And the new Cristabella is...

John Cook's TP52 team acquire the 2008 generation El Desafio

After being unable to race in Alicante, John Cook's Cristabella team will return to compete on the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit with their new boat and some additional key crew members.

The British team will race in the City of Marseille Trophy over 9-14 June with the 2008 TP52 of El Desafío - and not the 2008 Matador as previously reported. El Desafío finished seventh on the 2008 Audi MedCup Circuit and raced her final regatta in Spanish colours at the 2009 City of Alicante Trophy.

The new Cristabella is a 2007-8 Judel Vrolijk design built in Valencia by the Spanish America's Cup Challenge. Her hull is a sistership to Bribón and the boat is now being prepared to be raced in Marseille in her new guise.

"Now we have a bit on to be ready, to get the boat sorted and on our way to Marseille”, explains Brendan Darrer (IRL), Cristabella's boat captain. “Now we just want to get there and to enjoy our sailing again. It was very disappointing to miss out in Alicante. We have only missed four MedCup regattas since we started in 2005 so we really are looking forward to being back."

Limited time means that the boat will be green and silver, with the sponsors' logos removed. "It looks pretty good in green and silver," Darrer notes. "I am not remotely superstitious and green, of course, is my national colour!"

The British team is happy about racing again with a Judel/Vrolijk design, as Darrer highlights: "I'm really happy with the boat. The thing about the Judel Vrolijk boats is they are all so similar, just very small differences, and we are great believers in it being the way you sail them. We had already bought some new sails for this season and have some good, later ones from the 'old boat' so I feel we'll be OK in that area to start with."

Cristabella’s crew will include El Desafio's Olympic Finn bronze medal winning John Cutler (NZL). The Manchester, England born Kiwi sailed as tactician last year when the El Desafío team finished seventh overall, including a third overall in Cartagena, Murcia. World No 1 match racer Ian Williams (GBR) joins the crew, which is otherwise largely unchanged from the usual core including navigator Nat Ives (GBR) and owner/skipper John Cook (GBR).