SWE 96 christened

Busy day for the Swedes with boats arriving back from Dubai and their latest yacht getting dipped

Today SWE 96 was launched in the America’s Cup harbour in Valencia after a private ceremony for the Victory Challenge team.
 
Immediately afterwards the structural tests on the new boat started. “This project has not only cost an enormous amount of man hours, but also a lot of blood sweat and tears. I know you have all fought very hard to get this magnificent boat together,” said Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman. 
 
Because the mast was only stepped for the first time yesterday, the bow of SWE 96 stuck out of the team boat shed all night. This caused quite a stir in the America’s Cup harbour because of the new look of the boat with its Red Bull branding gives the bow of the boat.
 
Just after 12:00 noon today SWE 96 emerged from the shed, the keel covered; only stem and stern visible.
 
Holmberg was waiting outside the shed together with Mani Frers, boat designer, Killian Bushe, boat building supervisor and Kristina Anker, wife of Victory Challenge’s CEO Johan Stenman, with 70 people from the Victory Challenge team.
 
“It’s really a historic day for Victory Challenge. It’s great to be here. From the sailing team I really want to thank Mani Frers and the design team and Killian Bushe and the boat building team. It has not only been a huge number of man hours that have gone into this project, it has also been a lot of blood sweet and tears and I know all of you have been fighting hard to get this awesome piece of equipment together.” Magnus Holmberg stated.
 
“We from the sailing team have had some input into the first stage, but now we have to step up and make sure that we get the maximum out of the boat and make it fast and take good care of it. We feel the responsibility to you both, but we also very much look forward to it. And now Kristina Anker, a wife of our CEO Johan Stenman, will bless the boat before it goes into the water,” Magnus Holmberg finished.
 
Kristina Anker was lifted up to the boat in front of the well wishers, where she smashed a bottle of Moët & Chandon against the bow of the SWE 96. The boat was launched to the loud applause.
 
It has taken 27 000 man hours to build SWE 96 at the boatyard in Lindholmen Science Park in Göteborg. Construction started on 14 June last year under the supervision of Killian Bushe, who also built the two winning boats for Illbruck and ABN AMRO in the last two Volvo Ocean Races. The boat left Göteborg on 8 January this year, and arrived in Valencia on 13 January, where she was fitted with winches, hydraulics, and electronics.
 
After today’s launch there are 52 days until the Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13, the concluding pre-regatta before the challenger series Louis Vuitton Cup that starts on 16 April.
 
Today was an extremely hectic day for Victory Challenge. Early in the morning the two first Antonov planes had arrived from Dubai and landed at Valencia airport. They brought back SWE 63 (Örn) and SWE 73 (Orm) from the winter training which finished in Dubai last Sunday.