Fresh 17 sign skipper

Anne Hinton reports on the latest big news from the German America's Cup team

Jesper Bank has today been announced by Deutsche Challenger 2007 AG as the skipper of the German America's Cup challenge, Fresh Seventeen.

Bank, 47 from Aabenraa, Denmark is a triple Olympic medallist in the Soling (two golds and one bronze) has seven World Championship titles in one design classes and match racing, as well as European, Scandinavian and National titles and was helm of the Swedish Victory Challenge in the last America's Cup. Bank hopes to bring five further top international sailors - as yet unnamed - adding greatly to the credibility of the campaign.

"I am delighted by the engagement with Fresh Seventeen - as the concept is absolutely convincing and forward-looking," said Bank (in German) at the press conference in Kiel earlier. Bank, whose role will be both as skipper and helmsman, would like to train up more than a dozen German professional sailors alongside his Cup veterans. Bank's appointment with the campaign is to last two America's Cup cycles with the aim of achieving victory for the German team in 2011.

Signing Bank for this period was important for the DC 2007 AG as it will allow the Danish skipper to become the building block for a successful long term campaign. "With Jesper Bank we are underpinning our aim of making a good showing in 2007, and then really take on the battle for the Cup," said Andreas John, AG Sports Executive. "Jesper is a sailor who from the first to the last second gives everything, never gives up and leaves nothing untried."

Bank believes that having been at the forefront of Victory Challenge last time will give the team a signficant advantage. "From my first Cup involvement, I know what is necessary to get into the semi-finals. We will avoid going down dead-end paths." Finishing fifth with the Swedish first timers in Auckland - what will Bank achieve now he has one Cup under his belt?

As to Fresh Seventeen's crew, Germany has a good group of sailors, especially in the late 20s to mid-30s age group, who are experienced and successful. This resource includes people such as Jochen Schümann's former Olympic medal winning Soling crew, others who have been involved with Olympic campaigns, and big boat sailors (maxis, etc). Many of these talented young sailors, who have quantities of World and European championship wins to their credit, are sailing semi-professionally in the Dragon class in Germany (which has undergone a significant lowering of the average age of participants this century), on big boats and occasionally on the match racing circuit. Eberhard Magg, Technical Director of Fresh Seventeen, will only say that the syndicate is 'talking to' such sailors.

Originally Fresh Seventeen announced Andreas Willim and Jan-Eike Andresen as likely helmsmen and it reasonable to expect they will be in the crew, whereas others might not wish to be publicly advertised with a project that is not yet fully funded.

In addition to having Bank now signed up Deutsche Challenger 2007 AG have also negotiated at least 60 hours of live television coverage of the 2007 America's Cup on Germany's two main terrestrial television stations ARD and ZDF. This landmark deal is undoubtedly 'gold' in terms of marketing for German companies. But how many people watch the sailing when it is on TV? If it is with the news, then plenty. Germany also has a very keen following for sailing from the public - as does Denmark, as exemplified by the Royal Match Race there last year.

With guaranteed TV coverage and a world class helm, Fresh Seventeen now believe they have an excellent marketing platform from which to track down the elusive title sponsor. The campaign will clearly be seen as young and innovative and the Cup is a high technology business, factors which many companies should be interested in getting involved with.

Prior to his appointment Bank had been seeking funds for a Danish challenge, as he was very keen to show the world what Denmark could do through achievements in the America's Cup. Despite securing some commercial interest in his project it was not possible to mount a Danish challenge for 2007. Some months ago he was understood to have been in discussion once again with Victory Challenge.

Bank has long had connections with Germany, through sailing and business, and, beyond his sailing achievements, should personally be helpful to Fresh Seventeen in getting sponsors to sign up. At time of writing, it is not known whether, or to what extent, Bank will bring his Danish backers with him to the German syndicate.

To succeed Fresh Seventeen have until 28 April 2005 the final late entry deadline to challenge for the 32nd America's Cup.