Alinghi/UBS eek out local talent

New national tour to produce Swiss National Match Race Champion

Switzerland has a new sailing championship in the form of the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour. This series will test Switzerland’s up and coming match racing talent to produce a National Champion for 2005.

Up to 12 teams will be able to compete at each of the local qualifiers in Zurich, Thun, Lugano, Romanshorn and Geneva. Races will be held in Streamlines, a modern, responsive keelboat sailed by a crew of three and described as "the optimal boat for this event" by Alinghi’s Sports Director Jochen Schuemann: “These boats are well adapted to the local conditions on the lakes and should guarantee exciting racing even in light airs".

Exciting racing is expected as Switzerland’s new generation of match racers pits its talent against a team from Alinghi at each of the five regional qualifyiers.

The five winning teams from each event will automatically advance to the final to be held in November 2005 at Alinghi’s base in Valencia, Spain, where the ‘Swiss National Match Race Champion’ will be crowned. Furthermore, the top two teams at the Zurich event in May 2005 will also qualify for the St Moritz Match Race, with prize money of CHF 150,000 (£66,000) at stake.

The Tour was born from the successful relationship between Alinghi and their main partner, UBS. Alinghi, the America’s Cup winner, hopes to encourage new sailing talent in Switzerland and give young sailors a taste of the dynamic sport of match racing. As Jochen Schuemann puts it: “It is vitally iimportant that we use the increased popularity of sailing in Switzerland to promote our future generations of sailors. The UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour is a fantastic opportunity to bring match racing and the principles of the America’s Cup closer to young Swiss sailors.

"Although it can be said that the sailing conditions on Switzerland’s lakes are often light, I expect exciting regattas at all five of the qualifying events. The participating teams will have the chance to test their skills against Team Alinghi and qualify for the final at our base in Valencia, which should give them an excellent motivation. The Streamline boats guarantee exciting racing, even in the light airs, and if it gets breezy, the action will be spectacular both for the sailors and spectators alike!"

The race organisation for the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour will be coordinated by the recently created SwissMatch Race AG, in association with Swiss Sailing, the national federation. Swiss Match Race AG will provide two Streamline boats to each of the organising yacht clubs with the aim of allowing prospective teams to train throughout the season.

“Swiss Sailing is very happy that a relationship could be established between two strong partners such as UBS and Alinghi," says Roger Staub, President of Swiss Sailing: "The UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour is a fantastic concept and I am convinced that these regattas will do a great deal for the promotion of sailing in Switzerland. In addition I hope that the Tour will also prove interesting for non-sailors as well.”

Werner Peyer, General Manager, UBS, Head of Wealth Management Region Zürich added: “We are convinced that the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour is a great way to establish the sport of match racing in Switzerland and to bring forward our young talent. If we want to be considered as a successful sailing nation in the future, it will not be enough to simply rest on the successes in the America’s Cup - we have to react. With our involvement in the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour we are confirming that our commitment to the world of sailing goes further that the prestigious America’s Cup.”

Events:

14.-16.05. Zürich Zürcher Yacht Club
18.-19.06. Thun Thunersee-Yachtclub
03.-04.09. Lugano Circolo Velico Lago di Lugano
01.-02.10. Romanshorn Yacht Club Romanshorn
15.-16.10. Genf Société Nautique de Genève
10.-13.11. Valencia/E Alinghi Base