Swiss bliss knows no bounds at win

By Suzanne McFadden

The Swiss created history yesterday - the first land-locked nation in 148 years to win a race in the America's Cup.

Until yesterday, the Fast2000 challenge had threatened no one in the Louis Vuitton Cup as they grappled with a two-keeled boat they did not understand.

Yesterday, the hapless Swiss finally became the happy Swiss, as the name of their boat implies, beating the American two-boat Abracadabra campaign.

Be Happy bowman Bernard Labro said the crew were ecstatic: "It was like we had won all the races put together."

Switzerland is the first country with no sea borders ever to compete in the America's Cup.

Their syndicate has lived on the shores of the freshwater Lake Geneva.

Their entry was checked out thoroughly before it was accepted by the New Zealand defence.

They qualified to sail because they can get to the sea via the river Rhone.

The Swiss have had more than their fair share of traumas in this campaign, so their maiden victory brought smiles to most faces.

Abracadabra 2000 never finished the race, after their midnight blue mainsail shredded on the penultimate leg.

The Hawaiians were just two boat-lengths behind, but the Swiss had led for the whole race.

With skipper Marc Pajot and helmsman Jochen Schumann at both steering wheels, the Swiss got the better of the start and seemed finally to have mastered the art of driving a boat with two keels.

Pajot, a Frenchman who has won plenty of Cup races in his time, said it was a relief to bring home a win to the Swiss team back on shore.

"When you are not on the boat, sometimes it is difficult to understand what those guys are doing with that boat out there," he smiled.

Labro admitted it was still an unusual boat, famous for slewing sideways instead of sailing straight ahead.

"Sometimes there is a strange feeling when you're not moving in the same direction as everybody else," he said.

"We could not be happier, but we are still waiting for more points.

"It may be Switzerland's first win in the America's Cup - but it will not be our last."