The race dates for the America’s Cup in 2003 were announced Friday 2nd March by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The Commodore of the RNZYS, Peter Taylor, also confirmed that nine challenges had been received from yacht clubs by the first deadline for entries which was yesterday evening.
The 31st America’s Cup is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 15th February. The ninth scheduled race day in the best-of-nine series on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour is two weeks later; on Saturday, 1st March, 2003.
The ‘Saturday-Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday’ schedule is a repeat of the last America’s Cup calendar and guarantees spectators racing during at least two weekends. If the America’s Cup match goes to the full nine races, five of those races will be during weekends to provide maximum exposure to the global television audience.
There are three reserve dates in early March. In a change from last time, the last two reserve dates are on consecutive days to bring a faster conclusion to the regatta if it is prolonged by adverse weather.
The scheduled dates for the 31st America’s Cup Match in 2003 are:
Race 1 Saturday 15 February
Race 2 Sunday 16 February
Race 3 Tuesday 18 February
Race 4 Thursday 20 February
Race 5 Saturday 22 February
Race 6 Sunday 23 February
Race 7 Tuesday 25 February
Race 8 Thursday 27 February
Race 9 Saturday 1 March
Reserve Days:
Reserve 1 Sunday 2 March
Reserve 2 Tuesday 4 March
Reserve 3 Wednesday 5 March
Nine yacht clubs from seven different countries had submitted challenges accompanied by an entry fee of $US150,000 in time for yesterday’s March 1 deadline for lodging challenges with the RNZYS. From now until the second and final deadline of March 1, 2002, the entry fee increases to $US300,000.
‘Although these Challenger entries fees are collected by the RNZYS, these funds do not benefit the Squadron or Team New Zealand. The Challenger’s entry fee goes towards the running of their own Challenger series, the Louis Vuitton Cup,’ explained Peter Taylor.
‘We are expecting, but have not yet received, a challenge from the Oracle Racing syndicate from the United States,’ said Taylor. ‘And there is still the prospect of at least one other late challenge from a country that has not yet declared an entry for the next America’s Cup.’
‘We already have an excellent line up of Challengers and the prospect of a very competitive America’s Cup Regatta.’
The nine challenges received by the March 1 deadline are:
Yacht Club Punta Ala Prada Italy
Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia tba Italy
Seattle Yacht Club One World USA
New York Yacht Club Stars and Stripes USA
Societe Nautique de Geneve Swiss Challenge Switzerland
Dusseldorf Yacht Club Illbruck Challenge Germany
Union Nationale pour la Course au Large le Defi France
Royal Ocean Racing Club Brittania United Kingdom
Gamla Stans Yacht Sallskap Victory Challenge Sweden
The Protocol for the 31st America’s Cup requires the RNZYS to announce within a year of the final race in 2000 the venue for the Match in 2003 and the course areas for the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series which begins in 2002.
‘Team New Zealand won it’s fifth and final race on 2nd March, 2000,’ said Mr Taylor. ‘Therefore, in accordance with the Protocol, we are pleased to announce today the venue and course details.’
The venue for the America’s Cup Match will be offshore from Auckland in the area of the inner Hauraki Gulf bounded by Whangaparaoa Peninsula, the East Coast Bays from Weiti River to Takapuna Beach, Rangitoto, Motutapu and Rakino Islands, the Noises, and an imaginary line from the Ahaaha Rocks to 36 deg 36min South,174deg 59min East to the southern tip of Tiritiri Matangi Island.
Three course areas have been designated within the venue for the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series. During racing in this series the first choice of course areas will be rotated on a daily basis between the Challengers and the Defender under the supervision of the Auckland Harbour Master.
‘The course areas for the America’s Cup regatta and the sharing of the water space between Team New Zealand and the Challengers is similar to the systems established in 2000. The arrangements worked well then and will work well in 2003,’ said Peter Taylor.
This information was first published on the Louis Vuitton Cup website: http://www.louisvuittoncup.org/entry.sps?rt=0
For more details, contact:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Mary Grant
Tel: +64 9 378 5200
Fax: + 64 9 360 6802
mgrant@rnzys.org.nz