Deutsche Challenge 2007 AG (DC 2007 AG), project company of the German America's Cup campaign Fresh Seventeen, expanded its Supervisory Board by three seats at its Annual General Meeting on 7 February.
Edzard Reuter, Hans-Olaf Henkel and Dr Klaus Murmann have declared their willingness to join the Supervisory Board once the formal challenge has been submitted by the end of April at the latest.
At this time, the chairmanship of the Supervisory Board will pass from Dr Alexander von Bergwelt to Edzard Reuter. "A campaign for the legendary America's Cup was long overdue in Germany. We want to support it with our experience and send a clear signal of our support for Fresh Seventeen by joining the Supervisory Board," said the trio.
This is no coincidence, as all three are not only respected and renowned business figures, but also passionate sailors. Edzard Reuter (76) was Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG from 1987 to 1995 and played a leading role in the AeroSail sailing promotion project. He is currently on the board of several cultural and scientific support organisations and foundations.
"We Supervisory Board members will support the Executive Board and the project team on this challenging path to the America's Cup, but we will also be critical," says Reuter, himself the skipper of an eleven-metre yacht on Lake Constance.
Hans-Olaf Henkel (64) set the course of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) as President from 1995 to 2000, after working for IBM for 34 years, finally as Intercontinental Head. Today, the bestselling author is President of the Leibniz Science Association. The title of his latest book fits the Cup challenge: "The Power of a New Beginning. Germany can be done."
Henkel, who rarely misses the classic regatta around Lake Constance at the helm of his Swan yacht, says: "Participating in the America's Cup requires a strong joint effort 'Made in Germany' from research and development to organisation and strategy."
Klaus Murmann (73, 1987 to 96 President of the Employers' Association and now Chairman Emeritus of the mobile hydraulics group Sauer-Danfoss) from Kiel is particularly keen to promote the location. In 2003, the ocean-going sailor had the high-tech maxiracer "Uca" built and became the fastest ship in the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge.
He explains: "The battle for the coveted America's Cup silver jug is an unrivalled symbiosis of innovation, team spirit, motivation and determination. It is also an important matter of prestige for Germany to be there in 2007."
DC 2007 AG is working flat out to prepare the registration of the Fresh Seventeen campaign under top skipper Jesper Bank for the 32nd AC, which will take place in Valencia, Spain, in summer 2007 for the first time in 153 years. ARD and ZDF have already secured the television broadcasting rights for the regattas. The German Challenger Yacht Club, headed by Commodore Willy Kuhweide, has until 28 April to formally submit its challenge to the defending champion, the Société Nautique de Genève, the club of 2003 Cup winner Alinghi.
