Stars & Stripes '92 will sail into San Juan Harbor on the morning of Thursday, March 19 and officials from Team Caribbean will hold a press conference from Noon to 1:00 p.m. in conjunction with Club Náutico de San Juan, during which several major announcements involving Puerto Rico will be made.   

On Friday, March 20, the racing yacht will sail to Marina Puerto del Rey, Fajardo, the site of the Heineken International Cup Regatta.  Stars & Stripes '92 and her crew will participate in some of the activities of the regatta and will be available for public tours including community and school groups.

Team Caribbean is one of sixteen declared international Challengers for the America's Cup, to be held in Auckland, New Zealand with racing beginning in October 1999.

Originally announced in May 1996 in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, the concept of the challenge soon grew to include all Caribbean island nations.  Because of it proximity to the Virgin Islands and its wealth of sailing talent, Puerto Rico has become a major contributor to the campaign.  By enlarging its geographic and financial base, Team Caribbean will be better prepared to defeat the established sailing powers from Europe, Australia, the United States and Asia while remaining committed to the team's basic tenet of presenting the first America's Cup multicultural and multiracial challenge.

The campaign is the first Caribbean-based challenge for the America's Cup, the only U.S. territory ever to challenge, and the only challenge ever made official by a woman commodore.  A number of large corporations in the Caribbean and U.S. have expressed interest in what the team represents -- the promotion of cultural and racial diversity and greater enjoyment, utilization, and respect for the marine environment.

"We are looking forward to bringing Stars & Stripes '92 to Puerto Rico," said Peter Holmberg, co-founder and skipper of Team Caribbean.  "This will provide us with the opportunity to meet the press and people of Puerto Rico and explain some very exciting plans we have.  This campaign has placed the Caribbean region on the international sports stage and as we prepare for the America's Cup, a great deal more exposure will come our way.  Puerto Rico stands to benefit in many ways from that exposure."

Holmberg is one of the top sailors in the world.  He is currently ranked number 6 on the World Match Race Rankings and was a silver medalist in the 1988 Olympics and the 1994 Pan American Games.  His next international competition will be the Congressional Cup in Long Beach, California, from March 10-14.

Although some observers of America's Cup history viewed the announcement of a challenge from the Caribbean with more than a healthy skepticism, the past year and a-half of significant accomplishments has turned much of the skepticism to admiration.  New Zealand, the current Cup defender, has accepted the challenge as a legitimate challenger.  A strong operations team is in place.  John Cutler, an experienced America's Cup skipper and world-class sailor, has signed on as Vice President of Design & Technology.  More than a dozen major corporate sponsorships have been signed to date with more than $3 million raised locally.  A distinguished design team, led by Cup veteran David Pedrick, has been assembled.  Stars & Stripes '92 was purchased and on board training has been underway.  The Holmberg-led match racing team won four major regattas in 1997.