Alinghi sail to America’s Cup glory
Alinghi have won the America's Cup for the second time, defending their title – sailing's oldest an most prestigious prize - clinched in Auckland four years ago.
The Swiss syndicate sailed to victory in Tuesday’s race against challengers Team New Zealand, becoming the first European crew to retain the Auld Mug.
Alinghi passed the line in a photo finish ahead of the Kiwis in the seventh race off the coast of the Spanish city of Valencia.
In strong and steady wind off Port America’s Cup, the SUI-100 boat let a penalty advantage and big lead slip during the last leg and came in one second ahead of the NZL-92 yacht.
Tuesday’s match was a heart-stopping end to the best-of-nine series with boats hardly more than a boat length apart for most of the race, playing clever tactical games to win a few metres.
“To win at the last second, it’s unbelievable. It has done a lot for the sport. It’s got my heart,” said Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli.
“This is a fantastic day for Alinghi, to win the America’s Cup again after four years of hard work,” added skipper Brad Butterworth.
Exciting racing
For his part, New Zealand general manager Grant Dalton put on a brave face.
“It was obviously pretty close but all credit to Alinghi. They sailed well, kept it close, kept on sailing the way they do and beat us fair and square.”
Overall the Swiss team won by five victories against just two by the New Zealanders in the 32nd America’s Cup final.
Alinghi won four races in a row and only last Sunday’s unfavourable weather conditions stopped the SUI-100 boat from clinching the oldest sport trophy earlier in the series.
The Swiss syndicate joins Team Dennis Conner and Team New Zealand as the only crews in cup history to win as a challenger and defender.
Experts say it was the most exciting regatta in 24 years when Australia II rallied for a 4-3 series win.
Swiss image
Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey was one of the first to congratulate the Alinghi crew.
“The Swiss find their way on high seas not only in the mountains,” she said in a telegram.
She referred to Switzerland’s geographical position as a landlocked country in the heart of Europe.
“The Alinghi team embodies a modern and multicultural Switzerland, which opens the way to the future and does not fear the winds of harsh global competition in sport, research and the economy,” she said.
The minister for sport, Samuel Schmid, joined the list of well-wishers, saying “Hats off and thank you” in his telegram.
He said the Alinghi victory showed the skills of the whole team, including the designers of the boat as well as the sponsors. He added the triumph would have a positive impact on Switzerland’s image abroad.
Alinghi now have the right to organise the next event where, when and how they want.
Many cup followers expect the Geneva-based team to choose a new Spanish yacht club as the challenger of record with whom they will set the rules of the next edition.
This raises the possibility the 33rd America’s Cup will be in 2009 in Valencia.
swissinfo with agencies
The inaugural race was held off the Isle of Wight in 1851. America dominated the race right up until 1983 when Australia won the trophy.
In 1995 New Zealand became only the third country to win the competition, successfully defending their title in 2000.
The Swiss syndicate Alinghi sailed to victory against Black Magic in 2003 and became the first European team to win the Auld Mug.
The 2007 America’s Cup sart – off the coast of Spain – started on June 23 and was a best-of-nine series.
Ernesto Bertarelli was born in Rome in 1965. He is married and has three children.
He came to Switzerland at the age of eight – with his brother and his two sisters – and attended private schools in Geneva.
His father Fabio Bertarelli moved the headquarters of the company Serono to Geneva in 1977.
Ernesto – who had taken on Swiss nationality in the meantime – graduated from Harvard Business School in Boston in 1993.
After his father fell ill, Ernesto took over the business at Serono in 1996. His father died two years later.
In 2001 Bertarelli launched his campaign to win the America’s Cup. His Alinghi team, which is registered with the Geneva Nautical Society, clinched the trophy from defenders Team New Zealand in 2003 in Auckland.
The Bertarelli family sold the company, Serono, to the German group Merck for more than SFr16 billion ($13.2 billion) in September 2006.
The name Alinghi was allegedly created by Ernesto Bertarelli and one of his sisters when they were children.
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