Yachting: Le Defi adamant they will contest cup

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Le Defi France are determined to return to Auckland for the next America's Cup, despite losing their skipper and an innovative young boat designer.

The French syndicate, who stole a place in the semis of the last challenger series, yesterday launched their 2002 campaign in Paris.

They admitted they do not have a billionaire behind them, nor a skipper, since Bertrand Pace left to join Team New Zealand.

But they plan to go one better than last time - building two boats before Christmas 2001.

Their hardest task, though, will be raising 200 million francs ($62.5 million) over the next three years.

The design team will be led by Luc Gellusseau, but will be without the vision of Juan Kouyoumdjian, who has joined the Italian Prada team.

But they have picked up Dutchman Peter van Oossanen, who dreamed up the double keel on the Swiss Be Happy boat for the last cup, and helped to develop Australia II's winged keel in 1983.

Le Defi will put together a crew of 26 sailors to start training in Auckland in the 2001-02 summer. But they are still looking for a driver.

Meanwhile, Sweden's Victory Challenge have found their helmsman in leading matchrace skipper Magnus Holmberg.

The Swedish sailor, who has won the last two events in the Swedish Match world series, announced yesterday that he had joined up with his home challenge.

"It has been more than 20 years since our Pelle Pettersen sailed with Sir James Hardy and Baron Bich [in the cup]," Holmberg said.

"So it's about time for Sweden to get back."

He will drive the old Team NZ black boat, NZL38 - bought by the Swedes and renamed Cristina - until a new cup yacht is built in Sweden.

German Frers, the Argentine design guru who helped to draw up Prada's boats last time, has also joined the Victory Challenge.

Holmberg is today sailing in the final event of the Swedish Match grand prix, the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda.

In the first round of the Wimbledon-style knockout regatta, Holmberg will sail against young Team NZ helmsman Cameron Appleton.

Three other Kiwis won their way into the regatta through qualifying yesterday - Chris Dickson, Murray Jones and Kelvin Harrap.

Dickson, who will skipper American entry Oracle Racing in the next cup, will meet Team NZ skipper Dean Barker first-up today.

Jones, now tactician for the Swiss Bertarelli syndicate with Russell Coutts, is up against Dennis Conner.

Harrap, who has joined the Seattle OneWorld challenge, races Conner's tactician Peter Holmberg.

Coutts meets unseeded American Andy Horton.

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