10 May 2004

Key members of the Swiss Alinghi team, the current holders of the coveted America's Cup, have offered to help South Africa's America's Cup Challenge sailing team whenever assistance is needed.

The generous offer was made to SA America's Cup skipper Geoff Meek while competing in the high profile Antigua Race Week in the Caribbean last week.

Meek was racing on a new 78 foot hi-tech carbon fibre Cape Town-built yacht, All Smoke, helmed by Jochen Schuemann, a helmsman and strategist on Alinghi. Alinghi bowman, Pete von Neiton, was also part of the crew while competing against them in the same class was Alinghi tactician, Brad Butterworth, on the 86 foot Swan, Asperation.

One of the most titled Olympic sailors with three Gold Medals and a Silver from the Sydney Olympics, Schuemann was also sports director for the Alinghi team when they won the America's Cup in Auckland last year.

"We had a very fruitful meeting with them and discussed a range of issues relating to the America's Cup. Their offer of assistance is a big thing and way more valuable coming from them than any other America's Cup syndicate. It is certainly something that will be good to nurture," said Meek on his return to Cape Town yesterday.

"I have never sailed with Schuemann before but have raced against him many times. It was good to see how he sets up before starts, how he co-ordinates the team and managers the crew," said Meek who was on the mainsheet for the event.

"Perhaps one of the main differences between the Alinghi team and ours is that every single crew member is so good in his own right that they are able to keep the management relatively simple as everyone is so self motivated. It was particularly useful to hear their views and philosophy on self motivation and team management and I'm sure we will be able to put a lot of it into practise here."

All Smoke is a Reichel Pugh designed yacht which was built in the Cape Town boatyard, Southern Wind, for a German client. North Sails Cape Town, of which Meek is a director, supplied the hi-tech 3DL racing sails while fellow SA America's Cup crew member, Marc Lagesse, was responsible for all the electronic installations on the yacht.

Lagesse was also in Antigua crewing on All Smoke. Other crew members included 53 year old American yachtsman Adam Ostenfeld who has the distinction of having competed in four America's Cup finals - two of which he won while racing with Dennis Connor. A rigging specialist, Ostenfeld was responsible for specking the carbon fibre rig for All Smoke

On the mast was Australian Chris Dougal who is best known as the grinder for the high profile yacht Sagamore and more recently Alfa Romeo Shockwave.

Despite the crack crew All Smoke finished midway down the results card as no discard was allowed and they were penalised for finishing incorrectly in the first race and had to retire from another due to batten breakages between races.

"Nevetheless the standard of racing was exceptionally high, and I believe also very achievable for us on Shosholoza if we work hard," said Lagesse. "I also learnt an enormous amount about attitude and mindset as everyone has a "no problem" approach."

Lagesse, who will be responsible for electronics installations on the SA America's Cup Shosholoza Challenge yachts said the experience was extremely useful for him as it had given him the opportunity for testing his instrument set-ups in a racing situation. A similar customised range of instruments will be used for the Shosholoza yachts.

South African-based Hasso Plattner's new Morning Glory , a Z 86 Class, won its class with two South African professional sailors on board - Mike Joubert and Davey "Zulu" Smith. Joubert who has Volvo Round the Wolrd race commitments is already one of the designated international South African yachtsman who will join the Shosholoza crew for certain periods.

However Davey Smith, who is a permanent professional crew on Morning Glory, was so intrigued by the Shosholoza Challenge that he put all his other plans on hold and flew back to South Africa with Meek and Lagesse. He is currently trying out for a place in the Shosholoza sailing team.