| Eight Cities contenders to host 32nd America's Cup |
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Eight cities have been asked for additional information with a view to hosting the 32nd America's Cup : Barcelona, Lisbon, Marseille, Naples, Palma de Mallorca, Sardinia - Porto-Cervo, Tuscany - Elba, and Valencia. On 2 March 2003, the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), represented by the Alinghi Team, won the 31st America's Cup from Team New Zealand. On the same day, the SNG and the Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle BMW Racing, signed a Protocol governing the 32nd America's Cup. Under the terms of this Protocol, AC Management Ltd will assist the SNG with the organisation of the event. One of its responsibilities is to select the host site for the America's Cup. To ensure the success of this process, ACM has brought in experts specialised in the organisation of sporting events on an international scale. To date, more than sixty sites from around the world have expressed their interest. The person in charge of the selection process, Michel Bonnefous, explains: 'We have identified eight sites and sent them a request for additional technical information, especially concerning meteorology, facilities and infrastructure. This document will enable us to standardise the information at our disposal and provide input for our discussions concerning the appointment, in the month of May, of four candidate sites for hosting the 32nd America's Cup.' These four sites will then have to provide a complete application dossier. The choice of the site will be communicated before 15 December 2003. As Michel Bonnefous explains: 'After having carried off the America's Cup, we are getting ready for a new challenge. For the first time, the America's Cup will take place in Europe. This is the beginning of a great adventure and I am happy to be building the foundations of this historic event.'
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