Sips from the cup: Plaza chance to try being cup yachtie

Compiled by JULIE ASH

The Swiss syndicate Alinghi will open their doors to the public next Sunday in the grand opening of their interactive plaza.

The entry-free plaza includes several interactive and semi-interactive stations.

Each station gives a taste of what it is like to compete in an America's Cup race.

One station, for example, simulates driving the boat at the start and another requires participants to scale the bow while the boat is in motion.

"It's kind of like a mechanical bull," said Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts of the bow station.

The opening of the interactive plaza means the public will be able to walk onto the base and watch Alinghi launch and bring in their boats.

"It will give people an idea of how much preparation we do just to go sailing," said Coutts, who was recently inducted into sailing's hall of fame.

"It will give them a taste of what it is really like."

The Alinghi crew will be at the opening, which starts at 10am.

It will then open daily from 10am to 6pm.

The Alinghi crew are well into their winter programme in the countdown to the Louis Vuitton Cup, which starts in October.

"The weather hasn't been too good lately, it has been blowing a gale out there," Coutts said.

"But it is better to be here practising on the water we are going to race on."

"We are reasonably happy and are pretty much on track."

Coutts said the team would compete overseas next month before returning for the launch of their second boat at the end of July.

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Andrea, the nine-month-old daughter of Mascalzone Latino syndicate head and team skipper Vincenzo Onorato, has christened ITA72, the first new Italian America's Cup boat.

The 44-year-old Onorato brought his team and boat to his home-town of Naples for the public ceremony on the waterfront of the Bay of Naples.

In her mother's arms and in the pouring rain, Andrea helped to cut the ribbon, releasing a magnum of champagne which sprayed the bow of Mascalzone Latino XII.

The boat has been transferred to the team's base in Portoferria on the island of Elba, where the crew will train for two months before relocating to Auckland.

Before the launch of its new boat, the syndicate spent a month in Auckland, which helmsman Paolo Cian said was extremely valuable.

"We have had a favourable reply to our trip to Auckland," he said.

"We feel we worked in the right way with the boat, the old Stars and Stripes USA55, which we acquired."

Fellow Italian syndicate Prada will launch their first cup boat, Luna Rossa ITA74, in Largo Isarco, Milan, on May 20.

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Volunteers are wanted to help to run the Louis Vuitton Cup from the Buckland's Beach Yacht Club.

The Challenger of Record, the organisation responsible for the race management of the Louis Vuitton Cup, has set up its official regatta operations office at the yacht club.

Past-commodore Merv Appleton has been appointed regatta operations manager for the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The yacht club is now calling for volunteers to help run the management team for the cup race.

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Sweden's Victory Challenge are on the lookout for a doctor to deal with their growing list of injuries.

Trimmer Lars Linger has been sidelined for at least five weeks after injuring his back while out training on Orn SWE63.

Linger has spent the week in hospital after an unloader - a device used to level different loads on the boat - came loose and hit him on the back causing fractures.

The injury follows an incident last Sunday when sparring midbow Conan Hunt was concussed when a falling spinnaker boom hit him on the neck.

The pair join five others who also have injuries.

Victory Challenge project leader Mats Johansson said he was after a doctor who specialised in athletic injuries.

"The injury situation has got worse so I consider it necessary to have a doctor in the team."