The Louis Vuitton Cup 2002/03

Der The Louis Vuitton Cup 2002/03

USA-76 verlor das Finale des LVC 2002/03

SUI-64 gewann das LVC Finale und auch den AC2003

Syndicate/Team Alinghi America's Cup 2003 BMW Oracle OneWorld Challenge Prada Challenge Victory Challenge GBR Cballenge Team Dennis Conner Le Defi Areva Mascalzone Latino

Skipper Russell Coutts John Cutler, Peter Holmberg Peter Gilmour Francesco de Angelis Magnus Holmberg lan Walker Ken Read Pierre Mas Paolo Cian

Yacht Alinghi BMW Oracle OneWorld Luna Rossa Örn, Orm, W. Lightning,W. Magic, Stars & Stripes Le Defi Mascalzone Latino

Sail # SUI 64 and 75 USA-76, 71 USA-67, 65 ITA-74, ,80 SWE-63,-73 GBR 70 ,78 USA-66 ,77 FRA-79 ITA-72

Yacht Club Societe Nautique de Geneve Golden Gate YC Seattle Yacht Club YC Punta Ala Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap Royal Ocean Racing Club New York YC Union Nationale p Reale YC Canottieri Savoia

LVC 2002/03 all 9 challengers and their ranking after RR2

Quarterfinals Quarterfinals Repechage Semifinal Semifinal repechage A Alinghi Prada OneWorld Team Dennis Conner Alinghi Oracle BMW Oracle BMW OneWorld B Oracle OneWorld Prada Victory Cahllenge OneWorld Prada C Victory Le Defi D GBR Ch. Team D.Conner Alinghi Oracle BMW

Final

For the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC)2002/2003 the rule has been changed. The goal was that strong team must not sail for the win in countless races to compete then as the winner -exhausted in men and material - against a rested defender. First, the teams sail against each other in 2 Round Robins (RR) for points. From the quarter-finals onwards 2 teams each sail in 7 races (best of seven) in the k.o. System against each other The 8 challengers in the quarter-finals were divided into 2 groups, which were called for better understanding "Blue A, Blue B" and " Blue C and Blue D". The 4 best teams (with the most points after the 2nd RR) came into the Blue Groups A, B, Should they be defeated in a k.o. Round they have the chance for a win in a Repêchage Round and to continue the LVC. The remaining 4 weaker teams came into the Blue Group C, D. Under certain conditions, the 4 strongest syndicates can choose their opponents (also from Blue C, D) or skip a regatta. A limited possibility has the 5th strongest team as well. A second Repêchage Round was also established after the semifinals.

For the Louis Vuitton Cup (LVC)2002/2003 the rule has been changed.

Yacht / Country: Oracle-BMW / USA Sailnumber: USA-76 and USA-71 Syndicate/Team: Oracle-BMW Racing CEO: Larry Ellison Yacht Club: Golden Gate Yacht Club Design: Farr Yacht Design Boat Builder: Smyth and Gillies Skipper: John Cutler, Peter Holmberg

Larry Ellison owns the business software company Oracle. He is one of the richest men in the world and a passionate and successful sailor in the Maxi-Class. The LVC is his first challenge for the America's Cup with the stated goal to win it. The team acquired from Abracadabra both yachts for training but faced many troubles when the boats capsized 2 times after the loss the keels. Once they have been dis- masted. The 2 new yachts USA-71 and USA-76 were extremely narrow, which initially was asked how they might behave in the stormy Hauraki Gulf. For the crew the team collected members from 7 different syndicates. Oracle BMW eliminated with Chris Dickson on the wheel in the semifinals OneWorld and reached the final which they lost against SUI-64.

USA-76 Oracle BMW lost the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

Larry Ellison owns the business software company Oracle. He is one of the richest men in the world and a passionate and successful sailor in the Maxi - Class.

Yacht / Country: OneWorld / USA Sailnumber: USA-65 and USA-67 Syndicate/Team: OneWorld Challenge CEO: Craig McCaw Yacht Club: Seattle Yacht Club Design: Laurie Davidson,Bruce Nelson, Phil Kaiko Boat Builder: One World Challenge Skipper: Peter Gilmour

Craig McCaw is considered a pioneer of the U.S. mobile phone and acquired his wealth through company start-ups and mergers in this industry. Through his large donation to the election campaign of George W. Bush, his wife Susan McCaw became 2006 and 2007, U.S. Ambassador to Austria. OneWorld Challenge (OWC) was devoted to environmental protection. The syndicate was financially well-supplied and poached from Team New Zealand their design team, including the chief designer Laurie Davidson. They also took some crew members from them. The team designed with USA-65 and USA-67 two outstanding yachts. For the sailing crew OWC recruited the best people, the sailors team was strong. OneWorld counted alongside Oracle to the favourites for the LVC and the AC. OWC took over from the New Zealanders also a lawyer -an expert on the AC rules. .

When it became known that he offered technical documentation from both teams to competitors, OWC opened a million lawsuit against him. Since it was claimed that OWC possess technical information from TNZL as well, the team reported a self-display in the America's Cup Arbitration Panel (arbitration for disputes arising from the AC). Dennis Conner and Prada tried to throw OWC for breach of the cup rules from the LVC. TNZ as the main victim held back. Laurie Davidson explained that he has the technical documentation in his mind only. The ACAP condemned the syndicate to a penalty of $ 65,000, - and penalized OWC for a reduction of 1 point before each round of the remaining LVC. The Arbitration Panel determind that a member of OWCs designer team had both on a computer and a ZIP-disk technical documents that are owned by TNZ. OWC had managed to continue the LVC.

USA-65 OneWorld lost the Final's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

OneWorld counted alongside Oracle to the favorites for the LVC and the AC.

Yacht / Country: Luna Rossa, / Italy Sailnumber: ITA-74 and ITA-80 Syndicate/Team: Prada Challenge CEO: Patrizio Bertelli Yacht Club: Yacht Club Punta Ala Design: Doug Peterson, German Frers Jr. Boat Builder: Prada Green Marine Skipper: Francesco de Angelis

Prada won the LVC 2000 with ITA-45, but had no chance to win the America's Cup against the supper boat NZL-60. In the LVC 2003 Prada became Challenger of Record. Great attention of the medias raised the dispute on the bow section between Bertelli and the chief designer Doug Peterson (Designer of the 1992 champion USA-23) While all teams had adopted the double-kink- bow of the AC winner NZL-60, Peterson designed a spoon bow. The result was that the designer left Prada. The the bow section has been cut off and replaced by different models 3 times between the last LVC Rounds. The leading boat builder Sean Regan explained in an Interview with "Yachting World" step by step how to remove and replace a bow by another. It also contains the important message for any craftsman, "to measure 2 x before to use the jigsaw."

• Prada won the Repechage Round of the semifinals against OneWorld Challenge but missed the final.

Luna Rossa ITA-80 lost the Semifinal's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

Great attention of the medias raised the dispute on the bow section between Bertelli and the chief designer Doug Peterson

Yacht / Country: Örn, SW-63 Orm,(”Snake” SW-73 / Sweden Sailnumber: SWE 63 (Örn=”Eagle”) Syndicate/Team: Victory Challenge CEO: Mats Johansson Yacht Club: Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap Design: German Frers jr Boat Builder: Chris Mellow Skipper: Magnus Holmberg

This was Sweden's second Participation since 1992. The Promoter was the charismatic businessman Jan Stenbeck, owner of TV2, TV3 and Europe's first free newspaper "Metro". Through smart acquisition, he acquired NZL- 38, sister ship of the AC-winner of 1995. The boat was carefully overhauled and renamed "Christiana" From Prada he won the designer German (Mani) Frers, successful son of the iconic designer German Frers (senior). The SWE-63 is often referred to as a NZL-60 derivative. The crew had no Cup veterans but recruted the best sailors of Scandinavia. Shortly after the christening of SWE-73 and 6 weeks before the start of the LVC Stenbek died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The challenge has been continued by the team in his honour. The team avoided the mistakes of 1992 and trained the longest time in the Hauraki Gulf. It was a talented and well organized crew.

Nevertheless, Victory Challenge lost in the last race against Prada the Repechage Round of the quarterfinales. Örn (Eagle) SW-63 / Sweden lost the Quarterfinal's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton CÖrn (Eagle) SW-73 / Sweden lost the Quarterfinal's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003up 2003

Örn (Eagle) SW-63 / Sweden lost the Quarterfinal's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

This was Sweden's second participation since 1992. The Promoter was the charismatic businessman Jan Stenbec

Yacht / Country: Örn, SW-63 Orm, SW-73 / Sweden Sailnumber: SWE 63 and 73 Syndicate/Team: Victory Challenge CEO: Mats Johansson Yacht Club: Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap Design: German Frers jr Boat Builder: Chris Mellow Skipper: Magnus Holmberg

/ Sweden

The figure shows the second SWE-73 yacht Orm (= snake) with the "Mjölnir" (Thor's Hammer) on the bow. This War hammer known from Germanic mythology thunder god Thor will be thrown and never misses his target. But it can also be thrown by anyone except Thor.

Victory Challenge

Victory Challenge SWE 73 Challenger of the LVC2003

The figure shows the second SWE-73 yacht Orm (= snake) with the "Mjolnir" (Thor's Hammer)

Yacht / Country: Wight Lightning, GBR 70* Wight Magic, GBR 78* Sailnumber: GBR 70 and 78 Syndicate/Team: GBR Cballenge / Great Britain CEO: Peter Harrison Yacht Club: Royal Ocean Racing Club Design: Derek Clark Boat Builder: Jason Akers, B. Linton Skipper: lan Walker

The British computer entrepreneur Peter Harrison, who was also known for his generous endowments for handicapped and underprivileged children, led the first British challenge since 1987 (White Crusader). Given the lack of experience, he bought from Nippon Challenge, immediately after their announcement, not to participate in the Cup, as he said, "as start kit" the yachts JPN-44 and JPN-52. The Japanese shipped in the containers unexpectedly over-complete accessories, such as tools, sports equipment etc. Harrison employed additionally the designers Akahiro Kanai and Taro Takahashi. The British designer Derek Clark was among the small group who had created the IACC formula around 1990 and the designer of Blue Arrow (s. AC 1988.) A striking feature of the two new constructions GBR-70 and GBR-78 were the stern parts covered by a deck with a small cockpit. In this cockpit the crew placed a plastic garden chair for Harrison, if he was as a guest and 17th crew member on board.

GBR-78 received a tandem keel, which was supposedly similar to the NZL-20/1992. There have been never photos published. GBR-78 was not used in the LVC. The team lost in the quarter-finals of the repêchage against Team Dennis Conner and had to leave the LVC..

Wight Lightning, GBR-70 challenger of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

The British computer entrepreneur Peter Harrison,led the first British challenge since 1987

GBR Challenge : GBR-52 ist die von Nippon Challenge gekaufte JPN-52. GBR-78 zeigt das Boot mit dem Tandemkiel, von dem leider nie Fotos veröffentlicht wurden.

GBR-52 the former JPN-52 purchased from Nippon Challenge GBR-78 /GB is the boat with the tandem keel, photos of which were unfortunately never published

Yacht / Country: Stars & Stripes / USA Sailnumber: USA-66 and USA-77 Syndicate/Team: Team Dennis Conner CEO: Dennis Conner Yacht Club: New York Yacht Club Design: Reichel-Pugh Boat Builder: New England Boatworks Skipper: Ken Read

This LVC was Mr. America's Cup (other variants: Big Bad Dennis) ninth but last participation. 4 times he won the AC (1974, 1980, 1987 and 1988) and 2 times he lost it (1983 and 1995). The billionaires pay a participitation in the AC more or less out of the petty cash, but for Conner it is a tough business to raise funds and sponsors. This cup was particularly difficult to motivate sponsors, which some attributed to the cautious attitude after the 9/11 attack. Conner managed anyway to win with Reichel Plug famous designers and with Ken Read a top skipper. The team trained for cost reasons only a short time in New Zealand. The main boat USA-77 sank in 50 feet deep waters after the rudder broke, damaging the surrounding hull segment. The yacht has been raised and repaired immediately. Critics then classified it as worthless, as the ton heavy boat must have structure damages after it clashed to the sea ground. Ironically the team, that intervened most violently at the Arbitration Panel to eliminate OneWorld Challenge

immediately from the LVC, was thrown out by OWC in the last race of the Quarter-finals Repêchage Round.

USA-77 Stars & Stripes lost the Quarterfinal's Repechage Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

The main boat USA-77 sank in 50 feet deep waters after the rudder broke, damaging the surounding hull segment.

Yacht / Country: Le Defi / France Sailnumber: FRA-79 Syndicate/Team: Le Defi Areva CEO: Xavier de Lesquen Yacht Club: Union Nationale pour la Course au Large Design: Yaka Design Team Boat Builder: Multiplast Skipper: Pierre Mas

After the AC 2000, this was the second participation of the team and the 10th participation of a French yacht club on the America's Cup. As so often, the French had little money and funded the first few months of the remaining budget of 2000. The sponsorship agreement with AREVA, one of the world's largest civilian nuclear group, secured the participation in Auckland. But brought the nuclear opponents to the plan. Especially the Greenpeace group in New Zealand was because of the "Rainbow Warrior" affair extremely sensitized. Before the “Rainbow” was to leave as the flagship of a peace fleet to prevent the French nuclear tests on the Mururoa atoll, it was blown up in Auckland Harbour. The ship sank and a photographer was killed. Very soon it became justified that the French Intelligence Service was involved in this blast. On the first sailing day of FRA-69 Greenpeace activists drove a motorboat to the yacht, which was damaged and had to be repaired for 2 weeks. But before the friendly team successfully acquired the victory yacht from 1995 NZL-32, (which supposedly also Russel Coutts wanted for Alinghi) as a training boat.

They soon abandoned the plans to train with FRA-46 as well and stripped its gear for the new FRA-79. Le Defi shared the fate of many low-budget syndicates. The team arrived late in Auckland, had too little time to train there. It was eliminated in the final round of the quarter-finals by Victory Challenge.

FRA-79 Le Defi / France reached the Quarterfinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup 2003

After the AC 2000 this was the second participation of the team and the 10th participation of a French yacht club

AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013

* in their elder, but now changed website the San Diego Boat Movers commented this picture as: Pictured at the Port of Oakland CA, this ORACLE BMW 2003 challenger is ready to be shipped to Auckland, NZ. Once again, all U.S. entries were eliminated in the Louis Vuitton challenger series. Vuitton Cup winner 'ALINGHI' then defeated TEAM NEW ZEALAND, claiming the America's Cup for Switzerland. Later, in Fall of 2003, 'ALINGHI' and 'ORACLE BMW' held a match race in San Francisco Bay. Following the race, we transported the entire ALINGHI compound (boat, masts, chase boats and equipment; 10 truckloads) from Oakland, California to Newport, Rhode Island. Swiss Team ALINGHI, from a land-locked country, announced they will defend the America's Cup in Valencia, Spain, in 2007.