It towered majestically over the heads of the invited guests. The first German America's Cupper was decked out in all its finery: snow-white with the gleaming logos of United Internet Team Germany.
When Kiel's Lord Mayor Angelika Volquartz christened the boat "GER-72" at 10 am today (15 June), it wasn't just a magnum bottle of champagne that burst on the bow of the 26-metre sailing racing yacht. It was also the big bang for the start of the first German challenge in the 154-year history of the world's oldest sporting trophy.
From Thursday (16 June), the qualifying regattas for the 32nd Americas Cup 2007 will begin in the Spanish port city of Valencia. "Mast and sheet break and always a hand's breadth of water under the keel," wished the godmother traditionally, standing at a lofty height on the jacked-up ship. Shortly beforehand, Ralph Dommermuth, CEO of United Internet AG, had unveiled the racing yacht's new outfit. "Just seven weeks after we launched the project in Berlin, the dream has already become reality," said the 41-year-old entrepreneur from Montabaur proudly.
In between lay "the small wonders of Elba and Valencia". In record time, the former yacht "Mascalzone Latino" was converted on the Italian island and shipped to Spain, where Eberhard Magg's technical team worked day and night to get the boat ready to sail. Skipper Jesper Bank then had just seven training days to prepare his 22-strong sailing team for the first major test.
The Dane from Apenrade has put together a crew of seasoned professionals with Cup experience and German aspirants, who will alternate on board in the Act 4 and 5 qualifying races. "We have nothing to lose because we are the most blatant outsiders," says the 48-year-old. "But we want to sell ourselves as expensively as possible in every race."
However, the initial goal can only be to get the boat across the course cleanly and perhaps not always finish last in the fleet races from Friday (24 June), when all boats start at the same time. This is not an understatement or tactical understatement, emphasised syndicate boss Uwe Sasse (Munich), "but we have to remain realistic. The United Internet Team Germany is at the starting line. That alone is a huge success."
On 29 April, Willy Kuhweide, as Commodore of the German Challenger Yacht Club (DCYC), registered the German syndicate as an official challenger with the Americas Cup Management (ACM) almost at the last minute. An unrivalled network was then set in motion in the areas of technology, sport and management. Sasse: "I would like to thank the entire team for their almost superhuman performance, which has allowed us to set another historic milestone in the still young history of the German Americas Cup."
This was made possible by the main sponsorship of United Internet AG, whose portals GMX and 1&1, the best-known brands in an extensive portfolio, will also be heavily involved in the Americas Cup coverage on the Internet. "Sailing as a high-tech sport and our Internet business are an ideal match. The target groups are largely identical," explained Dommermuth, who is a hobby sailor himself. His private commitment goes beyond sponsorship and secures the financial basis for Jesper Bank's team to reach the semi-finals in two years' time.
Until then, it's training, training and more training. After the first regattas in Valencia, a significant move is imminent: Kiel will become the German home port for the United Internet Team Germany. At the beginning/middle of July, the team will move to the Schleswig-Holstein state capital and train there with two boats for Acts 6 and 7 in Malmö/Sweden (25 August to 4 September) and Acts 8 and 9 in Trapani, Italy (29 October to 9 November) on Sicily.
"This is a huge thing for Kiel-Sailing-City," says Angelika Volquartz, "it will be a popular and advertising medium for the entire German sailing sport." Dr Klaus Murmann played a decisive role in Kiel's alliance with the United Internet Team Germany. The entrepreneur and successful sailing athlete is also the main shareholder of Knierim Yachtbau GmbH. Not only will the German base camp be set up at the shipyard, but the new yacht for the 32nd Americas Cup 2007 will also be built by 2006. "A German campaign must also have a place in Germany," emphasises Dr Murmann, "and from my point of view, only Kiel comes into question in Germany."
