Thursday, September 17, 2009

TeamOrigin to join the Audi MedCup Circuit in 2010

[Source: AUDI Medcup] Following the announcement yesterday that Britain's TeamOrigin will be stepping up their sailing activities again, there has been confirmation that the team plan to compete on next year's Audi MedCup Circuit.

The London launch yesterday revealed an innovative plan to partner with the Carbon Trust, a world leading environmental organisation, as they highlight the need for action on climate change. The team which is skippered by triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie (GBR) and has round the world race winner and America’s Cup sailor Mike Sanderson (NZL) as Team Director, will promote the environmental message under the strapline Race for Change.

A full programme of training and racing for TeamOrigin is planned. Sanderson confirmed yesterday they are working hard on their plans to join the Audi MedCup Circuit for next season. Alongside Emirates Team New Zealand, who lead this 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit and aim to return again next year, that would be two America’s Cup teams confirmed for 2010.

TeamOrigin’s lead designer Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG) was in Cartagena yesterday at the Caja Mediterraneo Region of Murcia Trophy.

Sanderson said: “ We are definitely going to do it unless anything changes. We are basing that decision on what we know of the circuit for next year. I have spoken to just about everyone I can who is on the Circuit and they sound committed to going ahead next season.”

“We have to make the decision whether to buy an existing boat and make it fast or build to the new rule and so we are going through that process just now.”

“We would love to do a new boat. We have to make the decision very soon but it ticks all the boxes, utilising more of our team, our design capability. But the flip side of that is that we have to believe it will be competitive in the future. It appears this season that the three new boats have a slight edge and so we really want to be able to at least reach that pace.”

“At the moment we are just inside that window (to build new) and so we would have to go at it full noise to get there, we are just deciding just now what the best way will be.”

“Juan (Kouyoumdjian) is working on it just now. He’s looking at it. But to build new, if it makes sense, is our first choice because it uses so many aspects of our team’s abilities.”

“ We are definitely very excited about being on the MedCup Circuit next year. For sure.”

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