The 6th

Louis Vuitton Cup The Louis Vuitton Cup was the name of the Challenger Selection Series sailing competition from 1983, named after its sponsor, Louis Vuitton. The winner of the competition became the challenger to compete with the defender of the America's Cu ...

was held in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand, in 2003. The winner, Alinghi, went on to challenge for and win the

2003 America's Cup The 31st America's Cup was contested between the holder, Team New Zealand, and the winner of the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, Alinghi. Build Up The 2002–2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, held in the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland, New Zealand saw nine teams fro ...

The teams

The Yacht Club Punta Ala was the challenger of record.

Alinghi

Founded by Swiss businessman

Ernesto Bertarelli Ernesto Silvio Maurizio Bertarelli (born 22 September 1965) is an Italian-born Swiss billionaire businessman and philanthropist. The 2017 edition of the Sunday Times Rich List estimated the family's wealth at £11.5 billion, an increase of £ ...

, Alinghi featured

Russell Coutts Sir Russell Coutts (born 1 March 1962) is a world champion New Zealand yachtsman. Early and personal life Coutts was educated at Otago Boys' High School (1975–1979) and is a Life Member of Paremata Boating Club, where he learnt to sail in ...

and

Brad Butterworth Bradley William Butterworth (born 1959) is a New Zealand yachtsman known for the role he played as tactician and skipper in the America's Cup for Team New Zealand and the Alinghi team of Switzerland. Butterworth was born in Te Awamutu, New Zeal ...

who had both joined from Team New Zealand.

Jochen Schuemann Jochen is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Jochen Asche, East German luger, competed during the 1960s *Jochen Böhler (born 1969), German historian, specializing in the history of World War II *Jochen Babock (born 1953), East G ...

was also involved in the team.

GBR Challenge

Put together by Peter Harrison and New Zealander David Barnes, the team was skippered by Ian Walker and included Jim Turner. GBR 70 was known as Wight Lightning while GBR 78 was called Wight Magic.

Le Defi Areva

Despite 2000 skipper Bertrand Pace joining

Team New Zealand Team New Zealand or TNZ is a sailing team based in Auckland, New Zealand representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Team New Zealand became a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America's Cup i ...

, Le Defi returned in 2003 with Luc Pillot skippering FRA 79.

Mascalzone Latino

Headed by shipping magnate Vincenzo Onorato, Mascalzone Latino featured an all-Italian crew. The syndicate was only established in 2001 and Paolo Cian served as helmsman and the crew included Flavio Favini, Shannon Falcone, Giuseppe Brizzi, Davide Scarpa, and Pierluigi De Felice. and Francesco De vita

OneWorld

Part-financed by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

mogul

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which ...

, OneWorld was based in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

. Skippered by Peter Gilmour, the team was docked one Louis Vuitton point by an arbitration panel for being in possession of design secrets from another team. The design team included Laurie Davidson, Bruce Nelson and Phil Kaiko and the sailing team included 10 Olympic medallists, three round-the-world winners, 60 world championship titles in various classes, and 16 America's Cup winners. The crew included Kevin Shoebridge as a trimmer,

Mark Mendelblatt Mark Mendelblatt (born February 19, 1973) is an American yachtsman. Married to windsurfer Carolina Mendelblatt (née Borges), he primarily sails the Laser Radial, a one-design class of small ( long, and ) single-handed sailing dinghy. Beginni ...

as backup helmsman, Kevin Hall,

Rick Dodson Richard Dodson (born 19 February 1959) is a visually impaired New Zealand sailor. He has won several world championships in sailing, including but not limited to two America's Cups and an Admiral's Cup. Dodson also competed in the 2016 Summer ...

, David Endean, Grant Spanhake, Peter Waymouth, Matt Mason, Joey Newton,

James Spithill James Spithill (born 28 June 1979) is an Australian yachtsman. In 2010, as skipper and helmsman for BMW Oracle Racing, Spithill won the America's Cup. He defended the cup twice, both times against Emirates Team New Zealand, first successfully ...

Jeremy Scantlebury Jeremy Scantlebury is a New Zealand sailor who has competed in multiple America's Cups. Scantlebury sailed with Digby Taylor on ''NZI Enterprise'' during the 1985–86 Whitbread Round the World Race. He raced with New Zealand Challenge on ''KZ 7 ...

, Alan Smith, Andy Fethers, Andrew Taylor, Scott Crawford, and Olympians Craig Monk, Don Cowie,

Ben Ainslie Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie (born 5 February 1977) is a British competitive sailor. Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four consecutiv ...

, Kelvin Harrap, Charles and

Jonathan McKee Jonathan Dunn McKee (born December 19, 1959, in Seattle, Washington) is an American sailor and Olympic Champion. He competed in the Flying Dutchman (dinghy), Flying Dutchman class at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and won a gold medal, ...

Oracle BMW Racing

Founded by

Larry Ellison Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American business magnate and investor who is the co-founder, executive chairman, chief technology officer (CTO) and former chief executive officer (CEO) of the American computer technology ...

who bought the assets of 2000 syndicate AmericaOne. The team was skippered by

Peter Holmberg Peter William Holmberg (born October 4, 1960) is a sailor from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who won a silver medal in Men's Finn class in the 1988 Summer Olympics, making him the only Virgin Islander medalist so far. He was born on Saint T ...

and also featured

Paul Cayard Paul Pierre Cayard (born May 19, 1959) is an American yachtsman and professional sailor. He has competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Volvo Ocean Rac ...

, Matt Welling, John Cutler, Phil Jameson, Brad Webb, Brian MacInnes, Cameron Dunn, and Chris Dickson. USA 71 and USA 76 were designed by

Bruce Farr Bruce Kenneth Farr (born 1949 in Auckland) is a New Zealand designer of racing and cruising yachts. Farrdesigned boats have won, challenged for, or placed highly in the Whitbread Round the World Race, America's Cup, and Sydney to Hobart Yacht R ...

Roy Heiner Roy Heiner (born 22 November 1960, in Virginia, Free State, South Africa) is a sailor from the Netherlands, who represented his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Pusan. Heiner took 7th place in the Finn. In 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona ...

sailed the trial boat.

Prada Challenge

Founded by

Patrizio Bertelli Patrizio Bertelli (born 6 April 1946), is an Italian billionaire businessman, and the former co-chief executive officer (CEO), with his wife Miuccia Prada, of Prada Group. As of March 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.5 billion. Life an ...

, Prada's crew included members of the 2000 Young America syndicate. They were again skippered by Francesco de Angelis and Rod Davis, Pietro D'Ali, Thomas Burnham, Hartwell Jordan, Piero Romeo,

Gavin Brady Gavin Brady (born 1 November 1973 in Timaru) is a New Zealand sailor who has competed in the Summer Olympics and multiple America's Cups. After sailing the sponsor boat for New Zealand Challenge at the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup, Brady was the tactic ...

, Francesco Bruni, Andrew Hemmings, Steven Erickson,

Matteo Plazzi Matteo Plazzi (born in Ravenna) is an Italian sailor who has competed in multiple America's Cups. Plazzi's first foray into the America's Cup was with ''Azzurra'' in the 1987 Louis Vuitton Cup. In addition to competing in the America's Cup, Matte ...

, Gilberto Nobili, Massimo Gherarducci, Alberto Barovier, and Torben Grael were in the crew.

Team Dennis Conner

Team

Dennis Conner Dennis Walter Conner (born September 16, 1942) is an American yachtsman. He is noted for winning a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and three wins in the America's Cup. Sailing career Conner was born September ...

's USA 77 suffered a massive blow when it sank off the Californian coast in July before the Cup began. The helmsman was

Ken Read Kenneth John Read (born November 6, 1955) is one of the most respected sport leaders in Canada. This World Cup alpine ski racer from Canada was a specialist in the downhill and a two-time Olympian. He won five World Cup races during his ten-yea ...

and the team included Terry Hutchinson.

Victory Challenge

Principal backer

Jan Stenbeck Jan Hugo Robert Arne Stenbeck (; 14 November 1942 – 19 August 2002) was a Swedish business leader, media pioneer, sailor and financier. He was head of Kinnevik Group from 1976 and founded among other things the companies Comviq, Invik & C ...

died of a heart attack in August 2002. This was Sweden's first America's Cup bid since 1992 and the crew included Magnus Holmberg, Lars Linger, Stefan Rahm, Mikkel Røssberg, Jesper Bank, Mats Johansson, Roger Hall and Olympian Magnus Augustson. Their boats were designed by

Germán Frers Germán Frers, Sr. (born July 4, 1941, in Argentina) is a naval architect renowned for designing successful racing yachts. He designed his first yacht in 1958. There is a design team consisting of Germán Frers and his son Germán Frers, Jr., su ...

and Cole (Skip) Lissiman was their coach.

Round robin

* OneWorld was docked one race win.

Finals

Quarter-finals

Finals

References

External links

Ultimatesail.com
{{America'sCup Louis Vuitton Cup

Sport in Auckland Sailing competitions in New Zealand 2003 America's Cup International America's Cup Class Auckland waterfront Waitematā Harbour