24 TP 52s

A guide to the teams lining up for the first Breitling MedCup regatta of the season next week in Alicante

With the opening event in the Breitling MedCup just over a week away, the last month as seen a flurry of new boat launches and presentations of some of the 24-strong TP52 fleet.

As the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series draws to an end, increasing numbers of America´s Cup sailors are now joining their boats and preparing for the competitive season ahead.

This year there are nine new boats that have been built for the Circuit. New designs as well as updating of older models - so who will have the competitive edge to sail in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic? The cards have been played and the crews are ready to see, who will be the overall victor of the Breitling MedCup?

With some of the best sailors in the world are scheduled to take part in the Breitling MedCup, just who is sailing with whom:

Aifos

The list of entries is headed by Aifos that is sailing in a 2005 generation boat that is the sistership to the first generation Bribón and Caixa Galicia. The Spanish Navy will be sailing their Farr-designed TP52 with Jaime Rodriguez Toubes at the helm for the third season in succession, and with the majority of crew hailing from the National Naval Academy. Continuing its heritage of promoting new talents into the world of sailing, the Spanish Navy boat will continue with Manu Weiler, the recent Beneteau 25 World Champion, at the helm.

Anonimo Q8

Ricardo Simoneshci's Anonimo (sistership to Mean Machine) returns with what looks like an all-Italian line-up but with additional national sailors from the America's Cup. Last year they sailed several regattas with Star Olympic double gold medallist and World Champion Mark Reynolds as tactician. The sailing team, that is led by Simoneschi in Farr 40 and Melges 24 regattas will also have Gabrielle Benussi slated as tactician.
Among the current crop of America's Cup sailors on board are Team +39's Giuseppe Leonardi on bow, Michele Gnutti is grinder and Spain's former Finn World Champion Rafa Trujillo will do the mainsheet.

Artemis

After having chartered Bigamist for the Copa del Rey last year, Swedish owner Torben Tornqvist decided this year to build his own boat to compete in all the MedCup events in 2007. The Judel Vrolijk-design boat was built at Cookson Marine. The owner also has Russell Coutts as his skipper, who in his own right will be looking to set the record straight and aim for the top podium position in this, his third, Breitling MedCup.

Balearia

Gonzalo Araujo, the skipper and project manager of this Spanish entry is optimistic about the impending season, and with good reason. The 2005 generation, Botin Carkeek designed boat has been modified considerably. The rudder is further forward, there is a heavier keel and some changes to the deck layout. They have also bolstered the crew with the appointment as tactician of Thierry Peponnet, the double Olympic medalist and former helmsman/skipper of Areva Challenge. Jaime Arbones and Victor Mariño of Desafio Español also join the crew, the former in his normal position as bow. Alicia Ajeno rejoins from Victory Challenge as the navigator on the ´new-look´ Balearia.

Bambakou

The American team rejoins the Mediterranean circuit for the second year with their 2006 generation Mani Frers-designed boat that has been considerably modified during the winter. Owner, John Coumantaros, remains as skipper but he has strengthened his team with America´s Cup sailors Luis Doreste and Santiago López-Vázquez from Desafio Español and the Argentine Alejandro Colla, who joins the boat from +39 Challenge.

Bigamist 6

Owner Pedro Mendoça continues to sail in top international fleets, and after competing in the Spanish Cruising Championships, he returns for a second year with his Reichel Pugh boat (the first generation Lexus). Bigamist is the only Portuguese entry in the fleet, so will be looking for a home advantage in the fourth event of this year's circuit in Portimao. The mainly Portuguese crew is led by the successful Star sailor, Afonso Domingos as skipper.

Bribón

The new Bribón for 2007 is a Judel Vrolijk design that was built at King Marine in Valencia. The boat's design has been optimised to sail in 12-15 knots and Mediterranean conditions. The boat, owned by Jose Cusi, once again has King Juan Carlos at the helm, with Ross MacDonald as tactician and leading round the world sailors, Bouwe Bekking and Marcel van Triest, as helm and navigator respectively.

CxG Corporación Caixa Galicia

Among the Spanish owners Vicente Tirado typically has the most successful boats among the Spanish fleet. This year they will be sailing their new boat built at Longitud 0 and designed by Botín Carkeek. Once again, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro is on the helm, but will be joined in the afterguard by John Kostecki as tactician and Robert Hopkins of Luna Rossa as navigator. The Galician team also includes the American Star sailor Ed Adams as technical coach.

CAM

The long awaited moment for owners Fernando León and Kiko Sanchéz Luna to join the circuit has arrived with a new Botin & Carkeek boat built at Goetz Marine during the winter. The Cam team continued sailing their radical IMS boat until they were confident of the strength of the TP52 class.

Cristabella

British owner John Cook continues with his 2006 Judel Vrolijk designed boat, but which has undergone a few modifications. To help in this quest America´s Cup sailors Charlie McKee from Luna Rossa and Mascalzone Latino's Chris Dougal join the crew.

C Quadrat Aspecta Astro

The Austrian boat, designed by Luca Brenta for last year, is sailed by a team of experienced IMS campaigners also with a background in the Olympic classes. Skipper this year is Christian Binder has European championship wins in the 470 and is now designed the Austrian boats sail wardrobe. This year they have strengthened their afterguard with Croatia's Olympic Finn sailor Karlo Kuret who finished just outside of the medals with a fourth in Athens.

Fram

King Harald, celebrating his 70th birthday this year, continues the Norwegian Royal Family's successful sailing lineage. He has been a committed yacht owner all his life, from IOR boats to prototype IMS boats designed by Farr, who also designed his TP52 Fram. He has a long serving core crew of mainly amateurs, including tactician Einar Koefoed and Norway's 2000 Olympic bronze medallist Hermann Horn Johannessen

Glory

John Buchan's new Judel Vrolijk design is a sistership to reigning champion Mean Machine/Mutua Madrilena and is crewed by an all-Seattle team. The tactician Carl Buchan, John's nephew, won an Olympic gold medal as crew to Jonathan McKee in the Flying Dutchman in the 1984 Games, the same year his father Bill won a gold medal in the Star.

Valle Romano Mean Machine

Peter de Ridder got the formula right last year when he won the Breitling MedCup series with his Judel Vrolijk-designed Mean Machine. His well drilled, experienced team comprises several members of Emirates Team New Zealand led by tactician Ray Davies. Other ETNZ sailors include Joe Allen, jJeff Reynolds, Jon Gunderson and Dirk de Ridder, who sailed with Davies on the Volvo Ocean Race winning illbruck and previously on Grant Dalton's Merit Cup(although they will only be joining the boat after their Cup commitments are over). Joining the crew this season is Jules Salter who steps up to the plate as navigator, having completed in the last Volvo Ocean Race with Paul Cayard on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Mutua Madrilena

Mutua Madrilena give their name and support to a team with a winning past who return to the Breitling MedCup circuit after a year's break. After a year focussing on the Mascalzone Latino-Capiitalia Team, Vasco Vascotto returns with a new Pisco Sour team. The Botin & Carkeek designed boat is owned by Chileans Emilio Couisino and Bernardo Matte and Italian Antonio Orlandi, with a crew which is a potent mix of top Italian, Chilean and Spanish sailors.

Vascotto's core crew are a tightly knit group and have sailed to success for many years. Between them Vascotto and his crew share have shared more than 30 world championships together and four Copa del Reys. The skipper has also won 12 world titles including the Farr 40, J24, IMS and ILC 30.

ONO

Iñaki Castañer has opted to modify his keel and rudder in order to bring his boat closer to the newer generation boats and increase the competitiveness of this, one of the oldest boats in the fleet. ONO is a Botin Carkeek design which first sailed in the Circuit as 2005-winning Pisco Sour. The ONO crew are one of the most stable and solid among the fleet led by the experienced skipper Castañer, who sailed with the Maxis Hispania and Fortuna as well as in various America's Cups. This year two ex-Desafio Español crew join the team in American Tony Rey and the Spaniard Juan Luis Páez.

Patches

The new 2007 Reichel Pugh-designed boat built by McConaghy in China, of Irish businessman Eamon Conneely is once again being skippered by Ian Walker who this year has been a key member of the afterguard of the Italian +39 Challenge and is a double Olympic silver medalist in the 470 and the Star classes. This year the crew is joined by Tim Powell and by navigator Ian Moore from Emirates Team New Zealand.

Platoon

Harm Muller Speer's Platoon showed flashes of great potential last season and has taken steps to strengthen the crew line up. Top match racer Karol Jablonski, helmsman on Spain's Desafio Espanol 2007 will be driving this Judel Vrolijk design. New recruits also include Matti Paschen and Jan Schopp from the United Internet Germany America's Cup crew and Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medalist Gunnar Bahr.

Rusal Synergy

After their late start on the Circuit last year the crew, led by brothers Andrey and Alexey Nickolaev, are returning once again to the MedCup. With more experience this year and some good practice events in the US under their belt, the Russian team are looking for a more competitive season in the Botin Carkeek-designed boat.

Stay Calm

Owner-driver Stuart Robinson and tactician Adrian Stead return with a new Judel-Vrolijk design built at Green Marine in England. Stead is one of Britain's top professional sailors. He was a key member of the afterguard on GBR Challenge, Britain's last America's Cup campaign and since the project started has built on minimising change by retaining the same foundation crew of mainly British sailors many of which sailed with him on GBR Challenge.

Strengthening their team this season is Emirates Team NZ trimmer Andy Hemmings and Australian Brett Jones, trimmer with Team Shosholoza. Jones and Kiwi Chris Main, also a former GBR Challenge sailor, are due to support Stead on strategy.

Siemens

Argentinian owner Alberto Roemmers steps into the Breitling MedCup with this new boat Matador, which is to be sponsored this season by Siemens. Guillermo Parada, ex member of BMW Oracle Racing is Project Manager and helm of the Judel Vrolijk design that was launched earlier this year. Parada and his crew have already sailed in the class, but they can also count ten successful years on the the IMS maxi Alexia as a good foundation for the event. Parada´s brother Mariano, coach for Victory Challenge, is the strategist while tactician is Dee Smith. Juan Pablo Cadario will be looking after the bow, after his successful stint on Desafio Español.

TAU Cerámica Andalucía

Owners Javier Dominguez Banderas (brother of Antonio) and Rafael Díaz are sailing with the same team as last year. 470 Olympic sailor and 420 World Champion Gustavo Martinez Doreste is on the helm and Manual Doreste is tactician. The crew are well experienced in this 2006 generation Farr-designed boat that this year features a new rudder.

Valars

The second Russian entry is the Valars sailing team with Serguey Kotsiouba as Project Manager. The boat, the 2005 generation Farr designed former Caixa Galicia, was bought by the team earlier in the year and looks set to have mainly Russian team. Kotsiouba campaigned the IMX45 Follow Me as part of 'Team Europe' in the 2004 Commodore's Cup. Rumoured to be talking to an English navigator, they have yet to declare their crew for the opening event.

Windquest

After they took delivery of the former Warpath, Doug De Vos and his crew of Windquest lost no time in getting onto the regatta circuit in their native USA. The De Vos family have raced to a high level with their line of Windquests, the last of which was a canting keeled maxZ86. American Finn bronze medallist John Bertrand is tactician for the team.

The first event of the Circuit starts on Tuesday 12 June in Alicante, Spain with a practice race. An average of nine races are sailed during the regatta (a mixture of windward/leeward course and coastal races). Racing finishes on Sunday 17th June with the Official Prizegiving that same evening.