Fresh Seventeen is go

Last minute challenger confirmed for the 32rd America's Cup

For the first time in 154 years, a German sailing yacht will fight for the world’s longest-standing sports trophy, the America's Cup. With just hours to go before the closing time for entries, Willy Kuhweide, Commodore of the Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club, filed 'United Internet Team Germany' in Valencia, Spain as a challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup.

At the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee sailing club in Berlin, the syndicate was christened after the main sponsor, the United Internet AG based in Montabaur, Germany and will be managed by the Deutsche Challenge 2007 AG. Under the working name Fresh Seventeen, the team had revealed its preparations for the Cup
participation in September 2004 to the public.

At the Club today, Willy Kuhweide was filled with pride and satisfaction having flown back to his home town Berlin from Spain this morning. The announcement was truly historic moment for two reasons: "The first serious German campaign is now on its way to the starting line of the first America’s Cup ever taking place in Europe,“ said the 1964 Olympic champion. The German Internet service provider United Internet AG, known by its trademarks GMX and 1&1, had stepped in at the last minute and thus secured the project until 2007.

"Sailing as a high-tech sport and our Internet business are a perfect match,“ explained Ralph Dommermuth, head of United Internet AG, regarding the deal. In return for the title sponsorship, United Internet AG has secured half of the advertising space on board the yacht. "We are open to a second sponsor as long as it is a good match to the campaign. However there is no economic need for one,“ says Uwe Sasse, Managing Director of the DC 2007 AG. Dommermuth, himself a yachtsman, who has taken over 50% of the DC 2007 AG stocks, and has committed himself privately to providing further
capital if required for achieving the sportive targets.

"We still want to be in the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup,“ confirmed Danish skipper Jesper Bank. The two time Olympic gold medallist took Victory Challenge to a surprising fifth place in the Louis Vuitton Challenger series in 2003. "We are certainly ready to celebrate today, but from tomorrow, it will be two years of hard work,“
said Bank.

The two public German broadcasting stations ARD und ZDF have contractually secured themselves the rights for TV transmission.