The Swedish Victory Challenge had a great year in 2006, although they had little to show for it on the scoreboard in the Louis Vuitton Acts. The team found its main sponsor, hired a bagful experienced sailors when the Volvo race finished, and began construction of its new boat, in Gothenberg.
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_13452.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_13452.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_13452.php on line 59
"Outside of the top three, I think we will fight with the Spanish – they’ll be tough to beat..."
Magnus Holmberg
With forgettable results in 2006, all of these improvements mean 2007 should be all the more memorable. “It has been a very busy time for us,” says skipper Magnus Holmberg. “We have recruited a lot of people, we’ve made significant modifications to the old boat (including new masts), and are building the new boat in Gothenburg.”
The team began two-boat testing in Valencia early in September – for the first time since November 2002, during the last Louis Vuitton Cup – and has been going hard at it ever since. Time, as ever, is a rapidly diminishing resource, so the team isn’t planning any vacations.
“We’ll see what the weather brings, but we’re only scheduling two weeks off over Christmas and the New Year. We don’t have the luxury of having been up and running for three years to take a big break now. We’ll be going hard from now until the end.”
A difficult year
The standings show Victory Challenge had a difficult season in 2006. Compared to its best match racing result (a fifth) in its very first Louis Vuitton Act in Valencia in June 2005, the 2006 season saw the Swedes finish in sixth and seventh in the match racing Acts, and tumble down to eighth in the 2006 ACC Louis Vuitton Season Championship. After finishing the 2005 season on sixth place, Victory Challenge was overtaken by Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team and the surprising Team Shosholoza.
“We knew that the Acts this year were going to be a struggle for us, because we were running late with delivery of new equipment,” says Holmberg, describing the issues that affected the team. “We were held up this past winter and we’ve seen now just having the new rigs in the boats along with the modifications we’ve made have taken us a big step forward.”
The hold-up over the winter was caused by funding issues, but in between the May and June Louis Vuitton Acts, their main sponsor was signed, and the team has been growing ever since. The question to be answered in 2007 is how much better can they be? Will they make the cut to compete in the Semi Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup?
“We’ve always known that new technology and equipment were coming down the line and we expect we’re going to be better. I think it’s going to be a tough Louis Vuitton Cup but I think a berth in the semi finals is quite realistic.”
That semi final ticket is going to be hard to punch. In addition to three top challengers (Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW ORACLE Racing and Luna Rossa) who most observers feel will qualify, most of the other challengers feel they have a good chance at the making the cut. Holmberg says its only going to be settled on the water.
“Of course the big three look very solid, but you never know what will happen when the racing starts in the Louis Vuitton Cup. It wouldn’t be the first time that a favoured team struggled. But outside of the top three, I think we will fight with the Spanish – they’ll be tough to beat, they’ve been working hard with two boat testing. Mascalzone Latino is going to be good and +39, when they have new equipment, who’s to say.”
One new boat
Among the many decision the team made this year was to restrict itself to one new boat. Due to the late fulfilment of its sponsorship quest, the calendar realistically allows just one new build. However, the team has made major modifications to its boats from the last campaign, so that when SWE 96 is delivered, it can do two-boat testing with competitive boats.
Magnus Holmberg
“It will be great to get SWE 96 in the water and then we’ll be under pressure to get it sailing properly after the delivery,” says Holmberg. The boat is due to arrive in Valencia around the New Year. “Then, there is not a long time until the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup, so we’re looking forward to getting our hands on it as quickly as possible.”
“From what we’ve seen of the other new boats, everyone has gone down a similar branch of the same tree, and I think we’re there as well,” he says when asked about the design. “We have a good design, and our boatbuilder (Killian Bushe) has done an incredible job.”
Bushe has built the last two winning boats in the Volvo Ocean Race. He’s been responsible for the modifications, and the build of the new boat, designed by Mani Frers. A top-quality boat builder is critical in the America’s Cup. Any weight that can be saved in building the hull of the boat can be piled into the keel bulb, increasing stability and thus speed. The track record Bushe has compiled suggests he and his team will be an important asset for Victory Challenge.
New team
Pepe Ribes
Bushe isn’t the only ocean race refugee to end up with the Swedish America’s Cup team. Victory Challenge has gone on a hiring spree since the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton Acts, and now has well over 100 people working on the team. Many recruits have been sailors, allowing the team to step-up its two-boat testing programme. Many big names in the sailing world have been hired, including the Spanish sailor Pepe Ribes (Volvo Ocean Race, 1999 Spanish America’s Cup team) and Neal McDonald (America’s Cup 1995, 2002, Volvo Ocean Race, Multi-hull record breaker). McDonald also has significant engineering experience, particularly in regards to mast design and building.
“We are very pleased with the recruitment and the integration of the new guys. We have a good mix of people with complementary skills in the team,” skipper Holmberg says. “The guys already on the team welcomed them with open arms to help them feel comfortable and get them going as quickly as possible…. The basis for our team has kind of been from one-design sailing and match racing, while a lot of the guys we’ve brought on board have good development skills, which is something we needed, so it’s been a good fit.”
“Overall we’re pleased with how we are progressing. I’m sure that everyone else is making gains as well, but we’ll see when the racing starts.”
Statistics
Victory Challenge finished equal on points for fifth place in Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 10 tied with Desafío Español. The tie-break went in favour of the Spanish who earned a win over the Swedes on the last day of racing.
Victory Challenge won the first fleet race of Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 11, but poor results the rest of the way (8th, 11th, 10th and 11th) left the team 10th in the final ranking.
Victory Challenge was the only team beside Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge to defeat Alinghi in 2006. The Swedes won their match over the Defender on June 25th 2006 in Flight Seven of Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 12.
Despite finishing the 2006 ACC Louis Vuitton Championship in a worse position than in 2005, Victory Challenge had a better winning percentage, 52% in 2006, compared to 48% in 2005.
In each of their 14 match race victories, Victory Challenge was leading at the first mark.
Victory Challenge lost time to its opponent in 58% of its upwind legs, but gained on 66% of the downwind legs.
The maximum winning delta was 2:39 minutes against +39 Challenge on June 22nd.
The maximum losing delta has been 2:33 minutes against Alinghi during Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 10.
)
0%
;)
;)
;)
MORE FEATURES 
