The first German America’s Cup challenger, United Internet Team Germany, is hoping to make its mark during the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007, after a somewhat disappointing and frustrating 2006 campaign.
Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/www/admin4.iomedia.ch/web/clients/32nd_ac/www.americascup.com/en/.dyncontent/35/features_mag_cat.xsl/detail_1255_13199.php on line 59
Warning: include(http://www.americascup.com/en/elements/elem_15844.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/www/admin4.iomedia.ch/web/clients/32nd_ac/www.americascup.com/en/.dyncontent/35/features_mag_cat.xsl/detail_1255_13199.php on line 59
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.americascup.com/en/elements/elem_15844.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/opt/php/lib/php') in /home/www/admin4.iomedia.ch/web/clients/32nd_ac/www.americascup.com/en/.dyncontent/35/features_mag_cat.xsl/detail_1255_13199.php on line 59
The team won just five matches over the course of the season, and four of those came over the struggling China Team. A win over Shosholoza was the lone exception. The fleet racing of Louis Vuitton Act 11 didn’t provide any solace either…the team finished in 11th place, ahead of China Team, but well back of everyone else.
So the theme of 2006 was that the Germans struggled to find enough pace with GER 72. With a slow boat, competitive racing was all but out of the question. The good news is that GER 89 has arrived and early indications are that it feels good.
"Right from the first day when we lined the two boats up we could see that it was faster."
Jesper Bank
“It’s so different that you can easily feel that it’s different. If I remember back last time when we switched between the old boat and the new generation, the step wasn’t so great. So that’s fortunate for us, because we really needed to take a big step,” says skipper Jesper Bank. “But we haven’t really been able to check in with other teams so still we don’t know where we are. We know it’s different, and we can see that it’s performing well. Right from the first day when we lined the two boats up we could see that it was faster. It’s unusual to see that right out of the shed. But we haven’t spent much time on it yet, so…”
After a few early sails, the boat is back in the shed for some tuning, not uncommon with new ACC boats. But it’s hardly convenient and the team is very aware of time ticking away.
“Right now we are holding our breath because we were frustrated and we probably still are that we had to sail the old boat for as long as we did. We started the campaign wanting to have a new boat in the water as soon as possible. And now, we’re still not on the water with it,” Bank admits candidly.
“So we have a feeling in the team that we are running late and a lot of our result is going to depend upon the performance of that boat. We’re doing whatever we can to be as prepared as possible and we know that the boat will take us the rest of the way.”
Results will mean continuity
While the results on the race course in 2006 certainly frustrated the team, it can’t be over-emphasised how difficult starting an America’s Cup team from scratch really is. Bank, as the skipper with previous Cups and Olympic campaigns under his belt is undeniably the leader on the team, and he provides experience, but a new team is always going to face an uphill battle. In the America’s Cup, continuity counts, and bringing a team back again and again is usually the key to success. It’s something that Bank believes could happen with UITG.
“If you look at the investments that have been made in and around the team, it doesn’t look like a one-timer,” he says. “This is certainly looking further ahead than 2007. And so is our planning and the way we go about our investments. So we want to continue and we hope to continue.”
"We need to focus on GER 89 and concentrate on what we’re going to do with this boat."
Jesper Bank
But to convince partners and investors that this is team worth backing, results on the water are needed as well. To that end, the team is planning on intensive training from the Port America’s Cup from now until the beginning of Louis Vuitton Act 13.
“We’re scheduled to stay here all the way through,” Bank confirms. “We have a few excursions to some match racing events, but apart from that we are flat out here in Valencia."
“We need to focus on GER 89 and concentrate on what we’re going to do with this boat. We’re limited on manpower and especially on time, so the challenge for us is to cut the right corners and make the right decisions.
"We are sailing with the other teams. We have training scheduled this month with Areva and Shosholoza and Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia.”
Certainly the team is not shy when it comes to hard work. Remember, UITG began the year as the first team to use the new canal, being towed out of the Port America’s Cup in the cool winter conditions on January 11 for the first training session of the year. With Bank running the show, a similar long winter of sailing is scheduled. The results of that work will be clear for all to see come April with Act 13 and then the Louis Vuitton Cup itself. How far can UITG come between now and then?
“Really, we need to see what we’ve got with GER 89 before we start setting any goals. We wanted the boat to be in the water in the early spring but it wasn’t. We are where we are, and we have to move forward from here. I’ll probably have a better idea on goals come March, next year.”
Statistics
United Internet Team Germany won five races in 2006. One against Team Shosholoza in the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 10 and four against China Team during the Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 10 et 12.
United Internet Team Germany was the first team to use the canal that links the Port America’s Cup with the race course area, going out under tow on January 11th 2006.
In 2006 United Internet Team Germany has crossed the starting line ahead of: China Team, Mascalzone Latino – Capitalia Team, Luna Rossa Challenge, Desafío Español 2007, Areva Challenge and +39 Challenge in matches in 2006.
GER 89 that was christened Germany I on April 24th 2006, nearly one year after the team challenged for the America’s Cup on April 29th 2005.
)
;)
0%
;)
MORE FEATURES 
