99 Belongs to Mascalzone

Yesterday Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team announced what many had assumed -- that sail number 99, allocated by ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine on 17 October, was their second new boat for AC 32.

So here's an updated list of sail numbers allocated during AC 32:

RSA 83 -- Shosholoza, launched early 2005.
NZL 84 -- Emirates Team NZ, launched late 2005.
ITA 85 -- Plus 39, launched Q4 of 2006, sailed briefly.
ITA 86 -- Luna Rossa, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12, already been extensively modified and sailing again.
USA 87 -- BMW ORACLE Racing, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12.
ESP 88 -- Desafio Espanol, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Act 12.
GER 89 -- United Internet Team Germany, launched at Kiel in Q2 of 2006, now sailing in Valencia.
ITA 90 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, launched in Q2 and sailing in VLC.
SUI 91 -- Alinghi, launched in Q2 and sailed (not raced) in VLC; soon to be sailing in Dubai with 64. 75 remained, and has been sailing, in VLC.
NZL 92 -- Emirates Team New Zealand, launched (Auckland) in Q4 of 2006, sailing now in NZL; said to be arriving VLC by plane from AKL in late February.
FRA 93 -- Areva Challenge, arrived at their base in VLC two days ago; naming ceremony set for 24 November, and to be sailing shortly thereafter.
94 -- allocated 15 September, not yet claimed by a team.
CHN 95 -- China Team, construction in China now complete, and soon to be shipped to VLC.
SWE 96 -- allocated on 10 October to Victory Challenge; construction well along and said to be sailing in VLC in Q1 of 2007.
ESP 97 -- also allocated on 10 October, to Desafio Espanol; construction well along and thought to be sailing in Valencia in early 2007 if not yet this year.
98 -- allocated on 13 October, not yet claimed by a team.
ITA 99 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, construction well along in Italy; to be launched in VLC in Q1 of 2007.

Will we get to 100 or even 101 during AC 32?

Likely 100, and most keen observers believe it will go to Alinghi's second AC 32 boat -- unless of course Alinghi has already been allocated one of the unclaimed numbers 94 or 98. As yet neither BMW ORACLE Racing nor Luna Rossa has claimed a second number, and both have announced intentions to build two boats.

101? Not unless Sweden's Victory Challenge intends to build a second new boat in the short time remaining. Victory has neither confirmed nor denied that a second boat would be built. Otherwise, to the best of our knowledge none of the other one-new-boat Challengers has announced intentions to build a second boat.

When you think about it, 18 new boats in a couple years in a class of this size, complexity and cost is, well, remarkable -- to say nothing of nearly 100 in 17 years (no. 13 was not allocated for reasons of superstition, and we believe one or two other numbers which were allocated were never built, or built but never sailed).