Nice Ink: African Debutants

Nice article running on the Reuters wire this week and being picked up in papers and on websites around the world:


African debutants aim high in America's Cup Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:25 PM ET

By Wendell Roelf

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Africa's first America's Cup hopefuls Team Shosholoza started out with the aim of winning a race or two.

Now, despite having the oldest boat in the challengers' series, the South African team have raised their sights and are determined to make this year's semi-finals.

"At the beginning of last year we were taking it as it came and hoping to win a few races but now we're in a position where to come fourth, to make the semi-finals, is something in our minds," said skipper Mark Sadler.

"It's going to be bloody hard and difficult to get that right but it is a possibility and that's where we're aiming.

"It started off as an adventure...but after winning a few races we are a fully fledged America's Cup team. We've achieved more than we expected to already and whatever more we take away is a bonus," Sadler said as the team prepared to travel to Valencia in Spain where the Louis Vuitton Cup -- the challengers' elimination series -- will be held.

The team hope to do justice to their name -- "Shosholoza" is a Zulu word which means to go forward -- when they tackle the last of the pre-qualifying rounds against the world's best sailing teams in April.

SUPERSTITIOUS SAILOR

Team Shosholoza have been focusing on the April competition since March 2004 when a group of relatively inexperienced club sailors were brought together by Italian sailor Salvatore Sarno, the managing director of a shipping company in South Africa.

"Everything is in the hands of the team. They have to work together, sail together as much as possible. The crew has to be synchronised just like a machine," said Sarno, a superstitious sailor who ensures the boat always has a red chili on board to ward off "evil spirits".

Sadler said major modifications to the boat were made in December to try to coax more speed from what will be the oldest boat in the competition.

"The boat's been upgraded and refitted so it's got some new gear. It's a slightly different shape. It's things that we've learned over the last year that we think will make the boat a little faster," he said.

Principal designer Jason Ker, speaking from Valencia, said the team decided not to build a second boat as most others had done, but rather to modify and improve the existing craft.

"We've made changes to the bow, stern and appendages to get more speed through the water," he said.

OCEAN FERRARIS

Speed is vital and milliseconds could open the door to a place on the winner's podium, with the top three teams -- Oracle, Prada and Team New Zealand -- considered to be the Ferraris of the open ocean race.

Just like Ferrari they were also beatable, suggested Sarno.

Full story on Reuters