Can they do it?  History may provide the answer.  First was the idea that the smallest nation ever to challenge for sport's oldest trophy might actually form a team and announce its intentions.  "Impossible" said the skeptics.  Announcement made and challenge accepted.  Next came the need to buy an existing International America's Cup Class (IACC) boat on which to train.  "Never happen," was the cry of the nay-sayers.  Purchase price raised and boat bought.

Then the goal was to sign one of the world's leading designers.  "You'll never do it," opined the cynics.  David Pedrick, designer of two yachts which won the America's Cup, came on board. Perhaps the loftiest goal was the necessity of raising $2 million to begin the complex operations needed to be successful.  "Truly impossible," voiced the non-believers.  Money raised locally in 30 days.

Most recently the idea was to organize an international match race with the world's best America's Cup sailors competing on the waterfront of Charlotte Amalie Harbor.  "Can't find sponsors and the sailors won't come," said the ever-decreasing band of doubters.  Sponsors found, America's Cup teams competed, international recognition received.

So with the success of the Marriott Frenchman's Reef International Match Race still fresh in the minds of potential donors and sponsors, VIACC officials are hitting the money trail immediately.  "We want to capitalize on the momentum the match race produced," says Morton.  "We said that we can run a world-class event and we did just that.  The spotlight was focused on us and we gained a lot of believers.  People are now saying, 'you know, these guys are for real.' Well, we are for real and we an win the America's Cup, but now is the time when that event is won or lost on land.  It's a money game until your boat is on the water racing in Auckland Harbor, and we need to win that game now.  Corporate sponsors are negotiating with the challenge now, but their dollars wont be received until mid-1998.  We can not allow their delay to impact our chances of winning." 

The $250,000 performance bond is a way of measuring the funding success of the challengers.  Because it takes a great deal of money to mount a competitive America's Cup campaign, organizers have set certain parameters to measure the seriousness of each announced challenger.  The money is put into escrow and once the challenger's team makes it to the starting line for the challenger series beginning in October 1999, the quarter-million is returned.

The Mini-America's Cup Regatta to be held in Auckland next April will feature six of the currently eighteen announced challengers.  Team Caribbean has been invited to compete.  Racing will take place in the two identical Team New Zealand yachts built for the 1992 America's Cup.  The two boats with the best scores following a double round robin will meet in the Challenger Final, with the winner advancing to the Mini-America's Cup against defender Team New Zealand.  Both the Challenger Final and the Mini-America's Cup will be a best of nine series.

"This is a great opportunity to expose our campaign and our racing skills to the world," explained Morton.  "We want to recruit the best sailors from throughout the Caribbean and have them prepare for the regatta by undergoing an intensive training program aboard our own IACC yacht, the former Stars & Stripes '92.  Just as we are in the America's Cup to win, our goal is to win this Mini-America's Cup." 

As important to a successful America's Cup campaign as the sailors and the amount of money raised, the design program is key to winning on the water. Over the past decade, the process of America's Cup yacht design has become increasingly sophisticated.  Today, groups of designers, computer modelers, technicians, structural engineers, and composite material experts work together in an effort to produce the blueprint for the world's fastest boat. 

"When we reach our $2.5 million goal," suggests Morton, "we will continue to invest heavily in the design program.  Given the right tools, skipper Peter Holmberg and tactician John Cutler can bring that big silver trophy back to the Virgin Islands.  That's when the investment pays off many times over."

Morton noted that this new fundraising campaign corresponds to the time of the year when taxpayers consider tax deductible contributions.  He and his team aim to use the next few weeks letting potential donors know of one place where their contribution will be most appreciated.