All aboard the 'Love Boat'

by America's Cup media on 23 Sep 2005 One of the unique aspects of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Acts is the living accommodation for the extended America’s Cup ‘family’ that comes to each event.

Each team is much more than the 17 sailors on board the racing boat. There are designers, shore crew, management and administration, among many others. And for many of these people, family is along for the month in Sicily as well.

In all, a Louis Vuitton Act will bring in over 1000 people directly associated with the organisers and sailing teams, to say nothing of the VIPs, sponsors and guests and journalists …and they all have to stay somewhere.

Trapani, as a town of just over 60 000 people, doesn’t have the volume of accommodation needed for an event of this scale. The solution? Two medium-sized cruise ships, one for teams and regatta officials, the other for the event organisers, some media, and guests of the city.

Immediately dubbed the ‘Love Boats’ by those assigned to life on board (in tribute to the late 70’s television show), the two ships have most of the comforts of an hotel, albeit on a much smaller scale. However, for those staying aboard during the course of the Trapani Louis Vuitton Acts, the ships will simply be a bunk and shower, the daily schedule for most involved in the event precludes extended use of the shuffleboard courts and foosball tables!

There are 520 rooms aboard the ‘Dream Princess’ (it arrived on Wednesday afternoon) which will be assigned to about 800 people associated with the 12 teams over the next week or so. This ship is conveniently berthed adjacent to the team base compound area.

On the ‘Monterey’ there are 180 rooms for the event organisers, who moved in on Tuesday evening and just over 100 rooms have been assigned to the city of Trapani for their invited guests.

The ‘Monterey’ is anchored off the harbour breakwater, and those staying on board take a short ‘water taxi’ ride to and from the ship each day, which seems appropriate for an event which at its core takes place on the sea!

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