SWE 96 on the way to Valencia

Press Release

8 January 2007

SWE 96 on the way to Valencia

SWE 96 is on the way to Valencia for the 32nd America’s Cup. The new boat that Victory Challenge has built to take part in the world’s most prestigious sailing competition left, according to plan, the shipyard in Göteborg at 10:45 this morning. Transportation to Spain will be done on a lorry.

“For SWE 96 it is the most effective method of transport, both as regards time and cost,” says Sam Murch, shore manager.

When SWE 63, which was built for Auckland in 2002-2003 and was used in most of the pre-regattas of the 32nd America’s Cup, was transported to Valencia at the start of Victory Challenge’s efforts it was done by boat.

“Road transport is faster,” says Sam Murch.

The next destination for SWE 96 is Trelleborg, from where it will travel by ferry to Travemünde in Germany on then onwards to Valencia.

Once arrived at Victory Challenge’s base in the host city of the 32nd America’s Cup, SWE 96 will be equipped with winches, hydraulics and electronics. The hull will be decorated with Red Bull. The keel and rigging will be mounted.

Only after that will she be ready to put in the water.

Transport is taking place, as planned, six days after Victory Challenge held an open evening at the shipyard in Göteborg for their partners, along with the boatbuilders and their families, and the Swedish sailors that have celebrated Christmas and New Year at home. The members of GKKS, Göteborgs Kungliga Segel Sällskap (the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club), were also invited.

“A big day for our challenge,” said Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman, on that evening.

He, and the other members of the sailing team, have been in Dubai since Wednesday evening, for winter training using the boats that were built for Auckland. Sailing opportunities are limited in January in Valencia. By relocating to Dubai, where the wind conditions right now are identical to those in Valencia later in the spring, Victory Challenge are counting on a much higher amount of high quality sailing training.

At the same time as SWE 96 left Göteborg today, Magnus Holmberg, second helmsman Mattias Rahm and their crews set out on the water off Dubai with Örn (SWE 63) and Orm (SWE 73) for the fifth day of training in a row (of five possible).

SWE 96, which is now on the way to Valencia, is the result of more than 25,000 man hours of work.

“Impressive, you have to have respect for the skill that has been put into building this boat. It is both an advanced and an extreme boat, if you compare it to the two boats that we built for the America’s Cup in Auckland. It is unbelievable, so much has happened just in one generation of this boat class,” was Magnus Holmberg’s comment at the open evening.

The boatbuilding has been led by Killian Bushe, who built the winning boats in the last two Volvo Ocean Races, for German Illbruk in 2000-2001 and for ABN AMRO in 2005-2006.

Now he has had 25 boatbuilders at his disposal for the building of SWE 96, which will be Victory Challenge’s boat for the decisive stages of the 32nd America’s Cup.

There are less than three months remaining to the final pre-regatta, the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13, and just over three months until the Louis Vuitton Cup, in which the eleven challengers will finally decide who gets to be the Challenger that can meet the Defender, Alinghi, in the America’s Cup Match.

SWE 96 has, like SWE 63 and SWE 73, been designed by Mani Frers (now alongside his father, German Frers).

Victory Challenge’s main partners for the 32nd America’s Cup are Tele2, Red Bull and MTG. Metro, Viasat and Bet24 are media partners. Sail Racing, LIROS Yacht Ropes, Rutgerson Marin, Pergo and OM Pimespo Ibercarretillas are official suppliers. Team suppliers are Sebago, Oakley, Fitness First in Valencia and Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm.

ENDS

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