Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius AUS Always 728x90

Swiss welcome for Alinghi's return to Auckland

by Daphne Morgan Barnicoat on 25 Jan 2009
Dr Beat Nobs, Swiss Ambassador to New Zealand, sailing as 18th man Copyright / Alinghi http://www.alinghi.com
Alinghi, the Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, was welcomed back to Auckland at a reception in the city this evening by the Swiss Ambassador to New Zealand, Dr Beat Nobs.

Nobs had just returned from the race course with the crew where he’d been sailing as 18th man for the afternoon: 'It was an awesome and unforgettable personal experience to go sailing with Alinghi today. Just the few hours spent onboard gave me an extraordinary glimpse of how this winning team operates as a seamless and highly professional unit; their performance was inspiring! I am delighted to welcome Alinghi back to Auckland for this regatta and I wish them fair winds,' said Dr Nobs.

The Alinghi team started training on Saturday alongside nine other Louis Vuitton Pacific Series competitors on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland. This regatta marks their return to New Zealand for the first time since winning the America’s Cup in 2003 and has come as a pleasant distraction from the European winter.

Racing begins in earnest on the 30 January with Round Robin 1 and continues through Round Robin 2, the Challenger Finals and the LVPS Final until 14 February. Four-time America’s Cup winner and Alinghi team skipper, Kiwi, Brad Butterworth comments on coming home: 'It is really good to be back and fantastic to be sailing in Auckland again on a Cup boat; we look forward to some great competition.'

He added: 'Nine of the ten teams racing here are 33rd America’s Cup entered challengers with whom we have been working hard on preparations for the next America’s Cup. The group has almost finished the Class Rule which is due to be published at the end of January and we are all looking forward to the first Act in July. It is good to get out of the office and back on the water!'

The Alinghi crew racing for the LVPS

Brad Butterworth (NZL)
Dean Phipps (NZL)
Rodney Ardern (NZL)
Matt Mitchell (NZL)
Craig Satterthwaite (NZL)
Warwick Fleury (NZL)
Peter Evans (NZL)
Pieter van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED)
Francesco Rapetti (ITA)
Brian Sharp (USA)
Mark McTeigue (AUS)
Nils Frei (SUI)
Lorenzo Mazza (ITA)
Will McCarthy (AUS)
Ed Baird (USA)
Juan Vila (ESP)
Yves Detrey (SUI)

The LVPS teams in addition to Alinghi

Luna Rossa (ITA)
Team Shosholoza (RSA)
K-Challenge (FRA)
Damiani Italia Challenge (ITA)
Greek Challenge (GRE)
Team Origin (GBR)
China Team (CHN)
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)
BMW Oracle Racing (USA)

www.alinghi.com
Zhik 2018 Dongfeng 728x90 BOTTOMMackay BoatsSealegs - On the water 660x82-1

Related Articles

Billy Besson & Marie Riou lead France SailGP Team
Marseille event will serve as the league championship Four-time world champion and 2016 Olympian Billy Besson was today announced as the helmsman for the France SailGP Team.
Posted today at 10:25 am GAC Pindar celebrates GAC Panama Office
The Group opens its own company in the country Superyachts and yachts transiting the Panama Canal can now do so with the assurance of the quality service synonymous with GAC, after the Group opened its own company in the country.
Posted today at 7:00 am Nic Douglass reports from Etchells Worlds
Murray takes the first gun Day one of the Etchells World Championship in Brisbane got off to a slow start while competitors waited for the breeze to fill from the south-east.
Posted today at 6:28 am Multi70 Maserati and Rambler 88 take line honours
In the 50th Rolex Middle Sea Race Rambler crossed the finish line of the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race at the Royal Malta Yacht Club to take Monohull Line Honours at 02:07:55 CEST on Tuesday 23rd October.
Posted today at 3:50 am Golden Globe Race day 113: Lepage rescue update
Expected to be evacuated from his dismasted yacht today French solo yachtsman Loïc Lepage is expected to be evacuated from his dismasted yacht Laaland shortly after first light on Tuesday (23:30 UTC Monday). By then both the bulk carrier Shiosai and the sailing yacht Alizes II will have reached
Posted today at 2:09 am Attrition and drama rates climb in the 2018 GGR
Attrition rate of 55% is evidence that Mother Nature is in charge While some sailors scoffed at a 'retro race', the 2018 Golden Globe Race's attrition rate of 55% is evidence aplenty that, while modern sailors are clever, the challenges put forth by Mother Nature remain utterly unconvinced of mankind's superiority.
Posted on 22 Oct 50th Rolex Middle Sea Race day 3
The Game is On The third day of the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race has seen the course open up. All yachts, still racing, have passed Stromboli and the majority are heading into a steady westerly on the leg from the volcanic island to the north-west corner of Sicily.
Posted on 22 Oct A Class Worlds at Hervey Bay preview
Graced by more sailing glitterati than we have seen in many years As the season in Europe slowly draws to a close on what has been for some, another rather frustrating year of too much/too little wind and with most European class associations are looking towards their final regattas of the year
Posted on 22 Oct 2018 Etchells Worlds in Brisbane day 1
What a tease! On shore this morning you felt that it was going to be a grand day. The time had come. Race one, and even race two were upon us. A champion crew was soon going to be determined for the 2018 Etchells Worlds being held on Moreton Bay in Brisbane, Australia.
Posted on 22 Oct Beau Geste. But the speed… that changes everything
Five out of seven MOD70s have ended up either on their side or upside down Beau Geste, a MOD70 trimaran, skippered by Gavin Brady and with owner Karl Kwok on board, has set a Multihull reference time (or record, call it what you will) for the Hong Kong to Hainan Race: 24h01m59s. Sail-World Asia went for a spin round the harbour
Posted on 22 Oct
This site and its contents are Copyright © 2018 Sail-World Sail-World New Zealand and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved. Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph contact the photographer directly.
If you have any questions about advertising or editorial then please contact our team. If you encounter any technical issues then please email techsupport@sail-world.com
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy