by Félix García

Alinghi will be set up in Valencia by next July and begin training with two full crews.  General Manager Grant Simmer announced that the team and boats will be based at the Real Club Nautico de Valencia site until the permanent new team bases in the Port of Valencia are completed. 

Training will take place in August before the team travels to Marseille to participate in the first fall regatta September 5-11, returning to Valencia to prepare for the October races that kick off ACC racing in the defense venue. 

In Spring 2005, the full team including families will move to Valencia.  Simmer remarked that it was a different situation winning the Cup than it is now to defend it, and that the Alinghi budget of about 80 million Euros is an increase of approximately 40% increase from 2003.  One reason for that jump is the cost of the additional years of competition compared to the traditional Cup formats.

Jochen Schueman, Helmsman and Sports Director for the Swiss Team said that his goal was to have multiple teams that can win the Cup.  Schueman explained that 70% of the personnel are the same people who won in Auckland.

The formal introduction of the new Alinghi team will come in June in preparation for the UBS Trophy in Newport.

Félix García is a journalist living in Valencia, Spain.