Team Shosholoza get a new coach

Dee Smith joins the South African America's Cup team

Team Shosholoza has hired one of the world's top skipper/tacticians to help plot a winning course for the final two regattas of the 2005 America's Cup racing season in Europe which start in Italy next week Thursday (29 September)

Californian Dee Smith, a grand prix skipper, tactician, navigator and coach with over 40 years of yacht racing experience and a wealth of knowledge in a variety of classes including the America's Cup, will be on board Shosholoza as tactician for the Trapani Louis Vuitton Acts 8 and 9 - match and fleet racing events - to be held in the picturesque Mediterranean port city off southern Sicily.

Smith who was a member of the aftergaurd of the America True Challenge in the 2000 America's Cup in Auckland has an impressive racing CV with victories in every major yachting event in 14 oceans across the world. No stranger to South African yacht racing he was first to Rio de Janeiro as the rockstar skipper/tactician on Hasso Plattner's 80 foot maxi yacht Morning Glory in the last 2003 Cape to Rio race.

Since then he has project and team managed the Morning Glory race yachts including the building of the famed maxZ 86 which has won every race finished. Other major winning projects have included three Copa Del Rey's in a row as tactician, two consecutive Newport Bermuda Races, and helping to co-ordinate the winning teams in the 1997 and 1999 Admiral's Cup.

Smith said he was very happy to see South Africa, indeed Africa's, first ever challenge in the 154 year old history of the America's Cup.

"South Africa is a great yachting country and with all that has happened in the last 15 years it does seem early but why not now? It is a very positive step for the country and only good can come from it.

"For me, personally, it is a great opportunity! It will be fun to work with Team Shosholoza and see what improvements can be made. Eyes wide open, I have no preconceived opinions of what can be done. I just hope I can fit in and help the team get better!,

"My ambition is to sail well and hope the team can feel proud on the last day." said Smith who will be on board for his first practice sail with the team on Sunday - four days ahead of the first race.

Team Shosholoza sailing manager Paul Standbridge said it was a great coup to have Smith in Italy as tactician and coach

Team Shosholoza's aftergaurd for the Trapani regattas will include skipper Geoff Meek and SA Olympic sailor Ian Ainslie as helmsmen, Marc Lagesse as navigator and Mark Sadler as strategist.

The team had their first practice sail off Trapani yesterday. Friday (23 September).
"The sailing conditions are a lot different to Malmo in Sweden, where it was flat and almost like sailing on a lake. Here we're back in the Mediterranean, with deeper waters and a lot more chop. It will be good for us in terms of testing our boat as the conditions should be similar to Valencia," said Standbridge.

Trapani, an ancient and scenically spectacular crescent shaped port-city founded 3 000 years ago by the Phoenicians, is on the extreme western tip of Italy’s largest island, Sicily. Despite its long maritime tradition, grand prix yacht racing is new to the area.
Standbridge said it was already teaming with over 2 000 people associated with the America's Cup sailing teams, personnel and sponsor represenatives. Hotels and rented accommodation were fully booked and all the teams were staying together on two huge ferry boats that had been specially brought in alongside the port to accommodate them.
Thousands more Italians and other visitors from across Europe are expected to inundate Trapani for the regattas and the South Africans and other teams were already receiving a passionate reception from the sailing mad Italians who have three teams, +39 Challenge, Luna Rossa Challenge, and Mascalzone Latino-Team Capitalia entered for the 2007 America's Cup.