Shosholoza shows her mettle
Brad Morgan
25 April 2007
Team Shosholoza is proving to be a handful for the top crews racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup. On Tuesday, the South Africans were in fine form as they brought Luna Rossa Challenge's unbeaten match-racing run to an end and followed that up with a win over China Team.
A lack of wind has plagued the racing, but after a delayed start yesterday, Shosholoza confirmed her much improved form by shocking Italy's Luna Rossa.
Opened up a lead
The South Africans fought off a number of attacks by the Italians as the yachts jostled for position at the start, getting away evenly, but on a better sailing line. By the first windward mark, Shosholoza had opened up a 17 second lead.
On the run down to the leeward gate, Paolo Cian's men eked out another three seconds, extending their advantage to 20 seconds. However, six seconds were given back to the Italians as Shosholoza rounded the final windward marker.
Racing for the
finish line, the South African crew came up trumps, pulling away from Luna Rossa to take an impressive victory by 36 seconds.
Champagne and congratulations
Back at the team's base, the sailors were doused with champagne and messages of congratulations rolled in by phone, sms, and e-mails.
Team strategist Ian Ainslie admitted at the post race press conference that it had been an emotional experience for him: "I was calm the whole way until just before we crossed the finish line and then I just started crying; it was too big an emotional moment that I was sharing with my team mates," he said.
"Today we had the good luck. It was our race. We had steady 12 knots. We were faster and we didn't give them any possibility of hauling us in."
Antonio Sarno, the son of Captain Salvatore Sarno, the managing director of the South African challenge, was the eighteenth man on board for the race against Luna Rossa. He said Ainslie was not the
only member of the crew moved to tears.
'The biggest gift'
"After three-and-a-half years it was the biggest gift for Shosholoza. I have never seen a team so united. It was also good for our Italian helmsman Paolo Cian and tactician Tommaso Chieffi to show the world what they are worth," he added.
Captain Sarno was, like the crew, emotional after Shosholoza's fantastic showing. He said: "At the team meeting this morning I said let's go out and win two races today and, for the first time, we did just that. We have been waiting for this win for a week.
"Yacht designer Jason Ker, helmsman Paolo Cian, me, were sure that we were faster. Against the Swedes and America's BMW Oracle we had really bad luck. In both races we were in the wrong place at the wrong moment with the flukey wind shifts. If we had the good luck we had today, we could be sitting with five wins already."
Tactician Tommaso Chieffi paid tribute to the crew of 17, of
whom 13 are South Africans, saying he was amazed at how well they held up under heavy pressure.
'A great step in the right direction'
"It's a great step in the right direction for us," he reckoned.
Helmsman Paolo Cian summed it up when he said: "It's just an incredible feeling. I can't describe it. All this hard work and now this beautiful win…"
The two wins lifted Shosholoza to fourth in the standings, in a three-way tie with Italy's Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team and Sweden's Victory Challenge.
BMW Oracle Racing, the only remaining unbeaten team, leads the way, followed by Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge.
Tight battle with BMW Oracle
In earlier racing, when Team Shosholoza met BMW Oracle Racing, it was close for the Americans as they came within a whisker of losing their perfect record.
Shosholoza took a narrow lead off the start line and built up a 30 second
advantage. Disaster struck, however, as the boat rounded the second mark. The spinnaker was dropped into the water, costing the valuable seconds as the crew struggled to regain control. That opened the door for the Americans to take charge of the race.
BMW Oracle Racing went on to a 47 second victory, but it was anything but an easy win.
"It was impressive sailing by the South Africans," said BMW Oracle navigator Peter Isler.
In her two other matches, the Royal Cape Yacht Club entry suffered a defeat to Sweden's Victory Challenge in her opening race and beat United Internet Team Germany.
Sponsorship success
A late sponsorship from MSC Crociere helped Team Shosholoza make a number of changes before the Louis Vuitton Act 13 and the Louis Vuitton Cup. These included a new bow, stern, mast, bulb and sails. The improvements have been clear in the team's performances.
The sponsorship is for 2007 only, but MSC Crociere will
extend it to a second America's Cup campaign, through to 2011, if Team Shosholoza does well. It appears the South African crew is well on their way to winning that sponsorship.
Shosholoza's other chief sponsor, Germany company T-Systems, must also be very satisfied with their investment in a team which has proved to be a massive hit, not only on the water, but with sailing fans off the water.
Many people would have regarded the South African crew as no-hopers when competition began for a place in the America's Cup over three years ago, but that perception has been emphatically overturned.
Team Shosholoza has brought a new vibe filled with contagious enthusiasm and excitement to the competition. The results of that approach are now plain to see; it's a winning recipe.
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