Victory Challenge name five more sailors

by Bert WILLBORG (As Amended By ISAF) on 26 Apr 2006 Swedish America’s Cup challengers Victory Challenge has strengthened its team with the additional five sailors. Amongst them, Mal PARKER (AUS) and David CARR (GBR) come from the GBR Challenge team from the last Cup.

30 year old PARKER and CARR, 24, are also joined by Thomas HALLBERG (FIN), 34, and Morten HALKIER (DEN), 33, who both sailed with Victory Challenge in Auckland, New Zealand. 25 year old Swedish match racer Niklas CARLZON (SWE) completes the list of new recruits.

'We have got the reinforcement that we need on the team, both as regards America’s Cup experience, which we need now, and young sailors, which we need for building up the team in the long term,' says Magnus HOLMBERG (SWE), skipper and helmsman.

'Mal and Freddie [CARR] have been with us for a while and I’m happy that we’re now able to employ them. I have known Tompi and Morten for many years and it is important for us that they are back sailing with us. As regards Niklas, it is important to include younger sailors even if they don’t have America’s Cup experience. He is an experienced match racing sailor who came here to try out, and he’s done a great job.

The most recent arrivals on the base are HALLBERG and HALKIER. Both know Victory Challenge well. They were part of the team during the previous America’s Cup challenge in Auckland.

HALKIER, trimmer, also sailed with United Internet Team Germany during the pre-regatta in Malmö, Sweden last year, but in the end he chose Victory Challenge. HALKIER is a very experienced match racing sailor, whose merits include a ISAF Match Racing World Championship gold medal from 1999 with Jesper BANK (DEN).

HALLBERG, mastman, is also an experienced match racing sailor. He has four gold medals from the Finnish Match Racing Championship, and has a first place in the 2000 ISAF Grade 2 Berlin Match Race.

With another two ex GBR Challenge sailors, PARKER and CARR, Victory Challenge now has a total of five sailors from the British America’s Cup challenge in 2002. Nik PEARSON, Richard SYDENHAM and Ian WEIGHELL are also part of the team.

PARKER, trimmer, was one of the few on GBR Challenge in Auckland with previous experience of the America’s Cup. He comes from Tasmania, Australia, and sailed with Young Australia in 2000.

CARR, grinder, is the youngest member of Victory Challenge’s team. He may only be 24 but that does not mean he lacks experience. He has won gold in the Youth Championships and Student Championships in match racing. He was selected for the GBR Challenge that did not manage to put together a challenge for the 32nd America’s Cup. He was also with the team in Auckland, even if he was not completely committed (because he was also finishing his studies).

CARLZON, midbow, has sailed match races with Victory Challenge’s strategist, Mattias RAHM (SWE), since 1998; together they have won two Swedish Championship gold medals and participated on the international match racing tour.

The 32nd America’s Cup continues with the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 10, a full round robin of match racing and one of the year’s three pre-regattas, on 11 May.