- Nippon boats may join challengers (10/04/01)
  (source : Quentin Clarkson on stuff.co.nz)
Team NZ spokesman Murray Taylor says there is speculation that a new Japanese syndicate could be about to join the 10 registered syndicates in the cup regatta.

Mr Taylor says he has heard that a Japanese syndicate is trying to raise money to charter the two boats owned by the former Nippon syndicate (Asura & Idaten, JPN-44 & JPN-52, were bought by the challenging British syndicate, which may be trying to lease them to the proposed Japanese syndicate).

Speculation was rife about the unnamed Japanese syndicate at the Cowes anniversary regatta in August, Murray Taylor says.
 
Sad time for Australia and Cup - Part 2 (02/13/01)
 (source : NZ Herald)
On december, Australia businessman Michael Jones Jones said he feared for Australia's future in the America's Cup if the country failed to have a representative in the next fleet. He admitted that his Team had less than a 50 percent chance of putting a yacht on the startline in Auckland in 2002.

Jones said the problem was raising funds, and the syndicate had reached only 30 percent of its goal. It was targeting six major sponsors, with the aim being for each to contribute up to $A10 million ($NZ13 million), but only Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation had so far signed up. The difficulty in getting funding was compounded by the Sydney Olympics, which took away a lot of the sponsorship dollars.

Today, top Aussie yachting commentator Rob Mundle says both Michael Jones' Australia first and veteran sailor Syd Fischer are unlikely to make it to Auckland next year. He says sadly it will be the first time since 1962 Australia has failed to provide an entry in the Louis Vuitton cup. Mundle says both syndicates have struggled to find sufficient funding because the Sydney Olympics drained a lot of the corporate dollars out of the country.
 
- Sad time for Australia and Cup - Part 1 (01/31/01)
  (source : Boatingoz)
In an extremely disappointing scenario Australia may well be poised to withdraw from Cup. On december, Sydney businessman Michael Jones Jones said he feared for Australia's future in the America's Cup if the country failed to have a representative in the next fleet.

He admitted that his Australiafirst syndicate had less than a 50 percent chance of putting a yacht on the startline in Auckland in 2002.Jones said the problem was raising funds, and the syndicate had reached only 30 percent of its goal. It was targeting six major sponsors, with the aim being for each to contribute up to $A10 million ($NZ13 million), but only Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation had so far signed up. The difficulty in getting funding was compounded by the Sydney Olympics, which took away a lot of the sponsorship dollars.

This week, another syndicate, headed by former Australia II Syndicate Executive Director Warren Jones, have problem to raise funds in order to ensure Australia II's participation in the Jubilee Regatta.

£250,000 will be required for the group to successfully compete in the fleet of 12metre yachts. "We want to make sure that Australia II takes her place in the Jubilee Regatta as she is one of the most important America's Cup yachts ever built. Our successful campaign in 1983 rejuvenated the competition for the world's oldest sporting trophy and it would be a tragedy if she was absent for the sake of a relatively small amount of money", he said.

Potential sponsors and interested individuals both nationally and internationally are being canvassed now that the charter contract has been formalised. Jones announced that most of the original crew had agreed to participate including Cup winning skipper John Bertrand. "The Regatta also allows us to take two additional crew and these positions will be offered to the syndicate's major sponsor", Jones said.
 
- AustraliaFirst Syndicate (11/27/00)
  (source : SailingSource)

Sydney businessman Michael Jones admits his AustraliaFirst syndicate has less than a 50 per cent chance of having a yacht on the start line for the challengers series in 2002.

Jones says his problem is raising funds and the team has only reached 30 per cent of its goal. Syd Fischer's Young Australia has made no public move towards kick-starting its campaign after fielding a youthful crew in the last regatta.

 
- Watchout withdraws for 2003 (11/15/00)
  (source : Louis Vuitton)

The first of two Swiss syndicates to announce its intentions to challenge for the next America’s Cup was called Watchout. It was lead by Geneva businessman Philipe Essig. The syndicate, although never formally lodged as a challenger with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, managed to raise half of their required budget of US$30m by the end of October this year.

The Watchout board however have decided not to go further without the whole budget in place and have today announced that they will cease operations. The second Swiss Challenge, run by Ernesto Berterelli, will now be flying the Swiss flag alone in Auckland.

The Watchout syndicate wishes them well and hopes to be a challenger for the next event should a European challenger be successful in 2003..

 
  Clouds on little Challengers (11/04/00)
  (source : Scuttlebut & NZHerald)

With the last german' annoucement, the super teams are clear. Attention is now riveted on what's happening for the "little" challenges (i.e. non-bees), and how efforts to go to Auckland in 2002.

Tom Leweck (SailingSource) said : Recurring dock talk suggests that Seattle's Corinthian Yacht Club will not be the sponsoring Yacht Club for Russell Belden's Seattle Challenge America's Cup campaign.

Speaking about NZL-32 participation in the jubilee regatta, Suzanne Mc Fadden said : "Team NZ (...) want NZL32, the original cup-winning black boat from 1995, to re-sail the first cup race around the island. Black Magic I has been leased to the Swiss Watch Out syndicate as a training boat for the 2003 cup, but Team NZ are in negotiations to borrow it for the regatta. And since the future of the Swiss challenge - no relation to Russell Coutts' campaign - looks bleak after funding deals fell through, the boat could yet be free to make the trip".

 
--America True call it quits (10/02/00)
  (source : America True)
America True announced that it has agreed to sell its America's Cup racing yacht, USA-51 to the One World Challenge backed by Craig McCaw. One World will use USA-51 for training and testing in its bid to win the America's Cup from New Zealand in 2002-2003.

Design team members, Phil Kaiko, Heiner Meldner and Kurt Jordan, technicians Martin Dack and Richard Whitaker as well as boat builders Peter Sowman and his building team and sailor Kelvin Harrap, all from America True 2000, are also signed up with Mc Caw.

America True will continue. With proceeds from the sale of USA-51, America True will be able to expand its True Youth program and its support of other professional sailing programs. Plans also include a new America's Cup campaign in 2006.
 
--A new italian syndicate ? (09/29/00)
  (source : GPS)
Vasco Vascotto revealed his planned challenge last weekend in Newport, R.I., where he's winner of the J/24 Worlds faces a tough fleet that includes North American champion Geoff Moore, U.S. national champion Jay Miles, sailing with Brad Read, and numerous other accomplished sailors.

Vasco Vascotto, however, hasn't officially announced a campaign. He says he's in the feasibility stage, exploring whether it would be worthwhile to challenge. "I tried to organize (a team) and found a lot of money, but it wasn't the proper time to do it because I didn't have (someone) with the knowledge, a manager. If you have Paul Cayard or someone like this, you can do it. But all these big names are involved with other teams. I don't want to spend the money yet".