Alinghi Begins Training in Dubai

November 20, 2006

Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup, kicked off the winter training today in Dubai."

We are here to continue developing the boats, so we'll be doing more testing, but also to train as a race crew, so there will be more racing too" said Brad Butterworth, team skipper, at a press conference at the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC). This event marks the start of the winter training for the Swiss team as the work shifts from shore set-up to on water two boat testing and crew training.

	Skipper Brad Butterworth Photo: ©2006 ThMartinez/Alinghi

As the winter advances, "the focus will move from testing to race training," explains Butterworth, adding a word about the choice of Dubai as a location: "The weather conditions here are the reason we have come, they almost exactly emulate the conditions in Valencia, Spain in June, which is when the America's Cup Match will be next year."

The weather conditions coupled with the fact that the DIMC has provided good logistical support has made the re-location a smooth operation, Grant Simmer, managing director and design coordinator, comments on the support: "We have found a great host in the Dubai International Marine Club who makes us feel welcome and also has the resources and facilities needed to operate a team of the magnitude of Alinghi"

First came the 3,500-ton cargo ship carrying the contents of the Alinghi compound, which set off from Valencia on the 23 October. The route took it through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, on into the Arabian Gulf and through the Straits of Hormuz to arrive 18 days and 4,600 nautical miles later in Jebel Ali Port of Dubai. The shore crew set up the temporary base at the Dubai International Marine Club with a boatshed, sail loft, 10 workshop containers, the two America's Cup Class racing yachts, masts, keels, no less than 65 sails and everything else that is needed to get the boats out sailing everyday.

Next came the transportation of the team members from Europe to Dubai, which Swiss International Air Lines, latest official supplier to the team has provided. Their excellent service has already delivered approximately 60 people, half the America's Cup team, to Dubai, including the sailing team, designers and shore crew.

	Towing out for Training, old boat and new. Photo: ©2006 ThMartinez/Alinghi

The days begin early at the Alinghi camp; gym call for the sailors is at 07:00. The shore crew will prepare the racing yachts to launch for mid-day and testing will run until just before darkness falls at about 17:30. The general program is a six-day week; five days testing and one of race training.

Alinghi will be in Dubai until late February when the team will return to Valencia to continue training for the America's Cup Match, which will be from the 23 June-7 July.

QUOTES FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE:

Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper and tactician

Brad Butterworth, team skipper, tactician: "Today is a great day for us. After months and months of planning and hard work from our shore crew and the Dubai International Marine Club, we are launching both boats, SUI-64 and SUI-91, and will be sailing in Dubai for the first time ever."

He went on to describe the work that is forecast during Alinghi's stay in Dubai: "Up until now, we have been developing the boats and will continue to do so, next year however the focus will be more on sailing the boats, the crew work, the pre-starts and all the things that go into racing. And we will win the America's Cup again when and if we have the fastest boats and sail them faster than the opposition."

Grant Simmer, Alinghi managing director and design team coordinator

Grant Simmer thanked the DIMC and the Alinghi shore crew: "We are working towards winning the America's Cup again in June next year and the way we are going to do that is to make sure we have a faster boat than our opposition and to make sure we sail better than our opposition. We have been developing these boats continuously since 2000. SUI91 is our first new boat for the next Cup. It has a major bow modification on it and this will be the first time in the water since this modification. We'll be testing 91 against 64, the yacht that won the 31st America's Cup in Auckland in 2003 and while we're here, we'll be testing the masts, the sails, keel variations and hull variations. In addition to that we are going to do a lot more racing after the Christmas break.

"It's an exciting time for the team and a critical period which leads us into next year. When we leave Dubai and return to Valencia, there will be a new boat to start sailing and after that there are just two weeks before LV Act 13, the last time we meet all the challengers prior to the America's Cup."

Saeed Hareb, Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the UAE Marine Water Sports Federation

"Today is an historic moment for Dubai and for the DIMC. It is the first time that an America's Cup racing yacht has been launched here and the Alinghi boats are the largest ever to be launched in this marina. So my thanks to Alinghi for putting their finger on the map and choosing Dubai. Previously this location has been focused on powerboat racing, but the vision of Dubai is beyond that, we want to have big names like Alinghi here using our facilities and sailing our waters."