By JULIE ASH
Sweden's Victory Challenge is the latest America's Cup syndicate to move into the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland.
Victory Challenge join American syndicates Oracle and One World, Italy's Prada, the Great Britain Challenge and Team New Zealand, who are already testing and training in Auckland.
New Zealander Roger Hall, a sail trimmer for Victory Challenge, said most of the crew were in Auckland waiting for their first cup boat to arrive.
"We have been training at the gym and settling into the base," he said.
Their boat was designed by German Frers. New Zealander Chris Mellow was the head builder.
In a few months, work will start on building the Swedes' second boat.
Victory Challenge brought NZL 38, one of New Zealand's boats from 1995, to use as a training boat.
It will arrive in Auckland in three weeks.
The crew trained with NZL 38 at the French resort of Sete while the first of their two boats - named Orn - was being prepared in Gothenburg.
The Louis Vuitton Challenger series starts next October, and the America's Cup showdown in February 2003.
It is the first time since 1992 that Sweden have competed in the America's Cup regatta. and the syndicate has attracted a strong team.
Magnus Holmberg, winner of the Swedish match grand prix sailing tour, and Jesper Bank, two-time Olympic gold medal winner will be the big names on the water.
"We definitely don't have a lack of good sailors," Hall said.
Hall was a sailmaker for America True in the last cup regatta, but took up the job with Victory Challenge 14 months ago.
"At the moment my role is logistics, organising everything here in Auckland."
Other syndicates will arrive in Auckland over the summer as preparations for the Cup warm up.
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Sweden move in for the America's Cup
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