South Africa chases America's Cup dream

by South Africa's Argus newspaper on 8 Mar 2004 South Africa, led by Cape Town, is to mount a challenge for the 153-year-old America's Cup, the most prestigious yachting event in the world.

Taking part in the 2007 America's Cup would lead to tremendous spin-offs for tourism, focusing the eyes of the world on this country, particularly Cape Town.

Winning would give South Africa - already a force to be reckoned with in deep-sea competitive sailing - the chance to host the event in 2011.

A local syndicate has already bought a yacht, the Luna Rossa, from Prada, the Italian challenger in previous races, which will be the training vessel for the South African crew. She arrives in Cape Town today and will be berthed at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront for the next three years.

Big guns, like minister of sport Ngconde Balfour, have already put their weight firmly behind the project and experts from Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town and Denel will help develop what will hopefully be the fastest and most sophisticated maritime racing machine in the world.

Held every four years, the America's Cup is regarded as the most esteemed sporting event of modern times. It attracts the most technologically advanced nations and some of the richest people in the world in what has become the fiercest of competitions for the world's oldest and most prestigious trophy.

In 2007, the America's Cup will be defended in Europe for the first time in 153 years, following the Swiss defeat of New Zealand in 2003.

The campaign will involve the local design and building of two highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art, 25-metre America's Cup racing yachts, to be named Shosholoza; a three-month seeding regatta series in Europe in 2005; sail training and sea trials for the new Shosholoza yachts off Spain in 2006; and the Louis Vuitton elimination regatta in Valencia in 2007 which will decide the new challenger to contest the Swiss for the cup.

The two yachts will be built in Cape Town. The first will be subjected to every test and nuance of the seas and the design will be adjusted, again and again. Once perfection has been achieved, the second, and ultimate, Shosholoza will be built.

If South Africa wins in 2007, it will be able to host the following event and all indications are it would take place off Cape Town.

Cape Town Tourism head Sheryl Ozinsky said a South African challenger in the America's Cup would lead to ‘enormous spin-offs’ for the city and the country, including massive media coverage.

The event would also showcase the yacht-building industry in the city, as well as emphasise the strong mari-time tradition Cape Town has built up over the years.

Rick Taylor, chief executive of the Cape town Convention Bureau, said if South Africa managed to win and host the next race, it would ‘catapult Cape Town into the stratosphere of world tourism’.

‘It would have a cascading affect and increase the warm accolades we are receiving from all over the world because of the competitive tourism product we already offer visitors.’

The dream of challenging for the America's Cup is that of Captain Salvatore Sarno, chairperson of the Durban based Mediterranean Shipping Company.

Sarno, with other South African businessmen, has formed the South African Challenge syndicate which has bought the Luna Rossa.

The next step is to build, at the Southern Wind shipyards in Cape Town, the yacht on which South Africa's hopes will be pinned, the Shosholoza; and designs are already in place.

America's Cup history will also be made. This will be the first time in the race's history that a black crew will take part.

Thinking long-term, Sarno started to train young black crew members several years ago. ‘We will have six or seven highly trained, wonderfully skilled black crew on board the Shosholoza,’ he said.

‘Cape Town skipper Geoff Meek will lead the challenge.’