America's Cup Match Set to Begin Saturday

The XXXIst America's Cup Match begins on Saturday, 15th February when Race One is scheduled to start at 13:15 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Challenger, by virtue of winning the Louis Vuitton Cup, is the Swiss-based Alinghi Team, representing the Société Nautique de Genève. Alinghi is backed by Swiss businessman Ernesto Bertarelli (who is the navigator on the boat), and is skippered by Russell Coutts. They will sail SUI-64.

The Defender is Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the club which has held the America's Cup since winning in San Diego in 1995. Team New Zealand, backed by local and international corporations and skippered by Dean Barker, will sail NZL-82.

Information about the America's Cup

The America's Cup is generally considered the oldest trophy in sport. The yacht America, owned by a syndicate of gentlemen from the New York Yacht Club, captured 'the Auld Mug' in 1851, by beating the best of the British fleet in a race around the Isle of Wight. This syndicate later donated the Cup as a perpetual 'Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries' through a Deed of Gift that still governs the competition to this day.

For 132 years, the New York Yacht Club was able to successfully defend the America's Cup, building what has been called the longest winning streak in sport. But in 1983, a group representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club from Australia, sailed to victory in the seventh and final race of the series, taking the America's Cup abroad for the first time.

The Cup returned to American shores in 1987 and the Americans successfully defended it twice in 1988 and 1992, before Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, defeated the Americans in 1995, and again spirited the America's Cup away to the Southern Hemisphere. In March 2000, Team New Zealand successfully defended the Cup against Italy's Prada Challenge by a 5 - 0 scoreline.

Since October 2002, nine Challengers have been vying for the right to meet Team New Zealand in the America's Cup Match. On January 19th the Swiss Alinghi Team beat the US based Oracle BMW Racing squad 5 - 1 to win the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the right to challenge the Kiwis.

The Defender, Team New Zealand, has been preparing in isolation for nearly three years and Race One of the America's Cup will be its first race against outside competition in that time.

The winner of this America's Cup will then defend the trophy at a time and place of its choosing. Some general details of the next America's Cup, the 32nd, are expected to be issued within days of the final race.

Schedule:

The America's Cup Match is a nine-race series, with the first team to win five points the winner. The race schedule is:

February 15th - Race One
February 16th - Race Two
February 18th - Race Three
February 20th - Race Four
February 22nd - Race Five
February 23rd * - Race Six
February 25th * - Race Seven
February 27th * - Race Eight
March 1st * - Race Nine

(*If necessary.)

Internet

The official website for the America's Cup is www.americascup.yahoo.com.

Live animated coverage of the America's Cup Match is available through www.virtualspectator.com.

Television

The America's Cup matches will be broadcast live in New Zealand by Television New Zealand on TV One. The TV One broadcasts will start with pre-race coverage at 09:00 each morning.

Swiss television will be covering the America's Cup extensively in French, German and Italian language broadcasts on Television Suisse Romande, Television Suisse Allemande SF1 (SFDRF), and Television Suisse Italienne TSI.

In the United States ESPN 2 will broadcast each race at 19:00 ET beginning with Race One on February 14th. In Canada, the Outdoor Life Network, OLN, will provide live race coverage.

FoxSports 2 in Australia will broadcast a 60-minute post-race highlights package each night after racing.

In Scandinavia, racing will be broadcast live by Viasat Sport in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Live race coverage in Europe is on ARD in Germany, RAI in Italy, Paris Premiere in France along with highlight programmes on Eurosport.

In Japan, TV Asahi will show a one-hour summary programme after the last race day.