Reports: Japanese Team To Join America’s Cup
A Japanese team is expected to announce they will enter the America’s Cup, according to media report from the Japan Times, sailing website Scuttlebutt and the Independent.
Scuttlebutt Sailing News reports, “The long-heralded announcement that Japan is to challenge again for the America’s Cup is expected finally to be made by the end of next week and will see not only a Japanese skipper but the appearance of former Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker in the lineup.
“The team will be sponsored by Softbank for the Kansai Yacht Club and is expected, like the French team, to be offered some support by the cup holder and defender Oracle, which represents the Golden Gate Yacht Club.
“It is expected that Oracle boss Larry Ellison and his sailing team boss Sir Russell Coutts will attend the signing ceremony along with Masoyashi San.”
Meanwhile the Japan Times reports that a “sailing source confirmed” the news to them, with Japan set to “return to the America’s Cup competition for the first time in 17 years when it vies for the prestigious sailing trophy in Bermuda in 2017.”
“An announcement is expected sometime next week with Softbank chairman Masayoshi Son likely to attend,” the Japan Times added.
Right now there are five teams scheduled to compete: defending champion Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing from Sweden, Ben Ainslie Racing from Great Britain, Emirates Team from New Zealand, and Team France.
There were originally six, however the Italian team Luna Rossa recently withdrew in protest over rule changes which will involve smaller boats being used as a cost saving measure.
While there has not been any form of official statement made by either the Japanese team or the America’s Cup, race director Sir Russell Coutts had already indicated that an Asian team would be entering.
Speaking to the AFP earlier this month, Coutts said a realistic number of teams competing in 2017 would be “six or seven, including one or two Asian teams,” telling AFP that ”one of them will be announced next month. The official list will be published before summer.”
Japan have contested the America’s Cups three times: 1992, 1995 and 2000.
Nice!
Banzai!
It’s sounding better everyday. “The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.” (Thomas Carlyle)
Italy pulls out, 71 comments, mostly moaning about what a disaster it was, what if everyone pulls out, whine whine whine.
Japan joins up, almost no comments.
Typical.
Excatly. There are people in Bermuda who want to see this fail – well it won’t. The AC people are here now and they are here for a good while.
Stick that one up your nose team Italy and to all the doubting Thomas’ out there! Welcome Team Japan…Konnichiwa to the Japanese from Bermuda.
Heh, no need to pick on the Italians here. It’s regrettable they had to pull out. That said, it’s promising that a Japanese franchise has shown interest and we should be quite happy on that front.
More great news. There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes and my club will welcome these fellow yachtsmen with Balthazars of bubbly!