Sailing: San Francisco syndicate to challenge for America's Cup

Two days from the first entry deadline at least one more team looks set to join the list of challengers for the next America's Cup.

San Francisco's Sausalito Yacht Club voted over the weekend to support the Sausalito Challenge entry for the 2007 event.

The vote means that the club will immediately file the paperwork for the challenge which needs to be in the hands of organisers by Friday to avoid a €200,000 ($374,000) late fee.

To enter the event teams have to pay a €1 million bond, €50,000 for the challengers' commission and US$25,000 ($35,000) for America's Cup Properties Incorporated.

Headed by John Sweeney, who trained with Dawn Riley's America True in 2000 and Larry Ellison's Oracle in 2003, the syndicate have been working away quietly for the past 12 months.

Sweeney was revealing little about his team but said they were in the final stages of negotiations with sponsors and would rename the team when the sponsors were announced.

New Zealander John Morgan, who worked with Team New Zealand in 1995, heads the syndicate's design team. The sailing team will be revealed next month.

"They are all USA guys and have all done America's Cups," said Sweeney, who plans to buy a boat to take to next year's pre-regattas which start in Valencia in June.

An announcement is also expected regarding the future of Australia's Oz Boys challenge.

While many had written off the syndicate, headed by businessman Phillip Edmiston and former Le Defi tactician Sebastien Destremau, the team's website promises an announcement today and invites readers " ... on a fantastic journey!"

Only six challengers are signed up for the next cup - Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW Oracle Racing, Italy's +39 and Team Luna Rossa, France's K-Challenge and South Africa's Team Shosholoza.

Others still trying to mount challenges are Spanish syndicate El Reto, France's Le Defi, Germany's Fresh Seventeen and Italy's Mascalzone Latino. The second entry deadline is April 29 and has a €200,000 late fee.