Carsten Schon makes starting lineup for Team Germany

by Oliver Laskowsky on 15 Mar 2007
The team selection of the United Internet Team Germany for Louis Vuitton Act 13 as at the start of the America’s Cup season in Valencia is set. A starting-team on board Germany I resulted from 28 crew members and was announced by the Head of the Syndicate Michael Scheeren and Skipper Jesper Bank.

Well know New Zealand sailor Carsten Schon, a member of Team New Zealand in the 2003 campaign, has been announced as a trimmer in the starting lineup.

As previously announced David Dellenbaugh (USA), who gained notoriety as a late inclusion into the Bill Koch backed all-womens AC crew in 1995, is the tactician working alongside skipper, Olympic medallist and top match racer, Jesper Bank.

With the positions announced, the United Internet Team Germany will match the other eleven teams during Louis Vuitton Act 13 in Fleet Races, where all teams start at the same time. The Louis Vuitton Cup will then start on the 16th of April, where the Challenger to the Cup-Defender Alinghi will have to be found.

The positions in the United Internet Team Germany are as follows:

Position	Starting team	Backup
Vorschiff	Jean-Marie Dauris	Tim Daase
Zweiter Vorschiffmann	Michael Müller	Wolf Dietz/Nico Jeschonnek
Mastmann	Markus Koy	Gerrit Bottemöller
Pitmann	Henrik Blakskjær	Jan Schoepe
Backbord Grinder	Oliver-Sven Buder	Jochen Wolfram
Steuerbord Grinder	Henning Sohn	Stefan Großmann
Genua Trimmer	Carsten Schon	Guillermo Altadill
Spinnaker Trimmer	Matti Paschen	Guillermo Altadill
Großsegel Grinder	Henrik Norberg	Dominik Neidhart
Großsegel Trimmer	Mike Mottl	Michael Hestbæk
Skipper/Steuermann	Jesper Bank	Michael Hestbæk
Taktiker	David Dellenbaugh	Henrik Blakskjær
Stratege	Conan Hunt	Michael Hestbæk
Runner Grinder	Fredrik Green	Christian Buck
Floater	Jan Schoepe	Michael Müller
Navigator	Philippe Mourniac	Fredrik Green
Traveller	Thomas Jacobsen	Alexander Krause

Besides the nominated team the other team members of the sailing team will also come into operation during the races.

'Of course we will fall back to the whole team during Act 13 and the Round Robins. It is not possible to master a tough sailing schedule like this without a rotation on the positions. I am therefore very happy to have the chance to fall back on so many good sailors.' says Skipper Jesper Bank.

Jan Schoepe, Floater on Germany I, said after the announcement of the sailing crew: 'As a sailor I feel very honoured to be part of the first German America’s Cup Campaign – especially after the rotation in the team last week.'

'The frame for our team consist of experienced Cup sailors and young, highly-motivated talents', says Head of Syndicate Michael Scheeren.

The starting team consists of seven Germans, three Danish, two French, two Swedes and one sailor each from Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Now that the positions are all set it is once again very clear that the United Internet Team Germany is starting as a German Campaign in the America’s Cup.

With seven German sailors in the starting-team, a bigger part of the 17-head crew is coming from the Campaign’s country of origin than in many other teams.

Website: http://www.ui-team-germany.de