Pedro Campos holds court

by Courtesy Cup in Europe on 1 Mar 2004 (sources : Marca.com & Las Provincias)

Former leader of the three Spanish campaigns in the America's Cup (in 1992, 1995 and 2000) Pedro Campos held a press conference on Thursday in Valencia, officially devoted to his participation in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005.

Those who hoped that this competition moves him away from the new 'El Reto' were undoubtedly disappointed. The spanish skipper always suffers from the Cup virus.

‘I will take part in the America's Cup only with a significant role because I went there three times and I won 22 matches’, he said (forgetting that he was deposed as skipper of the Bravo España boat by the brothers Doreste during the 2000 America's Cup).

‘Between the World Cup [ie. the Volvo Ocean Race] and the America's Cup, there will be two years and it is not very long’, added Pedro Campos, whose plan seems to be very similar to the Illbrück Challenge concept.

‘The two complementary projects could mutually benefit from each other’, he said. ‘We could include the infrastructure for the World Cup in our preparation for the America's Cup’.

‘The level established by Alinghi is so high that those who want to keep up with them have to give a lot’, the Spanish skipper explained. ‘The money is as important as the delivery’.

‘I believe that to win the America's Cup it is not only necessary to invest about 60 or 100 million euro, but it is necessary to invest it now’, Pedro Campos concluded before stressing that the apparent difficulties of the new ‘El Reto’ doesn’t surprise him.

‘What would have really surprised me is if they have already finalized their budgets. My three participations cost me blood, sweat and tears ‘.

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