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Team Caribbean
Secures New Zealand Base Camp
St. Thomas, USVI-July 13, 1998 - Officials of the Team Caribbean America's Cup Challenge today announced the confirmation of a base camp in the America's Cup Village in Auckland, New Zealand. The deposit on "Base Camp 9B" was wired to New Zealand last week and secures a lease on the area for the calendar year of 1999. Challenger races begin in October 1999.
"This is a significant commitment by the campaign," said Team Caribbean Board Member Dick Johnson. "This will be the site of all Team Caribbean race operations while we are in New Zealand. It will also serve as the center for our corporate and donor hospitality programs. We selected the site when we were in Auckland last April and we consider it perfect for our needs."
Base Camp 9B is located between the sites selected by America True of San Francisco and the Aloha Challenge of Hawaii. Next to America True is Team Dennis Conner. This configuration of four American syndicates in a row is likely to generate a concentration of U.S. media and spectators. As part of the America's Cup Village, Team Caribbean will share in the many events planned for the downtown Auckland location, including theme nights during which the different Challengers will be highlighted. This will allow Team Caribbean to showcase aspects of Caribbean culture including music, dance, food and drink to the world.
In addition to the four teams listed above, other syndicates which have leased space are: Young America (New York Yacht Club), America One (St. Francis Yacht Club), Spain, Japan, Esprit de France/Switzerland (combined) and Italy. All six American challenges have secured base camps.
The Team Caribbean compound on the site will include facilities for sail making and repair, equipment maintenance, administrative and operations offices, a travel lift to place race and training boats in and out of the water, a dry dock area for boat maintenance, and areas to conduct the hospitality programs.
"Securing our Base Camp is one more indication of the progress of our program" said Steve Morton, vice president of marketing for the team. "We've gone from a fledgling campaign two years ago to lining up today alongside the traditional powers in the sport of sailing. Our skipper Peter Holmberg has won premier match racing events this year and is the highest ranked U.S. sailor (at number 3) in the world. Our design team, led by two-time America's Cup winner David Pedrick, has been working for more than a year on breakthrough ideas. We're serious and we're determined to prove that on the water beginning in October of 1999."
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. Team Caribbean has over 17 major sponsors including Red Hook Agencies, Knight Quality Stations, Topa Equities, Ritz-Carlton of St. Thomas, GANT USA, the San Juan Star, Cellular One and Texaco Caribbean Corporation. | 
