Tragic news clouds Victory Challenge launch day

By JULIE ASH

After launching their new America's Cup yacht members of the Swedish Victory Challenge team were stunned to hear that the head of their syndicate had died.

Jan Stenbeck, 59, died suddenly of a heart attack at the American Hospital in Paris after a brief illness.

The man behind the Swedish America's Cup entry had developed an extensive network of media and telecommunications companies in Sweden.

He was the founder and chairman of mobile-phone operator Invik & Co., Tele2, MTG, Millicom International, Transcom WorldWide, and chairman of the management company Industrifoervaltnings AB Kinnevik.

"It is very sad news," said Victory Challenge spokesperson Bert Willborg.

"The team were told after the launch of our second yacht. It is very sad."

He said it had yet to be decided what the team would do to pay their respects to Stenbeck.

"It is too early to say. It has been an emotional day," Willborg said.

Among the guests at the launch of SWE73 in Auckland yesterday were Team New Zealand chief executive Ross Blackman and Lady Pippa Blake.

It might seem odd that a rival syndicate was invited to another team's launch but the Swedish syndicate said they had invited Blackman and asked him if he could bring Lady Pippa.

"We have a special relationship with Team New Zealand after we purchased NZL38 off them," said Willborg.

NZL38 was the yacht that Team New Zealand used along with sister yacht NZL32 to win the America's Cup in San Diego in 1995. The Swedish team bought it in 2000.

"So we were all so delighted they could come," he said. "Especially Lady Pippa."

Team New Zealand and Lady Pippa weren't the only ones flying the flag for New Zealand at the launch. The boat was blessed by Brenda Rawiri of the Te Whetu - the Haka group that impressed the Swedish team and their 120 guests with a Maori cultural performance.

Rawiri also christened the yacht in the traditional way by smashing a bottle of champagne over its bow.

"We feel really welcome down here and it was a way of showing our appreciation," said Wilborg.

"It was just a simple ceremony involving local people."

For Victory Challenge designer German Frers jnr the New Zealand-flavoured launch was a new experience.

"It was a lot of fun. It was great to have local New Zealand people come here and bless the boat," said Frers, who was part of Prada's design team in the last cup.

Sweden's first yacht, SWE63 or Orn as it is known, was launched in Gothenburg in October. It arrived in Auckland last year and has impressed many with her speed.

Frers says the second yacht, SWE73, is even faster.

"I can't wait to test her against our first boat. There is still some work to do and not much time left," he said.

"I think it was an advantage to get a new-generation boat here early and get all the team cranked up on her. It was also useful for getting information for the second boat."

With just over a month until the start of the Louis Vuitton Challenger series on October 1, the Swedes would love New Zealanders to get in behind them for the challengers series at least.

Frers said: "It is going to be tough, but we are looking forward to it."