Whilst the New Zealand Cup defenders and their new British "Challenger of Record" (Royal Yacht Squadron Racing/Ineos Team UK) are still discussing the format and timeframe for the 37th America's Cup, the first challengers are gathering for the next summit assault. According to exclusive information from YACHT online, a new German team is among the interested racing teams. The German government and a well-known company from the automotive industry are said to have already formed behind the campaign of prominent Cup chasers and Olympic sailors.
Parallel to the recent discussions about the reduction of future Cup crews from eleven to six sailors and the associated need to use battery drives for the on-board hydraulics of the futuristic AC75 class yachts, the project initiators scored points with potential sponsors with an "E-Cup concept". This fits in perfectly with the current efforts of the government and the German automotive industry to install 1,000 new charging stations on German motorways by 2023. Investments of around two billion euros are planned for the ambitious nationwide charging station project. From 2022, five per cent of this sum will be used to inspire the second German America's Cup campaign and promote e-progress "Made in Germany" under sail. The designated partners and sponsors want to benefit above all from the fresh profile of sailing and thus polish up their own dusty image. It has been reported from top government circles that even German Chancellor Angela Merkel - a physicist like Martin Fischer in the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team - is allegedly in favour of the futuristic octopus foilers in the America's Cup.
The initiators of the campaign are based in Hamburg, but are supported by experienced Cup organisers throughout Germany, including masterminds in the match racing stronghold of Langenargen and storm-tested managers of the Kieler Woche hero arena. However, the leading team members of the German Cup organisers, who are still operating behind closed curtains but are already in full gallop, do not want to come out at this early stage or comment further on the plans. A member of the management group known to the editorial team by name said: "We are in the final negotiations and are more than optimistic that we will soon be able to give German sailing the most exciting campaign in its history. It will be more sustainable than anything known to date. All of Germany's top sailors and experts are involved. As well as other companies already well-known in sailing."
As YACHT online learnt from team circles, talks have already been held with design luminaries such as Rolf Vrolijk, who lives in Hamburg, and Martin Fischer from Celle in Lower Saxony, who is now based in Numea in New Caledonia. The German-Dutch dream team is currently being courted intensively by several Cup campaigns. However, both Cup stars have signalled that they would not be able to resist a strong German offer. The "E" could not only stand for "electric drive" on the rapidly growing German Cup wave, but also for a whole new "unit". Even before the official team presentation planned for the summer, the organisers have launched a fan page to gauge public support. Click here to go to the fan page (please click!).
