VIP evening for SWE 96

Victory Challenge opens its door in Gothenberg

Victory Challenge had an open evening at the shipyard in Göteborg today, for their partners along with the boatbuilders and their families, and the Swedish sailors that have celebrated Christmas and New Year at home. The members of GKKS, Göteborgs Kungliga Segel Sällskap (the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club), were also invited.
“A great day for our challenge,” said Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman.
 
Magnus Holmberg was there, as were Stefan & Mattias Rahm and Johan Barne from the afterguard, as well as Oscar Angervall, Sebastian Tenghage and Anders Dahlsjö.
 
For the Swedish sailors with Victory Challenge, the evening at the shipyard in Lindholmen Science Park was special, because they are usually in Valencia and so have been unable to follow the building of the boat.
 
Now they were able to meet the boatbuilders and see the results of more than 25,000 man hours of work that have gone into their new boat SWE 96.
 
“Impressive, you have to have respect for the skill that has been put into building this boat. It is both an advanced and an extreme boat, if you compare it to the two boats that we built for the America’s Cup in Auckland. It is unbelievable, so much has happened just in one generation of this boat class,” was Magnus Holmberg’s comment.
 
“It is always a fantastic feeling when it is time to deliver the boat,” said Killian Bushe, who led the boatbuilding. Bush has built the winning boats in the last two Volvo Ocean Races, for the German Illbruck Challenge in 2000-2001 and for ABN AMRO in 2005-2006. Now he has had 25 boatbuilders at his disposal for the building of SWE 96, which will be Victory Challenge’s boat for the decisive stages of the 32nd America’s Cup. Co-ordinator has been Sam Murch, Victory Challenge’s shore manager.
 
This evening the shipyard was open to special guests. The compere was Robert Aschberg, media partner Viasat Broadcasting’s major TV personality. Large screens showed videos from Valencia of the two-boat training with SWE 63 and SWE 73 and from the victory against Alinghi in the pre-regatta in Valencia this summer, as well as a slide show of the entire boat building process.
 
This was the last evening in Göteborg for Victory Challenge’s sailing team. Tomorrow they move on to Dubai for winter training.
 
“It’s going to be great fun and I’m hoping for a month of good sailing, which I’m convinced will be very valuable to us,” said Magnus Holmberg.
 
SWE 96 has, like SWE 63 and SWE 73, been designed by Mani Frers (now alongside his father, German Frers). She is shortly to be transported to Valencia.
 
Victory Challenge’s main partners for the 32nd America’s Cup are Tele2, Red Bull and MTG. Metro, Viasat and Bet24 are media partners. Sail Racing, LIROS Yacht Ropes, Rutgerson Marin, Pergo and OM Pimespo Ibercarretillas are official suppliers. Team suppliers are Sebago, Oakley, Fitness First in Valencia and Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm.