Don't let the new-look syndicates fool you, some veteran talent is chasing the LV Trophy
Meet the new names of America's Cup class sailing. With new-look syndicates lining up in next week's Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland, the two-week regatta makes for a fascinating contest.
Of the eight teams competing in the second round of the newly established world tour, only two, including Emirates Team New Zealand, raced in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series last year.
The Pacific Series became a world series when a global circuit kicked off in Nice last year - when Italian syndicate Azzurra surprisingly beat Team New Zealand in the final.
Among those missing from last year's flagship event are Luna Rossa, Team Shosholoza, China Team, Damiani Italia and Greek Challenge.
The timing of next week's regatta meant the "big two" glamour syndicates - BMW Oracle and Alinghi - also haven't returned, with much of their focus over the past 12 months being on the just-completed Deed of Gift match in Valencia.
Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton, who is one of the founding members of the World Sailing Teams Association - the entity established to run the events - admits he is disappointed not to have the new Cup holders and Alinghi competing in Auckland this month.
"We'd love to have Oracle here but they'd be unlikely to perform all that well because their focus ... has been on Valencia. It's takes a while to change disciplines, get your team together and re-grow," said Dalton. "Who knows what the future for Alinghi is? Probably they don't even know right now."
While Dalton has a frosty relationship with the Swiss syndicate, he said he would "absolutely" welcome their inclusion in the Louis Vuitton series for future events.
In the absence of the big-name syndicates that have dominated the headlines over the last few years, the spotlight in Auckland will fall on the new breed of teams that have kicked in to life now some certainty to the America's Cup has been restored.
The four new teams that will line up in Auckland this month all come with familiar faces and powerful credentials.
The French Aleph sailing team is skippered by former world match racing champion Bertrand Pace. All4One is a combined French and German team, skippered by Jochen Schumann with Sebastien Col at the helm. Artemis, from Sweden, has Paul Cayard as skipper, while the Synergy Russian Sailing Team is skippered by Karol Jablonski.
Dalton said given these "emerging teams" are all collaborations between highly experienced campaigners, he expects them to be tough.
But Dalton believes Team New Zealand's biggest competition is likely to come from Great British entrant Team Origin - the only crew returning to Auckland from last year - and Italy's Azzurra, who won the opening round of the tour in Nice last November.
"[Skipper] Ben Ainslie is a class act so Origin are going to be seriously quick and Azzurra beat us in France, so there are some very strong teams here," said Dalton.
The only disappointment for organisers over the event is the number of entrants, which at eight is down from previous regattas.
Louis Vuitton Trophy spokesman Bruno Trouble puts the depleted numbers down to timing difficulties and expects now the next cycle of the America's Cup is beginning to crank into life, the remaining regattas this year will be well-subscribed.
LOUIS VUITTON TROPHY
March 9-21, Waitemata Harbour
Competing teams:
* ALL4ONE (France/Germany) - Jochen Schumann (skipper), Sebastien Col (helmsman)
* Team Artemis (Sweden) - Paul Cayard (skipper)
* Aleph Sailing Team (France) - Bertrand Pace (skipper)
* Azzurra (Italy) - Francesco Bruni (skipper), Tommaso Chieffi (tactician)
* Emirates Team New Zealand (NZ) - Dean Barker (skipper)
* Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (Italy) - Gavin Brady (skipper), Morgan Larson (tactician)
* Synergy Russian Sailing Team (Russia) - Karol Jablonski (skipper)
* Team Origin (Britain) - Ben Ainslie (skipper), Iain Percy (tactician)
