Yachting: America's Cup fever hits China

VALENCIA - The links between China and the America's Cup have been strengthened today with the announcement of a "China sails into the America's Cup" concert, which will be staged in Beijing on 1 April this year.

The aim of the concert is to celebrate China Team, the first Chinese challenger in the long history of the America's Cup.

"The challenge from China Team adds new excitement and energy to the legend of the America's Cup," said Paco Latorre, the communications director of the event organisers.

The concert in April will feature up to 15 Chinese stars, including Mo Wen wei, Wang Li hong, Su you peng, Rong Zu er, Chen Hui lin, Zhao Wei, Yu Quan, Chen Kun, Zhou Xun.

They will perform at the Tian Qiao Theatre, with the show broadcast on China Central Television, China's largest TV network.

Bruno Troublé, the initiator of the Louis Vuitton Cup, said the challenge by China Team is crucial for the development of sailing in China. "The scores aren't important at this stage," he said. "What matters is that the crew is developing through competing with and against the best sailors in the world."

The team is recruiting Chinese sailors in collaboration with the Chinese Yachting Association and will build its racing yacht in China, beginning later this summer.

China Team is a collaboration between a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and the French Le Défi, which competed in the last two Louis Vuitton Cups.

America's Cup racing begins this season with the Louis Vuitton Acts 10 and 11 from the 11th to 21st of May.