Louis Vuitton Cup - Americas Cup - Valencia 2007 Aktuelle Nachrichten www.americascup.com - Übersicht A-Cup Valencia, 24 February, 2007 Challenger of Record arrives in Valencia 'BMW ORACLE Racing‘s new race yacht, USA 98, arrives in Valencia' The Challenger of Record for the 32nd America’s Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing‘s new race yacht, USA-98, and support equipment arrived to Valencia today by Antonov cargo plane from Auckland, following conclusion of the team’s New Zealand winter training session. The shore team greeted the plane at the Valencia airport to unload two masts, two keel bulbs, sails, a chase boat and the new America’s Cup Class race yacht for trucking to the team base in the Port America’s Cup. Antonov liefert A-Cupper Foto: BMW Oracle Racing The focus is now on final preparations for the Louis Vuitton Cup, the Challenger Selection Series for the 32nd America’s Cup, starting here 16th of April. BMW ORACLE Racing will continue its sailing programme in Valencia starting in early March with USA-87 and USA-98. The New Zealand winter training session was deemed successful, paving the way for the final ramp-up to competition in Valencia. 'Our time in New Zealand exceeded our expectations on all fronts,' Chris Dickson, CEO and Skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing said. 'We sailed in a full range of conditions which gave us the chance to fully sea trial USA-98 with new rigs, sails and appendage packages. While it is still early days with USA-98, we are all pleased with the performance to date. Even more importantly, our in-house racing programme has the crew closer to being ready for the Louis Vuitton Cup now less than two months way,' Dickson said. In a two-part session in New Zealand, the team took advantage of the Southern Hemisphere summer conditions. The new America’s Cup Class yacht USA-98 was delivered by container ship in early January to New Zealand from its construction site in Anacortes, WA in the USA. The team selected New Zealand as a winter training base due to the existing marine infrastructure, the proximity to many of the team’s suppliers, the range of conditions and long summer days. With more than 50 percent of the team from New Zealand, many of the team had the opportunity to enjoy extended family visits before returning refreshed to Valencia for the competition. The 2007 racing season begins with Louis Vuitton Act 13 (fleet racing) on 3 of April. The Louis Vuitton Cup starts 16 of April. About BMW ORACLE Racing BMW ORACLE Racing is the Challenger of Record for the 32nd America’s Cup representing Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco, and the only American entry in the contest for sailing’s most prestigious prize and the oldest trophy in international sport. Team owner is American Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of Oracle. Partner of the team is German premium car manufacturer BMW. Sponsors include Allianz, leading global financial services provider; Girard-Perregaux, Swiss manufacturer of high-class mechanical timepieces; Henri Lloyd, Technology Partner and supplier of team clothing and Network Appliance, Inc. (NetApp), a world leader in unified storage solutions. The Louis Vuitton Cup, the Challenger Selection Series for the 32nd America’s Cup, starts 16 April in Valencia, Spain. Eleven teams from nine nations are vying for the right to Challenge for the America’s Cup. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will face the Swiss Defender Team Alinghi in the 32nd America’s Cup Match starting 23 June in Valencia. Website: www.bmworacleracing.com by Jo Gawith Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE