Three more names

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Another three big names in the Victory Challenge crew were announced by sailing manager Magnus Holmberg, 43, at AC Management’s big press conference in Malmö today. All three will join the afterguard of the boat:

- Santiago Lange, 43, many-time world champion and bronze medal winner for Argentina in the latest Olympics.
- Johan Barne, 41, navigator in the Swedish America’s Cup syndicate last time round is back again.
- Stefan Rahm, 37, now director and head of sports at the Swedish Sailing Association is once again part of Victory Challenge.

”These three names are a real boost in the afterguard, Santiago is one of the most experienced sailors in the world and belongs to the best, Johan was our navigator in every match in Auckland and with Stefan as strategist/tactician this summer, it’ll be a good learning period for his brother Mattias," said Magnus Holmberg .

Santiago Lange is a four-time world champion on the most recent occasion in the Tornado catamaran in 2004. He’s sailed in four Olympics for Argentina, taking bronze in Athens.

Johan Barne, who has sailed in the Olympics three times for Sweden, returned to IT consultants Semcon after Auckland and has been working with the Ericsson competing in the next Volvo Ocean Race. He also sailed for three months with another America’s Cup syndicate last year; Louis Vuitton Cup finalists last time out, BMW Oracle Racing.

Stefan Rahm was long considered as being lost for Victory Challenge after taking up his position at the Swedish Sailing Association. But now he’s arranged with his employers - and Magnus Holmberg - to help the Swedish America’s Cup venture in this summer’s Acts. He’ll be switching between the positions of strategist and tactician in Valencia and Malmö with his brother Mattias Rahm, 32.

This bring the number of crew appointed to date to 15. ”I have more big names to announce in the next few days”, says Holmberg.

Most of this 15 took part in Victory Challenge last time. In addition to sailing manager and helmsman Magnus Holmberg, 43, there are Johan Barne and Stefan Rahm, also Oscar Angervall, 27, traveller, Martin Krite, 24, midbow, Lars Linger, 44, genoa trimmer, Oskar Ljung, 29, spinnaker trimmer, Henrik Norberg, 37, grinder, Sebastian Tenghage, 26, grinder, Jonas Wackenhuth, 35, bow and Henrik Walderyd, 27, mainsail trimmer.

They have all been sailing actively since then, many on the international match racing circuit, but several have also been completing their education that was interrupted for the America’s Cup in Auckland; Oscar Angervall is a qualified engineer and Oskar Ljung and Sebastian Tenghage are both qualified civil engineers.

There are four new faces in the America’s Cup team, all experienced sailors; in addition to Santiago Lange: also Mattias Rahm, 32, tactician/strategist, Dane Jens Dolmer, 36, grinder and Australian Anthony Merrington, 32, pitman.

Mattias Rahm and Jens Dolmer have been sailing on the match racing circuit, Mattias both as a skipper himself and with Magnus Holmberg, and Jens with Jens Gram-Hansen. Anthony has been sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race with Team SEB.

While Magnus Holmberg was taking part in the press conference held by AC Management ahead of this summer’s Acts in Malmö, the other members of the crew continued with preparations in Valencia for the launch of Örn (SWE-63).