The South African crew Shosholoza, supported by the German T-Systems as main sponsor, celebrated the launch of their new boat RSA 83 yesterday evening, making Shosholoza the first of a total of twelve teams in the America's Cup 2007 to have a newly built yacht in accordance with the current competition rules (ACC Rule V5).
A deeper keel, a larger sail area and a lower weight distinguish the boats from the last Americas Cup in 2003. The team led by chief designer Jason Ker worked flat out to complete the new yacht so that the sailing team can gain as much experience as possible with their competition boat before the regatta on 16 June in Valencia (Act 4).
"Jason Ker and his crew have done a first-class job," said Managing Director Salvatore Sarno, praising the result of five months of design and boatbuilding work. "I am particularly fascinated by our development process from the first boat (RSA 48) to the new, even faster boat. The entire Shosholoza team assembled here can hardly wait to set sail on the RSA 83 for the first time."
The Shosholoza yacht measures 26 metres in length, 4.5 metres in width and weighs 24 tonnes. The mast height is 35 metres. Around two weeks before the launch, the hull arrived in Valencia from South Africa and was completed here, working day and night around the clock. A few days before the boat was launched, the carbon fibre mast finally completed the new Shosholoza yacht.
The South Africans are not only setting the pace in boat building, work on the base in the harbour of Valencia is also the most advanced compared to the other teams. "When Shosholoza registered for the 2007 Americas Cup, the team was seen by many as a likeable outsider and an exotic splash of colour," says Dieter Schweer from T-Systems, Official Chief Sponsor of Shosholoza. "Today at the latest, everyone is certainly realising that Shosholoza is an opponent to be taken seriously and is setting an enormous pace."
Schweer once again emphasised the long-term nature of the commitment. Neither the sudden death of CEO Konrad Reiss in March nor his own departure would affect the commitment of the Frankfurt-based IT company in any way. "The contracts all run until 2007," says Schweer, "and we have already made a dream start. That's a very solid basis that everyone in the team can build on."
Rita Barberá, Mayor of the city of Valencia, christened the RSA 83 on the evening of 19 May. African flair in Spain inspired not only representatives of other Americas Cup teams such as Alinghi and Luna Rossa, but also various invited personalities from South Africa. Gert Grobler, South African ambassador, spoke of cultural exchange: "A new era of the Americas Cup has begun, in which the South African zest for life meets the traditional Americas Cup."
"Rita Barberá, Mayor of Valencia, christens Team Shosholoza's new yacht"
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
