semi Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, is among the top five on the World Match Race ranking and was the Match Race World Champion in 2001.

United Internet Team Germany has been busy this week. Earlier, it announced it was building GER 101, in order to be ready to prepare for the next Cup.

"It is a success for us (to have) Karol Jablonski on our team," said Michael Scheeren, the syndicate head of United Internet Team Germany. "His outstanding skills as a sailor…and the fact that Germany has been home for him for many years makes him the ideal person for this position in our team. With him we will be able to work out a promising concept and a strong team for another German participation in the America’s Cup."

"I’m really looking forward to this new challenge. I’m very optimistic that we can build a competitive team and I accept the challenge of the 33rd America’s Cup," said Jablonski after signing a contract in the German House in Valencia, the base of the United Internet Team Germany. Jablonski