By Susan Kruller
SYC America's Cup Editor

The America's Cup Trophy On World Tour

The America's Cup trophy has gone on display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday on the first leg of a world tour, Alinghi said on its Web site. The silver trophy has been on display in central Geneva since March 8, when 40,000 people turned out to give the multinational crew a heros' welcome on their return from Auckland, New Zealand.

The trophy will also be displayed in the Swiss cities of Lugano, Zurich, Lucerne and capital Berne, Alinghi spokesman Bernard Schopfer told Reuters. "After the Swiss tour, it will go on a world tour, with stops in Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York and London," Schopfer said.

The cup is due to return for permanent display at the Societe Nautique de Geneve, situated on the shore of Lake Geneva, with a view of the Jet d'Eau (the water spout) and Geneva harbour, the Societe organizes many regattas, including the famous 'Bol d'Or' with an annual entry of more than 500.

The club was established in 1872 and now has more than 3000 members. But unlike typical yacht clubs, the Societe Nautique has four divisions - rowing, water skiing, yachting and "light yachting", which is the term they use for the smaller classes such as the 49er and 470s. Bertarelli has been a member of the club since 1982, and this is the link between the club and Alinghi.

To The Victors Go The Spoils
Russell Coutts and Ernesto Bertarelli Celebrate

Alinghi Takes XXXI America's Cup In 5-0 Series
Golden Gate Yacht Club Nominated As Challenger Of Record

The Swiss syndicate is the new defender of the America's Cup! In a first for Cup history, a first-time challenger has won the Auld Mug. It is also the first time in 151 years that the Cup returns to Europe. Alinghi Skipper Russell Coutts has captured his third consecutive America's Cup and broken Dennis Conner's record for America's Cup race victories(14). Coutts has also now equalled the legendary Charlie Barr and Harold Vanderbilt by winning three consecutive America's Cups.

Team New Zealand relinquished its defender status on the three-year anniversary of Team New Zealand's successful defense of the America's Cup. They dominated Prada Challenge 5-0 in the 30th Cup Match. It was also the anniversary of TNZ Skipper Dean Barker's first race for the America's Cup.

A bitter-sweet story as Dean Barker, his crew, the shore team and a whole nation of supporters had hoped Race 5 would spark a historic comeback story. It was not to be.

Full Alinghi Team With The Cup

America's Cup Results

Final Score:

Alinghi 5 points vs. Team New Zealand 0 points.

To read accounts of individual races, select from the following:

AC Race One, AC Race Two, AC Race Three, AC Race Four, AC Race Five

Next Up - America's Cup XXXII (most likely in 2007):

Alinghi, representing Switzerland's Societe Nautique de Geneve, has won the 31st America's Cup and the opportunity to take the Auld Mug back to Europe for the first time since 1851. The Swiss team will defend the trophy at a time and place of its choosing. The Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG), Commodore Pierre-Yves Firmenich received a formal challenge for the next America's Cup from the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) of San Francisco. Some general details of the next America's Cup, the 32nd, will be issued within days of the final race.

To read more about this subject, select from the following:

Alinghi Nominates Challenger Of Record - for details on the nomination.

AC Management "Regatta Director" Named

Bryan Willis of Great Britain has been hired by ACM (America's Cup Management -- the newly created, independent organizing authority for the next America's Cup) as the first ever AC "Regatta Director."

Willis will be in charge of all aspects of the racing, drafting of the rules, overseeing the umpires, race committee, and measurers, and generally ensuring that the entire event (both the challenger series and AC match) is fair and even-handed.

In theory this will eliminate much of the "home court advantage" that past defenders have enjoyed and, to varying degrees, exploited.

Willis is not new to the Cup scene. He was chairman of the jury for the last two Cups, and received generally high marks in that role. His appointment required the agreement of both Alinghi and Oracle as Challenger of Record.

Alinghi and Oracle have promised via the Protocol that all rules and regulations governing the next Cup will be published by December 15, 2003. - Source: cupineurope.com (citing SailingAnarchy.com as source).

AC Venue Announced

November 25, 2003 - Geneva, Switzerland - Pierre-Yves Firmenich, the Commodore of the Societe Nautique de Geneve, ended the suspense that has been building over the past nine months by revealing the identity of the Host City of the 32nd America?s Cup.

To a long ovation, Firmenich revealed Valencia, Spain would play host to the 32nd America's Cup.

Michel Bonnefous explained the main consideration in making the decision was to find a venue with consistent weather conditions to ensure the racing proceeds as scheduled.

"The wind conditions in Valencia are very, very good for what we want to do," Bonnefous said. "The wind is very reliable, very steady. America's Cup Management announced a short list of four venue finalists on September 5. Since June, this unique search for a European venue suited to hosting an event as important as the America's Cup has required extensive studies, on-site visits and a round of presentation to AC Management from five cities.

The short list included the four following venues, in alphabetical order, Lisbon (POR), Marseille (FRA), Naples (ITA), Valencia (ESP).

As defined in the America's Cup Protocol, the final selection announcement had to be made on or before December 15, 2003.

SUI-64 and NZL-82 Crossing

Short Facts & Tidbits

The two remarkable yachtsmen, whose contributions to the America's Cup competition have been outstanding over the years, will be honored at an official Induction Ceremony on Thursday, October 16, 6:30 p.m., at the Union League Club in New York City.

***Spithill On Next AC - Spithill says that he is no longer under contract to OneWorld and whether they go again remains to be seen but will depend upon the final choice of venue. He doesn't have an opinion about the best choice of those shortlisted by Alinghi. "To be honest, I haven't been to most of the places that have been mentioned. I would obviously like to see it go to a place where they have got good facilities and consistent breeze. It would be really good for the spectators if they could have some sort of viaduct set-up so that everyone can see. It would be a nice town that enjoys sailing so we can have some good racing. You've got to have some kind of set-up for the guys with the superyachts, because it is great having all them down there. That encourages them to get involved and it makes the event even bigger."

Now 24, Spithill already has the experience of driving in two America's Cups under his belt and there is presumably the prospect for many, many more to come. "We're pretty interested in being involved with the Cup again and a few teams have approached us," he says of his Cup plans going ahead. - Source: www.thedailysail.com

***Monk Goes To Oracle - (June 27, 2003) Kiwi Craig Monk announced that he has signed with his country fellowman Gavin Brady with the Oracle BMW Racing syndicate's venture towards the America's Cup 2007. Monk, who was grinder for OneWorld in the last cup, was a large part of both the successful 1995 challenge and the successful 2000 defense. - Source: www.cupineurope.com

***OneWorld Wins Nations Cup - June 22, 2003 - Twenty three year old Australian sailor and two times America's Cup helmsman James Spithill led his OneWorld team to a comprehensive 2-nil win over team Alinghi, skippered by triple Olympic gold medallist Jochen Schumann in the final round of the 2003 La Sfida Nations Cup sailed at Yacht Club Adriaco, Trieste, Italy overnight Sydney time.

In the first race, sailed with a nice wind of about 10 knots, Spithill won the start and inflicted a penalty on Alinghi, remaining in an advantage for the entire race winning with a minute and 30 seconds.

In the second match of the day, yet another great start for the American team of OneWorld. The Swiss were, however, able to surpass them and held an advantage of 12 seconds at the first mark. In the next leg, the Swiss team made an error and lost their gennaker in the water. The Americans were able to take advantage of this error and take the lead, thus winning the race with 18 seconds. It wasn't possible to race the final races between the third and fourth place, due t o lack of wind.

The ISAF Grade 2 match race invitational event is open to Americas Cup sailors only and featured six teams from AC2003. The winners circle is becoming familiar territory for Spithill who has added his name to an elite list of America's Cup skippers who have won this event; Russell Coutts (2000), Paul Cayard (2001) and Dean Barker (2002). - Source: www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=10116 AND www.tuttatrieste.it

***No Skirts and A Tight AC Schedule - New rules will do away with security skirts that for the last 20 years have hidden the underbodies of competing boats from view during the racing season, denying spectators a chance to see who had what under the water.

Also, the America's Cup management board under Bonnefous will chop racing from five months to two or two and a half.

The 2007 Cup will be preceded by a pre-event at the venue in 2006 to establish seedings for challenger eliminations. Once racing gets started the following year, said Bonnefous, it will run almost continuously with only a few short breaks. - Source: www.washingtonpost.com

***Virtual Break Up*** - August 20, 2003 - Computer graphics companies Virtual Spectator and Animation Research have ended their uneasy pact and are now expected to go head-to-head competing for sports graphics contracts, particularly deals around the next America's Cup. Click Here to read more of this story. - Source: www.nzherald.co.nz/business

***Alinghi's Campaign Plans - Alinghi representatives Brad Butterworth and Josh Belsky did shed a little light on the team?s plans for the next few years and some of the changes the Swiss syndicate is looking to institute for the 32nd America?s Cup.

First on Alinghi's agenda is what Belsky, a native of nearby Rye, N.Y., called a "reenactment" of last February?s Louis Vuitton Final. The event is slated for San Francisco in the middle of September and will feature USA-76 and SUI-64 match-racing on the City Front. Belsky said the main focus will be an exclusive battle between Alinghi and Oracle/BMW Racing (The Challenge Series). It is the only competition Alinghi will be sailing with their Class America boat until the end of this year.

Most of the Swiss syndicate?s sailing team has been retained, under the continued direction of Jochen Sch? and Belsky said the sailing crew Alinghi brings to San Francisco will be nearly identical to the team that won the Cup in March. Click Here to read more of this story. Source: www.sailingworld.com

***Top Honors - Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, awarded the Chevalier de la Leon d'Honneur to Ernesto Bertarelli, the head of the Alinghi Team, for the results obtained by the Swiss team in the 31st America's Cup. Created by decree by Napoleon Bonaparte on the 19 May 1802, the highest national honor today rewards both French persons and foreigners for "outstanding merit".

***Cup Victory Stamp - The Swiss Post printed a commemorative stamp to mark the historic win by Alinghi in yachting's America's Cup.

The stamp has been produced in recognition of the sporting and technological achievement of the Swiss team in winning the America's Cup on their first attempt. The Alinghi stamp went on sale on March 7. - Source: www.edition.cnn.com

***No Brainer! - The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron committee voted unanimously to retain Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth as members. Life member John Street had asked that they be expelled for joining Swiss syndicate Alinghi. - Source: www.nzherald.com

***Crystal Ball - To stay current on the syndicates as they announce their intentions for the next America's Cup, read the Syndicate Plans article on this site. See details on what's happening with OneWorld Challenge, Team New Zealand, GBR, K-Challenge and more. This page will be updated with current declarations, press statements, and comments from syndicates as they either renew their zeal to race, retire or start a new challenge.