King Marine Newsletter May 2007

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King Marine launches two new TP52s for the Breitling MedCup

This year’s Breitling MedCup will feature two new boats built at King Marine Valencia, in Alginet. They are Alberto Roemmers’ ‘Matador’ and ‘Bribón’, owned by Josep Cusí and helmed by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Both boats are on schedule and due for delivery in May, starting with “Matador” finished last week.

Both are designed by Rolf Vrolijk whose Mean Machine, in the hands of Peter de Ridder, dominated last year’s Breitling Cup. Entries are up again this year and this is expected to be the most competitive edition yet.

The Breitling MedCup, now in its third year, is the highlight of the European TP 52 calendar. This year, the Cup starts with three regattas in Spain – Alicante in June, Puerto Portals in July and Palma de Mallorca in August. Then the Cup visits Portugal for the first time, Portimão in August, before concluding in Hyères in September.

GP42 Grand Soleil by King Marine - first BA boats prepare to take Europe by storm



Expectation is growing in Europe’s GP42 fleet as Jan Santana’s Team Zurich makes her first competitive outing, Pedro Campo’s Movistar nears race-readiness in Spain and Peer Moberg anticipates the arrival of Al Capone in Hamburg.

These three boats are the first of five GP 42´Grand Soleil by King Marine, built in Buenos Aires and designed by Botin & Carkeek.

Light winds prevented a thorough examination of Team Zurich’s abilities but, as boatbuilder and navigator Jan Santana confirms, she’s quick.

"This boat weighs two tons less than the previous one so we’re comparatively much faster in light winds, and we’ve seen that speed differential on the water here in Barcelona," says Santana. "The Trofeo Ermenegildo Zegna is the first time we’ve ever raced her, so it’s exciting to know there’s so much more to come."

Zulueta: "Desafío Español 2007 is in the semifinals because we deserve to be"

The objective of earning the best classification of a Spanish team in the history of the America’s Cup was accomplished earlier in May, Desafío Español 2007 is in the semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The Spanish syndicate has taken stock of the work done over the last three years.

Agustín Zulueta, the Technical and Sports Director of Desafío Español 2007, commented that “today Desafío Español is in the semifinals because they deserve to be not because Victory Challenge lost against Team New Zealand. We have won 13 regattas during the two Round Robins, which shows work well done.”

“In sporting terms we have given our all and we have created a technical office, despite a beginning which was hard due to the problem that we had with the designer Phil Kaiko; and also a shipyard in Alginet. This is the pride of the whole team, made up of more than 100 people, we have obtained the Desafío of everybody and now it is seen that sailing is not an elitist sport” added Zulueta.

Luis Doreste also, thanked Zulueta for having created such an ambitious project “in which we set a really high objective which was to get through to the semifinals. Now we have managed it we can feel satisfied, although sometimes we saw it as being difficult as all the teams have been really strong”.

Doreste also recognised the work of the technical office “we have a competitive boat with which we can take on any rival. We have fought for each regatta, this is the fruit of the work of two teams during 12 hours a day over three years.”

The man from the Canary Islands sees that qualifying for the semifinals in the America’s Cup is very complicated “due to the level that there is between the teams. From now on, we have to set our sights higher”.

John Cutler, technical director and tactician with the Spanish team, admitted that he was pleased with the results and thanked the work “of everybody who has made it possible to be in the semifinals: technical office, crew”.

The vice-president of the Spanish Sailing Federation, Manuel Chirivella, commented that “it was a difficult beginning, when some people viewed this project with scepticism. Today it has been confirmed that the sport of sailing in Spain is strong and consolidated”.

The head of the syndicate said he had received congratulations from the royal family, the President of the local government, Francisco Camps, and the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá and he gave his thanks for “all the support received”.