The Desafío Español new boat is already under construction in Valencia

Desafío Español 2007 unveiled the shipyard where the new boat of the green team is being built. The “King Marine” shipyard, located in Valencia’s suburb of Alginet, is in charge of the construction of the new boat. Agustín Zulueta, Technical and Sports Director, stated that the construction of the boat in Alginet is the continuation “of our commitment to the Valencian Community and result of the agreement with our sponsor”.

The choice of Alginet follows the fact that it satisfies all required characteristics, having in addition very good communication links with the team’s base in Valencia’s harbor. Zulueta was “very satisfied with the work carried out by the construction team. We stick to our time schedule; The boat is forecast to leave the shipyard on the 30th of March and around the 15th or 20th of April it will be ready for the first sailing trials”.

The shed that houses the shipyard in Alginet has been through all the necessary modifications in order to make the whole construction process possible. It has a rectangular shape and a surface of around 1,000 square meters. It also houses the oven in which the deck mold is been baked while the hull mold has reached an advanced stage of completion. Once these two molds are completed the next step will consist of laminating them with fiber carbon and nomex of the highest available technology.

In accordance with the rules of the America’s Cup Protocol, the hull will be built in Alginet, as well as the deck and wheel, while other parts of the boat (keel, bulb, mast, deck equipment, hydraulics and electronics) will be fabricated in various places and assembled in the base of Desafío Español 2007. Additionally, during the months of December and January, the current boats of the Spanish challenger, ESP-65 and ESP-67, will be modified in the team’s base in order to be adapted to the rigging configuration of the new boat.

Ezequiel Sirito is in charge of the King Marine shipyard as well the 20 employees of the construction team. He stated that "in the Valencian Community we have been able to find a large number of high-technology suppliers with whom to deal. Fourteen Valencian companies are working with us, such as Caby Press, that has built the oven. In the whole boat construction process the ability and qualification of the personnel are very important as we deal with very delicate tasks, requiring great precision and attention to detail".

Naval architect Iñigo Toledo will be the coordinator of Desafío Español 2007. According to Toledo, “we are coordinating all the efforts of a big team for the boat construction; with our main designers, Reichel & Pugh, the tecnhical department of Desafío Español and the crew. All tasks are carried out according to plan while we are also working on rigging, deck equipment and the mast”.

The construction team, with Chris Mellow and Paul Quinn as projects managers, has been involved in the construction of seven America’s Cup yachts, as well as round-the-world carbon fiber boats. Approximately 25,000 work hours will be necessary for the construction of Desafío Español’s new boat.