The future outlined for Team Prada

AMERICA'S CUP - THE FUTURE OUTLINED FOR TEAM PRADA

Team Prada, who 48 hours ago was still competing against Team New Zealand in the 30th Match for the America's Cup and was parading today in the streets of Auckland, has already outlined the plans for the future. As previously announced, Patrizio Bertelli (CEO of team Prada) will compete in the next America's Cup representing Yacht Club Punta Ala as the "Challenger of Record". The Yacht Club Punta Ala will hence represent the challengers and will act as the organising authority for the next challenger selection series. The XXXI America's Cup will be raced through the New Zealand summer of 2002-2003.

The Challenger of Record and the Defender Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron have already agreed the Protocol for the next America's Cup, which contains all the guidelines for the event. The document is an evolution from the previous Protocol and seeks to clarify some aspects that have arisen in applications to the Arbitration Panel during the XXX America's Cup. Amongst these improvements, there are clearer nationality rules and more effective rules restricting the transfer between syndicates of technology, design information and equipment.

The first deadline for challenges for the XXXI America's Cup is 1 March 2001, and must be accompanied by an entry fee of US$ 150.000. Late entries will be accepted until 1 March 2002, accompanied by a double entry fee (US$ 300.000). The nationality deadline is 1 March 2001; within this date, the foreign designers and crew members must be residents or citizens of the country of the Yacht Club which they represent.

Marco Piccinini, vice president and challenge representative for team Prada, outlined yesterday to the international Media the format of racing for the next Louis Vuitton Cup: "There will be two round robins, the purpose of which will be to establish a ranking and consequent seeding for each challenger. In these round robins each challenger will sail every other challenger once and wins will carry the same number of points in both rounds. The top two thirds of the challengers after the round robins, with a maximum of ten, will go into the semi-finals. The semi-finals will be conducted on a seeded ladder basis, the finals details of which will be determined by the challengers and approved by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron as Trustee. The Defender and the Challenger of Record have agreed to meet within the next few weeks to pursue joint packages for the marketing of the event and the international television and Internet rights. The objective of both the Challenger of Reco! rd and the Defender is, where possible, to present the America's Cup Match, the Challanger Selection Series and any Defender Selection Series as one event". At this stage no other official challenges for the next America's Cup have been received by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

In the next couple of weeks team Prada will shut down the base for the ending season. All the team members will return to Italy, in groups, by the beginning of April. The two International America's Cup Class yachts Luna Rossa ITA 45 and ITA 48 will be shipped back to Italy and the training at sea will begin in Punta Ala (where the operation base of the team is situated), on 15 June 2000. In the next few days the team will also plan the international racing calendar for each crew member. At the end of year 2000 team Prada will return to their base in Auckland to continue the training in New Zealand waters.

More Information: www.Prada-americascup.com