Americas Cup skippers sign up for the Millenium Cup

AMERICA'S CUP SKIPPERS AND SAILORS SIGN UP FOR THE MILLENNIUM CUP SUPERYACHT REGATTA

America's Cup skippers and sailors are signing up for the New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003 which starts on 10 February.

Cup skippers Dennis Conner and Paul Cayard from the United States, and Francesco de Angelis from Italy, will race in the four-day event on the Hauraki Gulf. America's Cup Class skippers taking part include Britain's Ian Walker. American-based New Zealand-born designer Bruce Farr is also amongst the Cup notables who will compete.

Fifty sailing and motoryachts have now confirmed their entry for the second running of the regatta, inaugurated three years ago on the eve of New Zealand's successful defense of the America's Cup. Organizers are anticipating up to ten late entries from overseas superyachts visiting Auckland, and from last minute charterers.

Competition will open on Monday, 10 February, with two days of racing on short courses on the Hauraki Gulf. On Wednesday, there will be a 30-nautical mile passage race to Kawau Island where the fleet will anchor for the night for an owner's banquet at historic Mansion house. On Thursday the fleet will race back to Auckland, with a prize-giving party that night. Racing for the America's Cup starts two days later on Saturday.

Dennis Conner, four-time winner of the America's Cup will take the helm of the Ed Dubois-designed 134-foot Destination Fox Harb'r, built by New Zealand's Alloy Yachts and launched in October last year in time for viewing the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup racing. The performance-oriented yacht has a carbon mast and boom furling system.

San Francisco's Paul Cayard, 1992 challenger for the America's Cup in Italy's Il Moro di Venezia, will steer the record-breaking sloop Canon Leopard owned by Briton Mike Slade. The 97-foot yacht, designed for racing and charter cruising, finished third in this year's Sydney Hobart Race.

Francesco de Anglis, the Louis Vuitton Cup winner with Prada in 2000 who was unsuccessful in taking the America's Cup from the New Zealanders, will be the helmsman of the 105-foot Italian fast cruising sloop Ulisse.

Aboard the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup finalist NZL-20, there will be a reunion day out with many of the old crew. Its America's Cup racing life over, the restored and refurbished, 75-footer was shipped from San Francisco to Auckland by its new owners for the Cup season. Bruce Farr, whose Farr Yacht Design team designed NZL-20 is also expected to be on board.

British skipper Ian Walker, who steered the GBR Challenge's Wight Lightning, will take the helm of the oldest yacht in the Millennium Cup, 100-foot marconi gaff cutter Moonbeam, designed and built in 1914 by William Fife. Britain's Peter Harrison, founder and chairman of the British challenge for the America's Cup, chartered the visiting yacht for the Millennium Cup.

America's Cup sailors are spread throughout the fleet, including Prada's Gavin Brady, steering the 80-foot sloop Innovision and Prada's Brazilian tactician Torben Grael aboard the 112-foot aluminium performance sloop Ipanema. Kiwi sailors Kelvin Harrap and Matthew Mason, who sailed this time for OneWorld, and Robbie Naismith who sailed with Oracle, will join together in crewing the 111-foot high performance cruiser Silvertip. Other Kiwi Cup sailors, including Richard Dodson and Kevin Shoebridge, will be aboard the 108-foot Imagine while veteran American Stars & Stripes afterguard Tom Whidden will sail with Kiwi owner Neville Crichton on the 90-foot Sydney Hobart race winner Alfa Romeo.

Lane Finley, event organizer and Executive Director of Marex, said "This is a magnificent opportunity for the visiting owners, their guests and their Kiwi hosts to race and socialize with the finest yachting talent in the world. It is the goal of the Millennium Cup to be a special event, complementing the unique attractions New Zealand has to offer overseas visitors."

The full entry list for the New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta 2003, plus the entry form can be found on the event web site at www.millenniumcup.com

The Millennium Cup 2003 is proudly supported by Cartier, Jaguar New Zealand and United Airlines, platinum partners for this year's prestigious event. Investment New Zealand is the Strategic Partner and Tourism New Zealand is the Media Partner.