Swiss and British may train together (03/15/01)   (source : Madforsailing)

Ian Walker, the director of sailing for the GBR Challenge for the America's Cup, has confirmed that he is considering an informal offer by Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss Challenge for joint training on the Solent this summer. The offer from the Swiss comes as Walker and his team await the arrival of the two Nippon IACC yachts, which the GBR Team will use in UK waters for two-boat practice throughout the summer. Walker said no formal proposal by Russell Coutts, the Swiss Challenge skipper, had been made but he was aware that they were interested in training against the Brits. "I wouldn't rule it out," he said. "I think we'll have to see where we've got to and if it fits in with what we are trying to achieve." Walker said he was concerned that his own team may not be ready to try-out against the Swiss who have many more experienced sailors and are further ahead in the game. He felt it might prove a counter-productive step. "Whether we do it, would depend on whether we are suitably practised and ready for it and on the right terms," he said. "Obviously if they were to come over (early in the summer) then we'd look pretty stupid. But equally, we couldn't fail to learn if they did come over. But, to put it in context, I haven't spoken to them and they haven't spoken to me, so I wouldn't get too excited about it." Walker disclosed that the delivery date for the two boats - JPN 44 and JPN 52 - has again been put back. Originally the boats, which were campaigned by the Nippon Challenge in the last Louis Vuitton Cup, were supposed to reach Southampton on February 24th. Now the lastest ETA for them is March 25th. Walker said the reasons for the delay are purely to do with shipping matters - the boats had actually been on board a ship and en route from Japan for two months already. He said the delay will have an effect on the GBR Challenge. "Is it going to affect us? In a way, yes. Obviously the later they're here, the more time we lose. But on the other hand, it's time which is not being put to waste. I think we'll be a hell of a lot more organised by the time they get here, so we'll be in a better position to just crack into it all." s Walker is still planning to work-up one of two boats first before he gets them both out racing. "Rather than rush it over a couple of weeks, our view is we want to work through it properly and do it slowly and then slowly build-up. It's not like we haven't got any sailing time. The delay is eating into our UK sailing period, but we are here for four of five months, so it's not a big drama," he added.

- GBR Challenge joins with RORC (02/21/01)   (source : GBR Challenge)

Peter Harrison, Chairman of GBR Challenge, today announced that the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is to submit the entry for the 31st America's Cup, on behalf of his syndicate. Based in St James Place, the RORC is one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world, having been founded in 1925. The events sailed under its burgee include the Admirals Cup, the BT Global Challenge and the Volvo Ocean Race. Harrison commented: "I'm pleased that RORC has come on board to lodge the America's Cup entry on behalf of GBR Challenge. The agreement with RORC has enabled us to formally enter the competition for the 31st America's Cup and I look forward to seeing GBR Challenge on the start line for the Louis Vuitton Cup." "The Challenge company can only benefit from being linked with this prestigious club. I look forward to their help and support during what will be a demanding campaign over the next two years." The 'notice of challenge for the match', the necessary papers and a bankers draft for the $US 150,000 entry fee for the America's Cup entry have been delivered to Peter Taylor, Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Peter Rutter, Commodore of RORC, commented: "We are delighted to be involved with the GBR Challenge, and are proud to be associated with Britain's first challenge for the America's Cup since 1987."

GBR Design Team at work (02/16/01)   (source : Sailsail.com)

To design the British IACC yacht for the entry, Harrison has developed a Technical Group that includes ex-Nippon Challenge designers Taro Takahashi and Akihiro Kanai, to work alongside Jo Richards and Derek Clark. GBR Team has started testing hull designs in the unique facilities at DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency). Harrison's team has already built a number of one-quarter size, 18ft models of the boat that have been transported to DERA Haslar, at Gosport. The team are currently using DERA's Towing Tank to gather data about and test the boats' resistance at different angles and in different conditions. The tank is 270m x 12m x 5.5m deep, with wavemaking, deep and shallow docks and the ability to form rough seas with breaking waves. DERA Project Manager, Stephanie Merry explained : "The team will use our information to make improvements to the new boat design and also as a benchmark for later trials. This data will inform the final design of the UK team's America's Cup boat." Harrison, together with his General Manager, David Barnes, has planned four or five ten-day sessions at DERA's facility during 2001. Barnes commented: "We were keen to use the best facilities available. We have an outstanding group of sailors and a high level of technical resource available to us in the UK - not least at DERA Haslar. We intend to use these resources to ensure a good result on the water." GBR Challenge is not the only team to realise the benefit of using the Towing Tank. Team NZ has come to use the world-class facility at DERA Haslar for many years and, this year, the French team has booked to use the tank, after their own French facility was shut down.

GBR Challenge raising funds (02/14/01)   (source : Sports.com)

Harrison's £6.4 million ($9.3-million) kickstart to the campaign has already secured the two IACC, Asura and Idaten, from the Nippon Challenge that featured in last year's challenger series semifinals. With that have come the necessary containers and berthing space for the challenge to relocate to the other side of the world for the race series in Auckland next year which will decide who will take on holders Team New Zealand in March 2003. There will soon be little left of Harrison's purse and another 13 million pounds ($18.93 million) will have to be raised for a viable campaign, with the 13-hour time difference between NZ and Britain constituting a major hurdle to commercial interest. But Harrison, infectiously optimistic about his project, said he had hopes of securing sponsorship from several companies. "We must look at the success of Kingfisher. Ellen MacArthur has done fantastically well and she has shown what can be done through the media and the internet which are key factors in securing sponsorship". More, the success of the British team at last year's Sydney Olympics have changed attitudes.

- GBR Team and its Challenging YC (02/10/01)   (source : guardian)

There were several unanswered questions when Peter Harrison announced that he would fund a British challenge for the America's Cup, and first of them concerned the challenging club. Under the Deed of Gift, the challenge is from a recognised yacht club of a foreign country, not from an individual or nation. Britain's last two challenges, in 1983 and 1987, were respectively from the Royal Burnham YC and the Royal Thames YC. Central matter is that the revenues associated with the Cup are huge (when Team New Zealand lifted the Cup, the rewards were high with a cool $840 million pouring into the immediate coffers and the promise of more than that in 2003). The Club should have members of sufficient influence to command a proper defence if the British boat wins, and that includes the provision of a venue where as many as 12 to 15 syndicates could establish a home for 3 years. Few places around the British coast offer the necessary combination of the requisite assets; those of available space, proximity of suitable sailing water and a sizeable city to provide the necessary facilities of housing and hotels and that would best utilise the shoreside development both during and after the Cup being held. Glasgow, Southampton and Portsmouth have the credentials and each would doubtless welcome such a massive economic upturn. 'It would be a fantastic excuse to regenerate a run-down area,' admitted Andrew McCall, the Commercial Director of Portsmouth Harbour Events. This time, Peter Harrison revealed, negotiations are still under way. "We need time to finalise the legal arrangements", he said.

- Additional members to GBR Challenge (02/02/01)   (source : madforsailing & guardian)

To develop the new generation sailing talent, Harrison has appointed Ian Walker, double silver medallist at the 1996 Atlanta and Sydney 2000 games, as Sailing Team Manager and authorized him to recruit the best of British sailors. Members signed up to date include: Andy Beadsworth, Ian Budgen, Mark Covell, Simon Fry, Andy Green, Neal Macdonald, Chris Mason, Guy Reid, Julian Salter, Mark Sheffield, James Stagg, Adrian Stead, Richard Sydenham, Jonathon Taylor and Jim Turner. Walker commented: "We now have a group of sailors with proven attitude, ability and commitment, in addition to an established pedigree. The emphasis is on teamwork. We have a squad of 16 that will grow to 26 as sailors compete for positions on the boat. Our training period in the UK will provide the perfect opportunity to trial any potential new team members." He added that it was not the intention of Team GBR to take people away from their Olympic focus, but admitted that the gold medallists Iain Percy and Shirley Robertson had been targeted and had indicated they would join. Today, leading international Olympic class windsurfer Natasha Sturges has joined the GBR Challenge. Natasha, 25, first came to prominence after winning a remarkable three back-to-back ISAF Youth World titles for Australia between 1991 and 1993. Since then, she has competed in an Olympic Games (1996 for Australia) and finished fourth overall at both the 1997 and 1999 Mistral (IMCO) world championships. She also won the bronze medal at the 1996 Open European championships. In the same time, Ellen MacArthur, the 24-year-old lone yachtswoman challenging for the lead in the Vendée Globe, is to be invited to join Britain's first challenge for the America's Cup since 1987. "She could probably do it on her own," said the team's sailing manager Ian Walker. He said MacArthur would be asked to join the team when she had finished the Vendeé Globe. She is currently in mid-Atlantic 2,750 miles from the finish, 77 miles behind the leader, Michel Desjoyeaux.

Neal MacDonald joins GBR Challenge (03/16/01)   (source : sailsail.com)

Fresh from his record breaking exploits whilst winning The Race on board Club Med, Neal MacDonald starts work for Peter Harrison's GBR Challenge on Monday. MacDonald, who has previous America's Cup experience with the One Australia and Sydney 95 syndicates, joins the Sailing Team but will also have responsibilities within the spar and rig development programmes. Peter Harrison, Chairman of GBR Team, commented: "I am delighted that Neal is joining us next week. He was very highly recommended to me by all that have been involved with his sailing campaigns, whether they be at Olympic, Whitbread or America's Cup level."

- British America's Cup Bid Launched (01/31/01)   (source : sailsail.com)

After weeks of speculation and rumour the official existence of a British Challenge for the 31st America's Cup was finally revealed this morning. at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London. GBR Challenge Company Ltd (GBR Challenge), the first British challenge since 1987, has been set up by computer internetworking I.T. entrepreneur and pioneer, Peter Harrison, following the sale of his company Chernikeeff Networks, to Dimension Data Holdings Plc for a total of £300 million in July 1999 and August last year. Harrison first thought of the idea of leading a British Challenge whilst competing in the Admirals Cup in Cowes in July 1999. At that stage he had just received £100 million from the sale of 49.9% of his company, Chernikeeff Networks Ltd. He realized at that point he had the financial strength to mount a challenge. Following the completion of the sale of the remaining 50.1% for £200 million in August 2000, Harrison set up a company in October 2000 to be the vehicle for his challenge. Harrison has taken on the management of GBR Challenge and has personally subscribed all of the initial share capital and loan finance to date, amounting to £6.4 million. Harrison having run his own high technology businesses for 24 years realized that a number of key strategic actions were required to ensure that a British entry could quickly gain some "catch up know how" on IACC designs. No British design or sailing team has had any experience of building a yacht under the current IACC class rule which was first developed in 1992. Harrison stated the opportunities for other investors and sponsors to come on board: "I have set up a syndicate that will be on the start line for the Louis Vuitton Challenger series for the 31st America's Cup. I estimate that the total campaign costs will be in excess of £17 million (approx $25 million) for a one boat campaign. I hope that GBR Challenge will attract interest from other investors and organisations wishing to support the project and benefit from it. There is a wide range of opportunities for sponsorship from companies wishing to project a global marketing image in this highly prestigious event." Challenge GBR has purchased three IACC yachts from the former Nippon Challenge - two 2000 generation boats and one 1995 version - along with six 40ft containers of associated equipment. Harrison has also signed up the two senior design engineers, Taro Takahashi and Akihiro Kanai who were closely involved with the Nippon Challenge campaigns in 1992, 1995 and 2000. These yachts will enable the GBR Challenge sailing team to undertake a two boat training programme in UK waters from which benchmark data will be derived to aid the development of the new IACC boat, as well as giving the sailing team maximum experience on the latest technology designs. GBR Challenge has also signed up the two former Nippon Challenge senior design engineers, Taro Takahashi and Akihiro Kanai who have both been fully involved with the Nippon Challenge America's Cup campaigns in 1992, 1995 and 2000. Together with Jo Richards, a bronze medallist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and Derek Clark who was involved in formulating the IACC rule in 1992, they will form the Technical Design Group. To aid and test the technical design groups research and design concepts for the new IACC yacht, Harrison has commissioned a testing programme to be carried out by the Wolfson Marine Unit in Southampton and The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in Gosport. GBR Challenge will be constructing a number of quarter size models (18 foot long) and submitting them to the DERA testing tanks for evaluation. Sessions have been reserved throughout 2001 and 2002. To develop the new generation sailing talent, Harrison has appointed Ian Walker, double silver medallist at the 1996 Atlanta and Sydney 2000 games, as Sailing Team Manager and authorized him to recruit the best of British sailors. Members signed up to date include: Andy Beadsworth, Ian Budgen, Mark Covell, Simon Fry, Andy Green, Neal Macdonald, Chris Mason, Guy Reid, Julian Salter, Mark Sheffield, James Stagg, Adrian Stead, Richard Sydenham, Jonathon Taylor and Jim Turner. In addition, Iain Percy is considering an offer to become a part-time team member, to enable him to concentrate on his future Olympic campaign. Walker commented: "We now have a group of sailors with proven attitude, ability and commitment, in addition to an established pedigree. The emphasis is on teamwork. We have a squad of 16 that will grow to 26 as sailors compete for positions on the boat. Our training period in the UK will provide the perfect opportunity to trial any potential new team members." In addition Harrison has acquired the lease of the Base 8 compound in the Viaduct Basin in Auckland, initially secured by Chris Gordon of Sunsail. The compound will serve as the GBR Challenge base in New Zealand to which the two 2000 former Nippon Challenge boats will be shipped after competing in the America's Cup 150th Jubilee regatta to be held in Cowes in August. This will enable the GBR Challenge Sailing Team to continue their two boat training programme in the Haruki Gulf waters, gaining valuable experience in the competition location prior to the arrival of the new GBR Challenge IACC 2002 yacht in early summer 2002. GBR Challenge is in continued discussions with the yacht club through which it will formalise its entry into the Louis Vuitton Cup. It is expected that the entry form will be submitted to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in the near future. Rod Carr, Secretary-General of the Royal Yachting Association had no doubt that the new team would be good for sailing in the UK. "The America's Cup represents one of the pinnacles of the sport, so as a major sailing nation it's vital that we have a competitive campaign at the event. The RYA's role has been to help facilitate the campaign and we're proud that we've helped to make it happen. We wish GBR Challenge every success for the future.".